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Windows Phone 8.1 Features

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    #482
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    I'm guessing MS wouldn't have the influence and power that Apple do in the Phone market with operators. Apart from market share in the phone market, MS must make very little profit on their phones compared to Apple.

    That's all guess work on my part.


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    #483
    Fingleberries
    Registered Users Posts: 3,393 ✭✭✭Fingleberries


    beauf wrote: »
    I'm guessing MS wouldn't have the influence and power that Apple do in the Phone market with operators. Apart from market share in the phone market, MS must make very little profit on their phones compared to Apple.

    That's all guess work on my part.
    Heck, even Apple didn't have the influence in the Mobile Phone market when they forced the Network Providers hand. They just had the cajones to call AT&T's bluff - and once they had been successful with AT&T's, every other provider had to follow suit.


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    #484
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Fingleberries wrote: »
    Heck, even Apple didn't have the influence in the Mobile Phone market when they forced the Network Providers hand. They just had the cajones to call AT&T's bluff - and once they had been successful with AT&T's, every other provider had to follow suit.

    They had exclusive deals with some networks originally. That had to have some influence.


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    #485
    CatInABox
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,358 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatInABox


    beauf wrote: »
    They had exclusive deals with some networks originally. That had to have some influence.

    You've got those exclusive deals backwards unfortunately. It wasn't Microsoft setting the terms for those deal, but the carriers. The major carriers essentially said that if you don't give us the exclusive, we won't support your products.

    Microsoft had, and still has, absolutely zero leverage with mobile carriers in any way, shape or form.

    Apple on the other hand, do. When the iPhone was first brought before the carriers, the executives recognised the potential to disrupt their business, giving them a choice of agreeing to what Apple wanted, or losing out on billions of dollars worth of sales. As it was, AT&T got the exclusive, but that was such a one sided deal in Apples favour that people are still laughing about it.


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    #486
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    I was talking about Apple in the previous post...


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    #487
    CatInABox
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,358 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatInABox


    beauf wrote: »
    I was talking about Apple in the previous post...

    Ahhhhh. Yes, I see that..... now.

    :o


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    #488
    senordingdong
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    Why can they get updates to our tablets, laptops and desktops so easily by comparison?
    Not not Cortana is being held up by carriers anyway...
    Furthermore, a company with their clout could easily pioneer a new method of delivery.


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    #489
    CatInABox
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,358 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatInABox


    senordingdong wrote: »
    Why can they get updates to our tablets, laptops and desktops so easily by comparison?
    Not not Cortana is being held up by carriers anyway...
    Furthermore, a company with their clout could easily pioneer a new method of delivery.

    It's not really about getting the software onto your phone, it's getting that software through the carriers testing. In some cases, for a low priority system (i.e. one that doesn't sell well), that testing can take ages, or, in some cases, not be authorised at all.

    Microsoft brought out their Preview for Developers to get around this testing, but if anything goes wrong on your phone while on the preview, you'll need to ask Microsoft for help, not your carrier.

    It's a really really frustrating experience for everyone.

    In other news, WP 8.1 update 2 news has started to come out of MWC, and two of the features so far is bluetooth keyboard support, and a rejiggered settings.


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    #490
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    CatInABox wrote: »
    ...it's getting that software through the carriers testing....

    In my experience this is usually to put some sort of lock on functionality of the phone. Not to enhance the users experience, reliability etc.


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    #491
    CatInABox
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,358 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatInABox


    beauf wrote: »
    In my experience this is usually to put some sort of lock on functionality of the phone. Not to enhance the users experience, reliability etc.

    Yeah, "testing".

    I'm surprised that the carriers haven't been done for collusion/racketeering at this stage, you only need to look at the Google Wallet fiasco to see how monopolistic they can act.

    Killing a competitors software bundle, just so they have time to develop their own is surely anti-competitive? Only they botched it so badly (as everyone knew they would), Apple swooped in and captured more mind-share in one month than they have in years. The fact that they had to sell out to Google in the end is telling.


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    #492
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    On mine one of the "value added" features by the operator seems to be to disable tethering depending on the sim. The phone is unlocked. But this still is locked with the operator prepay sim. A sim from another network, also prepay works perfectly with tethering. Hardly a good reason to make the customers wait months for updates.


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    #493
    CatInABox
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,358 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatInABox


    Nice video of Update 2 in action here.

    The settings look a lot nicer in comparison to what we've got at the moment, and the ability to pin settings directly is going to be invaluable. Being able to rename the phone is also nice.

    Having said that, they'd want to start rolling that out pretty damn quick, Windows 10 isn't all that far away!

    EDIT: Might as well include the video at that link:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XydLr4YBiUQ


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    #494
    hadoken13
    Registered Users Posts: 630 ✭✭✭hadoken13


    CatInABox wrote: »
    Nice video of Update 2 in action here.

    The settings look a lot nicer in comparison to what we've got at the moment, and the ability to pin settings directly is going to be invaluable. Being able to rename the phone is also nice.

    Having said that, they'd want to start rolling that out pretty damn quick, Windows 10 isn't all that far away!

    Looks good, but considering how long it took for most of us on on non-preview phones, to get update 1, I'd say 10 will more than likely be out by then.


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    #495
    theothernt
    Registered Users Posts: 875 ✭✭✭theothernt


    hadoken13 wrote: »
    Looks good, but considering how long it took for most of us on on non-preview phones, to get update 1, I'd say 10 will more than likely be out by then.

    We should start seeing GDR2 around April/May.

    Windows 10 for phones isn't due until late 2015... so that's plenty of time for GDR2 to appear ;-)


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    #496
    senordingdong
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    theothernt wrote: »
    We should start seeing GDR2 around April/May.

