Database Info

On Microsoft, Manufacturers and upgrades..

Lots of noise around about the prospect of WM6 upgrades (legitimate) being available 'off the shelf' - as a paid for upgrade.
I have to say I think this is highly unlikely.
Microsoft tend to use releases like to drive the market in hardware upgrades...otherwise we'd hang on to older but perfectly functional kit for longer,and no one would get rich.
They're much more keen for you to buy a new device than upgrade you're existing one.....and it's why I can't buy an upgrade for stereo bluetooth for my prophet, but instead have to hack it. (when I feel up to it, anyway !)
your thought s ?

Not gonna happen.
The whole architecture of WM based devices is such, that you can't just install a 'generic' OS update. The drivers specific to your device have to be added to create a usable image.
OEM has to pay M$ for new license, then cook up an image - so obviously it's not worth it.
This might change in devices already running WM6 (WTF is WM6 if the version says 5.2????) because they have a built in 'windows update' functionality, though I am still not sure how that would work.

Just my 2 Cents, but I believe that HP has been good in this regards that they usually offer upgrades for no cost. But even if it means a small charge I dont see whay it would not be a good idea. I am eagerly waiting for the news that they are gonna upgrade me to WM6 for my RW 6828 mobile messenger
Dell charges it's clients about $40 for an upgrade. I upgraded my old Dell X5 to wm2003 for that amount.
Anyways we'll see what new fangled notion MS uses this time to squeeze more money out of us. ;-)
rohseq

Question about the forthcoming HTC Touch Pro 2 & Firestone

Hope this is the right place to ask this.
Will both these devices be running on WM 6.5 out of the box or just the Firestone?
I ask because I have seen conflicting reports on this.
I am told that even if the Touch Pro doesn't come with 6.5 it will be offered as an upgrade by HTC as soon as 6.5 is available?
I never got a Touch HD in the end or X1 because I saw 6.5 was on the way & thought I would wait for that & if I am going to get a HTC device I want to know 6.5 will be in the equation.

Your information is correct. If 6.5 comes out before the new phone, the phone will contain 6.5. If the new phone comes out first then it will contain 6.1 and an upgrade will be available.
While I have yet to see a definitive list, the general concensus is the phones that were released in the last year or so Raphael, Diamond , Blackstone, et.al, will have an upgrade to 6.5 available from HTC, the older Touchs, Kaiser, Titan Mogul, will not have 6.5 updates avaiable.
But around here does it really matter what HTC or the carriers choose to make available ?

denco7 said:
Your information is correct. If 6.5 comes out before the new phone, the phone will contain 6.5. If the new phone comes out first then it will contain 6.1 and an upgrade will be available.
While I have yet to see a definitive list, the general concensus is the phones that were released in the last year or so Raphael, Diamond , Blackstone, et.al, will have an upgrade to 6.5 available from HTC, the older Touchs, Kaiser, Titan Mogul, will not have 6.5 updates avaiable.
But around here does it really matter what HTC or the carriers choose to make available ?
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That's interesting to hear as I thought they weren't going to offer 6.5 for devices such as the Touch HD. Be interesting to see if 6.1 and 6.5 devices released in 2008/2009 will be able to be upgraded to WM 7.

While HTC's profits lie in selling new phones and there is no profit in supporting older phones, there is a certain PR standard that has to be maintained. I should think that to not offer an upgrade for a phone that was released less that a year ago ( Blackstone ) wouldn't sit well with many customers and potential buyers.
But as I said, around here it is a rather moot point as I was running a 6.1 rom well before 6.1 came out, and have been running 6.5 for over a month, well that is until M$ issued their cease and desist order, at which point I complied and immediately downgraded to 6.1.

denco7 said:
While HTC's profits lie in selling new phones and there is no profit in supporting older phones, there is a certain PR standard that has to be maintained. I should think that to not offer an upgrade for a phone that was released less that a year ago ( Blackstone ) wouldn't sit well with many customers and potential buyers.
But as I said, around here it is a rather moot point as I was running a 6.1 rom well before 6.1 came out, and have been running 6.5 for over a month, well that is until M$ issued their cease and desist order, at which point I complied and immediately downgraded to 6.1.
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We have all probable seen the pictures of how WM 6.5 differs as far as the UI is concerned by how different is it 'under-the-hood' so too speak?

Windows Mobile 6.5 May 11th Release date

I just saw this
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/windows-mobile-6-5-to-officially-launch-on-may-11/
Does anyone know how this release will work? will HTC pick this up and offer it as a upgrade on there recent devices like they did with WM6.1?
I really Hope this is the case.

