Skip to main content

Microsoft apologizes for Windows Phone update mess

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft’s first update to Windows Phone 7 devices has not gone smoothly. First it was delayed several times, then a preliminary patch began bricking some phones, and now many users still haven’t received the promised upgrade, which will allow copying/pasting on WP7 devices, among other things. The problem has gotten so bad that Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore has apologized for the mess in a comment on Microsoft’s developer site, reports Ina Fried.

Recommended Videos

“Many of you are making critical comments here which are certainly fair,” wites Belfiore. “First, I was wrong when I said  “most people have received the February update.” There are many of you who have yet to receive it, and I don’t blame you for speaking up and pointing out my mistake. Second, I referred to our updates as “complete” because I was thinking of the internal process where we pass completed software to another group who delivers them – but of course no update is complete until you all have it.  Plus, at the time I did the interview we had started the NoDo (“march update”) delivery process and I knew “it was going well” from our perspective:  people were officially getting it, the success rate of its deployment on real-world phones was looking good, and we were happy that the process had STARTED well.  Still—these are NOT the same as all of you getting it and I’m sorry that I came across as insensitive to that fact.”

Belfiore goes on to agree with users that Microsoft has been too quiet and vague on what is in updates, when they are coming, and addressing problems. Top Windows commentators, like Paul Thurrot, have been openly upset about Microsoft’s lack of communication on updates since Windows Phone launched in Nov. 2010. Thurrot, who author an ongoing guide to Windows Phone, claims that Microsoft is hurting itself immensely by not updating its OS or even revealing a full list of features coming in the March “NoDo” update.

Do you have a Windows Phone? If so, did you get the update?

Jeffrey Van Camp
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
3 big iOS 19 changes that I hope Apple reveals at WWDC 2025
iOS 19 sample logo.

We’re less than two days away from Apple’s big WWDC 2025 keynote, where the company will reveal new versions of each of its software platforms. One of the biggest changes this year is the expected shift from iOS 19 to iOS 26, with new versions of macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS also set to follow suit. We're also expecting to see the evolution of Apple Health, including a new AI doctor and Health subscription.

iOS 26, if it is to be named that, is expected to introduce one of the biggest evolutions in design for Apple software since the first iPhone was launched. Inspired by visionOS and the Apple Vision Pro, it’s expected to be a monumental redesign, but I hope that Apple also takes the time to make a few improvements.

Read more
The OnePlus Pad 3 is one of the best tablets I’ve used, here’s why
The back of the OnePlus Pad 3.

Android smartphones have long competed with, and in some cases, surpassed, the iPhone, but the same can’t be said for tablets. Android makers have long harbored ambitions to compete with the iPad in the category that Apple created, dating back to the launch of the first Galaxy Tab, which occurred 15 years ago.

Yet, the iPad remains the best tablet for most people. The iPad Pro M4 ushered in the tandem OLED era as Apple stacked two OLED displays for an incredibly immersive experience. The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra was the first to compete and offers the same great experience you can find on Galaxy phones, but with a few compromises.

Read more
How to watch today’s WWDC keynote, and 3 reasons to do so
You can livestream the WWDC 2025 keynote for free
Apple WWDC 2025 logo

Apple’s WWDC 2025 (Worldwide Developer’s Conference) starts today. In case you didn't already know, WWDC is an annual event used by the tech giant to showcase new software and technologies across its product ecosystem, while also providing developers with sessions and tools to help them build apps for Apple's devices.

How to watch the WWDC 2025 keynote

Read more