    Windows 10 for phones isn't due until late 2015... so that's plenty of time for GDR2 to appear ;-)

    And will win10 be rolled out simultaneously across the planet? Our will it be late 2016 by the time everyone has it?


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    #497
    hadoken13
    Registered Users Posts: 630 ✭✭✭hadoken13


    theothernt wrote: »
    We should start seeing GDR2 around April/May.

    Windows 10 for phones isn't due until late 2015... so that's plenty of time for GDR2 to appear ;-)

    Ye for preview phones, carriers won't release it for ages.


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    #498
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    I was on the dev prev for 8.1 for almost a year. Very happy with the updates I got on that. I only switched back to try to the normal one to get denim. I'd be happy enough to go back to the dev preview. But I'll wait till its a bit more mature.


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    #499
    theothernt
    Registered Users Posts: 875 ✭✭✭theothernt


    senordingdong wrote: »
    And will win10 be rolled out simultaneously across the planet? Our will it be late 2016 by the time everyone has it?

    No idea yet, but I hope the rollout of Win10 for phones will be better than it is for WP 8.1!


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    #500
    hadoken13
    Registered Users Posts: 630 ✭✭✭hadoken13


    Looks like update 2 won't be coming to existing phones:

    Unconfirmed, but source tells me Windows Phone 8.1.2 will not roll out to previous phones, just ship on new devices.

    — Paul Thurrott (@thurrott) March 6, 2015


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    #501
    CatInABox
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,358 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatInABox


    hadoken13 wrote: »
    Looks like update 2 won't be coming to existing phones:

    Unconfirmed, but source tells me Windows Phone 8.1.2 will not roll out to previous phones, just ship on new devices.

    — Paul Thurrott (@thurrott) March 6, 2015

    Saw that, but as it's unconfirmed, I decided not to send the rumour on. Thurrott heard that rumour ages ago, so I don't know if he's still hearing it or he's just repeating info.

    Besides, while 8.1.2 would be nice, I don't think that there is anything in it that's vital, just "really nice to have" stuff


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    #502
    theothernt
    Registered Users Posts: 875 ✭✭✭theothernt


    CatInABox wrote: »
    Saw that, but as it's unconfirmed, I decided not to send the rumour on. Thurrott heard that rumour ages ago, so I don't know if he's still hearing it or he's just repeating info.

    Besides, while 8.1.2 would be nice, I don't think that there is anything in it that's vital, just "really nice to have" stuff

    So, I'm aware of the same info and I know the email it came from :)

    For the moment it's easier to say 'new devices' only, but plans may change. I think with all the focus on Win10 for phones, it's better not to get distracted with press and internally - a number of people would have to manage the release on all networks in all countries.

    There is also a technical piece to GDR2 (8.1.2) which is a little more troubling. Much like on iOS, in GDR2 you'll be able to revoke permissions in apps (locations, media access, contacts access, etc). This is a problem because apps are not designed to handle this. And they'll crash. Fun :)


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    #503
    senordingdong
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    theothernt wrote: »
    No idea yet, but I hope the rollout of Win10 for phones will be better than it is for WP 8.1!

    In latest news, MS is announcing the rollout of Cortana for Android and iOS.
    While millions of MS users still don't have it.

    Their priorities are all over the place.


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    #504
    kayos
    Registered Users Posts: 2,494 ✭✭✭kayos


    senordingdong wrote: »
    In latest news, MS is announcing the rollout of Cortana for Android and iOS.
    While millions of MS users still don't have it.

    Their priorities are all over the place.

    Don't worry bets are the same region restrictions will be in place for those OS's.


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    #505
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,405 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    senordingdong wrote: »
    In latest news, MS is announcing the rollout of Cortana for Android and iOS.
    While millions of MS users still don't have it.

    Their priorities are all over the place.

    Message seems clear to me, windows phone in it's current form is dead so fcuk all y'all we're going after the bigger marketshare of people who didn't support us.


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    #506
    theothernt
    Registered Users Posts: 875 ✭✭✭theothernt


    pleasant Co. wrote: »
    Message seems clear to me, windows phone in it's current form is dead so fcuk all y'all we're going after the bigger marketshare of people who didn't support us.

    Most Google services including Google Now are available on iOS as well.

    ...soon after this happened, everyone stopped using Android and it failed :pac:


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    #507
    pleasant Co.
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 7,405 Mod ✭✭✭✭pleasant Co.


    theothernt wrote: »
    Most Google services including Google Now are available on iOS as well.

    ...soon after this happened, everyone stopped using Android and it failed :pac:

    That's not quite comparably though, if you take even half a minute to think about why the situations are not the same or even similar - no need to go in-depth or anything.


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    #508
    senordingdong
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    kayos wrote: »
    Don't worry bets are the same region restrictions will be in place for those OS's.

    No doubt. But it is ridiculous how they are constantly announcing all these grand plan and future roll outs when there are so many users still without their previous roll outs.

    Just look at the amount of users still waiting for denim or even 8.1.


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    #509
    kayos
    Registered Users Posts: 2,494 ✭✭✭kayos


    senordingdong wrote: »
    Just look at the amount of users still waiting for denim or even 8.1.

    Ah here much of that is down to carriers... something they are addressing with Win 10.


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    #510
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,648 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    You also use the developer or insider programs. There isn't always a lot different in these updates either. I always thought WP updates are lot better than Android.

    I think MS is taking too long though. People will have tried WP then moved back to Android before they get to try WP10


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    #511
    senordingdong
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    kayos wrote: »
    Ah here much of that is down to carriers... something they are addressing with Win 10.

    From the information out there, it is the carriers that hold these things up and that there is no way around this.

    How is it going to change for win10


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