Yesterday Microsoft began rolling out their latest update for Windows Phone 7 handsets internationally. But Aussies who bought their phone from an Australian telco are still waiting for some NoDo goodness. So when can they expect to start enjoying the simple pleasures of copy/paste and faster app launching? Turns out, it varies.
Telstra yesterday confirmed that the HD7 would launch with NoDo pre-installed next week. The HTC Mozart, which launched back in October on Telstra, should also get the update through Telstra next week, according to Director of Device Management at Telstra, Andy Volard. The LG Optimus 7 Q, also a Telstra WP7 handset, hasn’t been confirmed o receive the update yet – we’ve asked Telstra for details and will update when we hear more.
UPDATE: We’ve just heard from Telstra that the promised update next week for the Mozart is actually just the pre-update update, and will roll out to the Optimus 7Q as well. The full update for both phones will be made available in April.
Optus is a little bit more vague with its timing, telling us they expect to see the Windows Phone 7 updates rolling out in the second half of April.
VHA have a similar response – they’ve received the updated software for testing, and they “will know more mid-April”.
It’s a bit of a change from what Microsoft led us to believe back when the platform rolled out in October last year, that they would handle the rollout of the software updates. But it turns out that’s not quite the case. We’ve received an official statement from Microsoft which essentially says that while all phones will get the update eventually, it’s up to the carriers to roll it out:
“Windows Phone 7 customers will receive notice of availability of Windows Phone 7 updates when the update is available for their phone. This notice will vary by mobile operator based on testing schedules. All Windows Phone 7 devices are eligible to receive these updates. That said, updates will be delivered on a rolling schedule so not all users will receive the update on the same day it is first made available.”
Given how much frustration we’ve seen from Android customers waiting for software updates from telcos, this doesn’t bode well for the Microsoft platform. Sure, it’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a frustration that potential WP7 customers may not want to deal with.