Windowsphone Cyan Update

[dannybisa]

Hi there. Can someone at Verizon please tell us what is going on with Cyan update for Windows Phone? The Denim update is due to be released shortly and we don't even have the Cyan update yet. Is there someone in Verizon that can actually give us an answer? Think about it, would you like to be left in the dark about something you are paying for and updates or modifications that are due are not coming through in a timely manner? So now to satisfy us just put both of these updates in one package and get it done with!!

Of course no one with info at Verizon will answer this because as long as they have their money they can really care less. I came to Verizon because of the better choices and options you had but it's looking like I made the wrong decision. I heard nothing but good things about Verizon but I'm beginning to see I was mislead. We (Windows Phone customers) may be a small percentage of your business but that doesn't mean our needs should be put aside.

[Anonymous]

Well by the time the update comes out the phone will be totally obsolete.

Verizon nor Microsoft are agile companies. The Verizon corporate execs handle business not code. These execs come into work getting information from other people, they process that information with the best of their ability, and make a decision. These are the type people that probably have an iPhone or Android and are told how it works from their IT department. They are not the type people that are connected to the code or the product/OS/firmware/update being released. Due to this they do not have a personal stake at hand and are disconnected with the user and developer. They get wind of a few users complaining and may ask a few questions on why it is happening, but beyond that they process the information they receive in order to find what position is best to benefit their shareholders. Sometime they may do small things to pacify users, but they will do the least amount possible in order to pacify you. So they do not have the connection that a start up out of a garage has with their users.

What does this mean for us? Well we should either go back to Android or iOS or sit tight as Microsoft tries to become more agile under Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella. It is natural for anyone to want an update if they know their personal computer, smartphone, or some other device can be updated. It used to be that we paid for new Windows release or updates to software. These days people kind of expect updates such as how iOS gets free updates. So I understand what your feeling, but we are not that significant. iPhone sold 40 million phones in this Q4 of 2014, the Note4 sold around 11-14 million I believe, a lot of those are on Verizon, so to those Verizon corporate execs, you can assume they probably think they are doing pretty good. Because of this Verizon has no intentions to put heat under Microsoft's but for a small, small, small, (did I say small?) Windows phone user base. But I am optimistic, I think Microsoft has the underlying OS to be a market leader and force updates on carriers like Apple does, and now how Android is starting break into doing with Android one in other markets.

And a lot of this message may sound like I think Microsoft is the one holding up the update, and I now believe it is a lot of Microsoft's fought. Go download the developer preview and you will find a lot of bugs like I found, go to Att forums and see some of Att users are experiencing bugs. But I still believe whether or not it is Microsoft's fought, Verizon shares some fought, because Verizon could have been quicker to do things and put more heat under Microsoft's buttocks to get this update out faster.

[Alexvrb]

MS released the update ages ago. Updates are released for phones all the time with bugs. Some buggy iOS updates darn near cripple millions of phones and have even had to be yanked. I even got an update on a feature phone once through Verizon that introduced a memory leak. Verizon is taking a microscope to the update, because every bug they find means they can kick it back to MS and further delay it.

Tons of carriers worldwide have deployed the update successfully. Even T-Mobile here in the States has finally deployed it to the devices they intend to update, such as the 521 and the 925. Also, the dev preview is not the most up to date, particularly it lacks Cyan. The M8 can be purchased right now with WP 8.1 installed, and I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Last but not least, keep in mind that what most people are clamoring for is better communication. Right now there's a lot of people that are starting to think they'll never get the update, and they'll just have to get a new phone if they want it.

[Anonymous]

Alexvrb,

If you have seen any of my previous post in the past couple of months, you will see that I have not been happy with Verizon. But my thinking has shifted recently to giving Microsoft more fought here. I have said before though that Verizon and Microsoft/Nokia need to be more transparent. I came to this forum thinking it was mostly Verizon's fought, but after doing an investigation of my own I found that the Developer Preview 8.1 without cyan firmware has similar bugs to phones being reported on Att forums that have the 8.1 with cyan firmware. Joe's twitter comment said Verizon cares about quality, well I am glad Verizon cares about quality, I hope Verizon keeps putting that fire under Microsoft's buttocks, because Microsoft needs to step up their game and become more agile and understand what users want and need. But at the same time I think Verizon probably is not quick enough in getting their thoughts back to Microsoft on updates. Now don't get me wrong, I've also mentioned I wouldn't mind being a part of a beta program to experience these features faster and also provide valuable feedback to Microsoft, because I agree it is not a show stopper. But I wouldn't want the average user to get this update, I wouldn't want to be fielding calls from users who can't work their way around bugs. I also wouldn't want a user to have to deal with bugs. So I would say when it comes to fought of not getting this update, it is around 35% Verizon's fought and 65% Microsoft's fought, it takes two to tango.

[theBoringCoder]

The only thing Microsoft is guilty of is not finding the correct leverage to get carriers to release Windows Phone Updates in as timely a fashion as they do iOS updates. If anything kills Windows Mobile, it'll be the "poor cousin" treatment carriers like Verizon give it.

