Windows 7.5, Windows 8…Windows 7.8?

Smartphones currently working on windows 7.5 version won’t be upgraded to windows 8. This is a huge setback to the existing users using windows 7.5 Smartphones. Nokia Lumia 710,800,900,610, Samsung Omnia, and other models working on the version of windows won’t make it to the Windows 8 OS.

This is undoubtedly, a big big setback to Nokia. Having made its Lumia Series and shipped millions of Smartphones, the company finds itself in a situation, it won’t want to be. Nokia has just migrated to Windows OS and Microsoft has pushed it back to the START. However, we have a ‘candy’ from Microsoft to the existing windows users named “Windows 7.8”.

But Windows 7.8 will only provide the barest of Windows 8 features. Let us have a glance-

Start screen: – The Windows Phone 7.8 Starts screen will be changed to look like that of Windows Phone 8. It will fill the entry screen with tiles, and not leave a strange “white space” gutter on the right side, as does Windows Phone 7.5.

Tile customization: – Windows Phone 7.8 will now support three tile sizes, just like Windows Phone 8, and not two like the current version. And apps can be written to support any of the three sizes, giving the user the ability to choose between them (as is done with Windows 8’s live tiles). In addition to the current Small (square) and Large (rectangular) sizes, Windows Phone 7.8 and 8 will also support a new smaller size, which is a fingertip-sized square that is one-fourth the size of a small Tile. Mix and match as you please.

Windows Update: – Windows Phone 7.8 will be delivered directly to all Windows Phone users, bypassing the carriers. You will be able to download and install Windows Phone 7.8 over Wi-Fi, at home or wherever else, and install this update.

In comparison, Apple introduces new versions of iOS and new models concurrently (such as iOS 6 and, probably, the next iPhone this fall). The company also ensures that the newer version of iOS supports older devices: the iPhone 3GS can run on iOS 6.Microsoft needs to prevent such fragmentations, if they want to survive and bypass their competitors.