The Nokia Lumia 920 is rumoured to be selling like hotcakes (even allegedly outselling the Galaxy S III in some regions in Europe). Unfortunately, for users who bought Nokia’s older range of Lumia phones like the Lumia 710 and the Lumia 800/900, an upgrade to Windows Phone 8 will definitely not be happening, though Microsoft has promised a Windows Phone 7.8 update which will bring a few minor features of Windows Phone 8 along with the new start screen.
This move has put Nokia in a dicey position with its customers, especially since companies like Apple and Samsung have literally taken over the smartphone industry. Nokia had already bet a great deal by choosing Microsoft’s operating system, whose position in the mobile OS market and overall credibility has taken a hit over the last several years due to the overshadowing popularity of Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. Windows Phone 8 has a wide range of upgraded features and tight integration with the desktop/tablet based Windows 8. Windows Phone 8 has become a highly rated mobile operating system despite Microsoft’s insipid performance lately in the mobile industry. The fact that it has abandoned early adopters of Windows Phone will only serve to attract the ire of Windows Phone 7.5 users.
In comparison, Apple has an excellent track record of supporting older generation iPhones with the latest possible iOS version (hardware constraints notwithstanding). Google also provides the latest Android build to a wide variety of older handsets (though implementation due to carrier testing may delay the process indefinitely). Nokia will definitely feel the brunt of this decision having already lost much ground against its strongest competitors, Google and Apple. Recently the company announced around ten thousand layoffs from its 122,100 workforce for the upcoming year to meet its annualized cost-cutting target of about 3 billion Euros.
In an effort to abate and reverse the effects of its plummeting financial condition and standing in the industry, Nokia is pouring in all its financial and creative reserves into marketing its Lumia line of devices. Though the Lumia 920 is reportedly doing very well, older customers are definitely not happy, especially due to the lack of a release date for the 7.8 update. Most analysts, however, have stated that though the 7.8 update will not bring most of the features in Windows Phone 8, the new start screen and other minor additions will keep most users happy till the end of their contract cycle, especially if Nokia continues providing support for the next one to two years.