I had a Trophy 7, and NEVER got the Windows Mobile 7.8 update, even though Microsoft released it. Why? Verizon. When I got my Lumia Icon, the sales rep at the Versizon store (a corporate store, I might add...not a franchise store) said Verizon had committed to working more closely with Microsoft to release updates for Windows Mobile 8 in a more timely fashion than they did with Windows Mobile 7. I had the feeling I was being lied to, but I did the upgrade anyhow. Verizon has my cell business, my home phone, my home internet, and my TV business. I pay them about 350 a month for all those services. I'm just about at the point of discontinuing them all. I've called their customer service numbers, and they don't care. They're not offering me anything to stay with them. That's not the sign of a healthy company that competes in the marketplace, nor is it a sign of a company that cares about its customers. Customer service? Not at Verizon.

The Cyan update has been generally available for over 6 months now (it was available at the time of Microsoft's annual BUILD conference), and yet it is still listed (for Verizon) as "Under Testing". Look at all the other carriers that have released it: http://www.microsoft.com/en/mobile/support/software-update/wp8-software-update/availability-in-north...

Verizon is a large company. If their people can't get a mobile OS update tested in 6 months, they've got serious problems.

[primortal]

theBoringCoder wrote:

The Cyan update has been generally available for over 6 months now (it was available at the time of Microsoft's annual BUILD conference), and yet it is still listed (for Verizon) as "Under Testing". Look at all the other carriers that have released it: http://www.microsoft.com/en/mobile/support/software-update/wp8-software-update/availability-in-north...

Verizon is a large company. If their people can't get a mobile OS update tested in 6 months, they've got serious problems.

FYI, Windows Phone 8.1 (and Cyan) was not officially released until 7/15/2014.  It will be 4 months old this Saturday.

[theBoringCoder]

What's your source on that?

I was citing the fact that the Windows Mobile 8.1 update was available at Build 2014 (http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014).

[primortal]

Sure, http://www.wpcentral.com/lumia-cyan-windows-phone-81-roll-out-starts-today

[theBoringCoder]

Okay...I see your point--I think--that we ought to be counting not from when it became available, but rather when it was officially rolled out by Microsoft. Fair enough.

Almost 4 months then, with no work from Verizon as to the status. And so many other carriers have rolled it out (Availability in North America - Nokia). In fact, Verizon is the only major carrier to have not rolled it out. AT & T? Check. Sprint? Check. Heck, even T-Mobile has rolled it out. And yet, Verizon has no official comment? #weakSauce

[primortal]

I see this way; Verizon and software updates (sans Apple) = #HafFast

[Alexvrb]

vzwenduser wrote:

So I would say when it comes to fought of not getting this update, it is around 35% Verizon's fought and 65% Microsoft's fought, it takes two to tango.

Given Verizon's lackadaisical pace testing and working with MS, I'd say it's more like 65% Verizon 35% Microsoft. Your argument might have carried more weight if Verizon was not dead last in deploying this worldwide.

You can mention bugs all you want, that hasn't seemed to stem the tide of iOS and Android updates being released. I have watched numerous devices develop issues after installing Verizon-sanctioned updates, until fixes can be pushed out. Software bugs are almost a fact of life for cutting-edge devices. What I really want to see happen is someone break apart the carrier stranglehold we have here in the US.

At this point it's pretty obvious Verizon isn't going to say anything of value on the subject, so we can just hope we see it before 2015.

[dgc1962]

Isn't there already talk of yet another Verizon exclusive Windows Phone from Lumia (Microsoft)?

This is what I don't understand.  Verizon's disdain for the OS could not be more obvious.  Their corporate store reps regularly try to talk people out of going WP and the clearly consensus online is that Verizon not the carrier of choice for Windows Phone (AT&T is).  Why wouldn't Microsoft be giving the exclusives to a company that doesn't undermine their products?  Like many others I think the Icon is a great phone.  I did an hour or two of research on the phone, I just wish I'd done 5 minutes on the carrier issue rather than staying with Verizon.

[primortal]

Not really an exclusive.  The 735 isn't supposedly to be released till early next year, Verizon Lumia 735 not scheduled until early 2015 | Windows Central.  The same exact thing they did with the Icon; was available in November and waited 3 months missing the holiday sales.

It shows they have no use for Windows Phones but carry it for sake of potential sales.

[dgc1962]

It gets more likely with each passing day that I'm going to find $700 worth of value in getting away from Verizon.

[Fationably_Late]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one pissed at Verizon for dragging their a** on this update. Hopefully Verizon gets their act together because it's crap like this that make people switch carriers.

[dgc1962]

I think that pretty much everyone with an Icon is angry about not only the delay in pushing Cyan, but also the general silence from Verizon about it.  Add in the retirement of the phone as well.  If only I'd gone with AT&T. 

[Fationably_Late]

I guess I'm just going to go to the local Verizon store and shame them into giving me a free 'upgrade' to a phone that already has the update. Too bad, really, I loved my Lumia.

[dgc1962]

I believe that the only phone Verizon has with the equivalent of the Cyan update (which is specific to Lumia devices) is the M8.  I would have gone that way myself if it had a decent camera.  I hope it works out for you.  Best of luck.

[dkhbike]

The upcoming Connection Day is like the icing on the cake, now that VZW has updated my Icon to WP 8.1/Cyan/Denim! NOT!!