From what I've heard about this, "release" only means the emulator images will be officially released, maybe along with a little showcase from Microsoft. Windows Mobile 6.5 shouldn't officially hit devices for a while after that (I'm guessing a month or two at the very least).
However, XDA's fine community of ROM chefs will have this running on every device long before HTC. And although Microsoft's official upgrade guidelines require only that the device have at least a 400MHz processor and 128MB RAM, the OEM has the final say in whether a device gets an official upgrade or not. HTC has only confirmed that the Touch Pro2 and Diamond2 will get official upgrades, but the MIX '09 conference had a Touch Pro running 6.5, so at least we know it can run it alright.
In my poor old Kaiser's case, I'm positive I won't get an official one; HTC wants me to buy a new device, not to keep using my old one. That doesn't make them any money. But like I said, the brilliant chefs will have this running on every un-upgraded eligible device in no time. But I think the answer is maybe/yes, in the sense that very recent HTC devices will get officially upgraded.
Dave

[Q] HTC Sense / HTC Trophy

I am currently using HTC HD2 with SPB mobile shell which I love and am trying a HTC Trophy and got to same Im not liking the initial usage of it...
Have HTC put there "HTC Sense" feel about it, it doesnt feel like it...
Does anyone know of custom shells being developed for this phone?

Microsoft doesn't want people messing with the user interface so everyone gets the same wp7 experience. So no, sense isn't coming to the trophy.
The closest you're gonna get is htc hub.
Sent from my HTC Magic using XDA App

One word: No.

I could eventually see 3rd party ui apps, but I doubt you'll ever see OEM ui's. Microsoft has made it pretty clear they are trying to keep wp7 pretty standard across the OEM's to facilitate updates reaching consumers consistently regardless of phone.

I really cant get on with Windows Phone 7, the user interface seems so unfinished... the home screen is just a load of tiles with a simple start menu type thing to the right...
I've got Win Mobile 6.5 and loving it but dont think I'm going to WinPhone7 next... Android for me I think...

I've had several Android phones in the past, latest being LG:GT540 most of them being 'pay as you go' or 'prepaid' phones.
I now own a $20 vodafone carrier qwerty phone (vodaf. 345)
I've just ordered a HTC 7 Trophy under contract with Vodafone eventhough there is non consumer services around WP7 available yet here in The Netherlands (Zune/XLive/Market) but Microsoft CEO Netherlands said it's WP7 'official' launch would be 1Q 2011.
That said, i think even with all the short comings this OS has lot's of potential.
Ofcourse a few 'this' and 'thats' are missing but this OS is brand new and Microsoft couldn't wait anylonger releasing wp7 seeing the enourmous gap with Google and Apple.
Updates are the way to go and WP7.0.1 coming early 2011.
If microsoft is as good with its development and services as it does with its xbox(live) (Though i'm a ps3 user) i have no doubt this OS can be a HUGE impact on future handsets.
In a year or so (my) htc would be rather old, but the OS etc hopefully a great opposition in the mobile industrie dominance.
I'll be patient, thank god ChevronWP7 got somethings in motion at Microsoft.

What Phones can run WP7?

I'm in the market to buy a used Verizon phone, and I'd like to pick one that I can install WP7 on. What Verizon Phones are available that can have this installed on them?

HTC Trophy. Sick phone.
-Griffin CEO of Parios

Right. I was aware of that one, but I was looking more into phones that could be flashed with WP7. Maybe a windows 6.5 based phone that can be upgraded. I'm not due for an upgrade at the moment and I need to buy a decently cheap phone. So I was making sure that there weren't any other phones for Verizon that could possibly be flashed to run WP7.

Jbbrack03 said:
Right. I was aware of that one, but I was looking more into phones that could be flashed with WP7. Maybe a windows 6.5 based phone that can be upgraded. I'm not due for an upgrade at the moment and I need to buy a decently cheap phone. So I was making sure that there weren't any other phones for Verizon that could possibly be flashed to run WP7.
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The only phone that can be flashed to run WP7 is the HD2 (that I am aware of) and it is a GSM so I'm afraid unless your on AT&T or T-Mobile, you'll have to stick to the Trophy.

Jbbrack03 said:
I'm in the market to buy a used Verizon phone, and I'd like to pick one that I can install WP7 on. What Verizon Phones are available that can have this installed on them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only phones that can have WP7 flashed to them are phones that are released with WP7 on them (for now at least) all BAR the HTC HD2 as that is just a beast of a phone that has had Android and WP7 portered to it.

Jbbrack03 said:
Right. I was aware of that one, but I was looking more into phones that could be flashed with WP7. Maybe a windows 6.5 based phone that can be upgraded. I'm not due for an upgrade at the moment and I need to buy a decently cheap phone. So I was making sure that there weren't any other phones for Verizon that could possibly be flashed to run WP7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows Phone 7 has strict hardware requirements that pretty much make any Windows Mobile 6.5 phone and below incompatible with it. Even the HD2 does not follow the exact guidelines, but it is the only phone that has a working Windows Phone 7 port and its likely going to be the only phone with a Windows Phone 7 port since the hardware is similar to a current Windows Phone 7 device out (HD7).
Verizon only has the Trophy, and that is your only option if you stick to Verizon.
Judging by your post, I'm guessing you haven't done too much research on Windows Phone 7, so if you are looking to "upgrade" from a Windows Mobile 6.5 based device, make sure you read up on the major differences between the two operating systems. They are in no way similar at all aside from the name. And as most people have found out when thinking that Windows Phone 7 is an "upgrade" to Windows Mobile 6.5, they become terribly frustrated by some of the changes and downright disappointed because they don't understand the differences between the two operating systems.
Windows Phone 7 is not an "upgrade". Its an entirely new mobile operating system. Keep this in mind.