Microsoft Delays Windows Phone 7.8 Update to “Early 2013”

After weeks of silence on the whereabouts of the long-promised Windows Phone 7.8 update meant for the Windows Phone 7 series of smartphones, Microsoft has now officially confirmed that the update will now be delayed from its original 4th quarter scheduled rollout to a new rollout target of “early 2013”. This is after first being announced in June of this year.

We know you’re eager to get the Windows Phone 7.8 update, and we want you to know that we’re working closely with our hardware and carrier partners to get it tested, approved, and rolled out to as many devices as possible in early 2013. As we work to quickly get this in the hands of our loyal users, we’re also striving to deliver a high-quality release and ensure a smooth transition for our widely expanded services.

As Windows Phone 8 spent more time than expected in development along with the first wave of hardware, Microsoft quickly figured out that the parallel development of 7.8 and 8 wasn’t going as quickly as expected, despite initial promises that the 7.8 update would be quickly pushed out beginning with the Nokia Lumia and expand further from there, and the new delay is sure to cause more consternation to current Windows Phone 7 series owners. When pressed on the nature of the delay, Microsoft representatives are falling back on the excuse that the company is working with manufacturer and carrier partners to deliver the update, but are declining to explain why it was delayed in the first place.

Since Windows Phone 7.8 is nothing more than a token consolation update for those that purchased Windows Phone 7 smartphones expecting Windows Phone 8 and subsequently being excluded, any more delays on 7.8 underscore the lack of attention that Microsoft is placing on the update and platform compared to the current push to sell Windows Phone 8 devices at the expense of everything else in the company, including the heavily publicized and equally maligned Microsoft Surface RT tablet.