Microsoft Says No Windows 8 for Older Phones

by Christopher Freeburn | June 21, 2012 9:44 am

Users of smartphones using Microsoft‘s (NASDAQ:MSFT[1]) Windows operating system have been eagerly awaiting the upcoming release of its new Windows 8 OS. However, it turns out that people who have already purchased Windows phones won’t be able to install the new OS on their devices.

Microsoft announced yesterday that existing Windows phones are incompatible with Windows 8, the Washington Post noted.

That includes users of Nokia‘s (NYSE:NOK[2]) Lumia 900 smartphone, which has been a rare success for the struggling Finnish handset maker[3]. Instead, current Windows phone users will have to content themselves with an update — Windows 7.8 — to their operating system.

New Windows 8 phones will be manufactured by Nokia, Samsung, HTC and Hauwei.

The announcement of the Windows 8 smartphone OS came as Redmond also unveiled its new Surface and Surface Pro tablets[4], which also run versions of Windows 8. The Surface tablets are aimed at taking on Apple‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL[5]) iPad, which currently dominates the tablet market.

Microsoft shares rose slightly in early Thursday trading.

Endnotes:
  1. MSFT: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=MSFT
  2. NOK: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=NOK
  3. struggling Finnish handset maker: http://investorplace.com/2012/04/nokia-msft-bet-big-on-lumia-900-but-att-exclusivity-may-hurt-more-than-it-helps-t-nok-aapl-goog/
  4. new Surface and Surface Pro tablets: http://investorplace.com/2012/06/under-the-skin-of-microsofts-surface/
  5. AAPL: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=AAPL

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