Microsoft launched Windows Phone 8 in October 2012 and some fans of the operating system are wondering when it will see a major update. Microsoft has responded to the criticism and wants users to know they're being heard.
Windows Phone 8 coincided with the launch of Windows 8. Microsoft's smartphone operating system was actually the first to debut with the Metro UI that Windows 8 is now famous for. The company released Windows Phone 7 in 2010 and it was a complete departure from the previous smartphone operating system it had released. WP7 was released so Microsoft could better compete with Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems in the smartphone world. The company followed up by releasing Windows Phone 8 in 2012, which added some new features but some users feel that it's not enough. A user complained about the lack of updates on a Microsoft Windows Phone forum and got a response from the company.
The user in question created the thread "We need Microsoft to listen to our ideas and DO something" on the Windows Phone forums, stating that WP8 is going to be a year old and it will soon be getting the GDR2 update, but none of the top ideas users have been asking for have been included. The user ended his post by telling Microsoft that things need to change or current users are going to leave the OS. The post caught the attention of Joe Belfiore, currently the corporate vice president and manager for Windows Phone Program Management, who responded with the following message:
"We're definitely here and paying attention to what you folks are asking for... keep in mind the trick for us is balancing things that make EXISTING devices better for you, our enthusiast users, versus things that create new devices to sell to a broader audience. A lot of the work in GDR2 was around enabling new devices-- like the Lumia 1020, devices on Sprint, etc. so that we could keep growing the size of the WP ecosystem. We need to grow the number of people using WP so we get ISVs writing the apps, we get better/more accessories built, etc."
"Of course this takes time and energy, but we still do intend to improve the user experience for you via new features. There's some in GDR 2 (eg. DataSense broadly available, FM Radio) there's more coming later this year, and still more after that.
Don't worry - we are listening to you folks!"
Smartphone users have gotten used to an almost yearly release of updates to both iOS and Android. Such updates add new features and, in iOS 7's case, change the look of the UI. Microsoft appears to be a fan of "slow and steady wins the race" and plans on refining Windows Phone with smaller updates such as GDR2. Windows Phone recently overtook BlackBerry by moving into the third spot in smartphone OS market share. While the lack of updates might be bothering some, the company is obviously doing something right and apparently it's also listening to its users.
