Vimeo updates for Windows Phone 8 but leaves 7 users behind

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

There’s some good news, bad news brewing in the Windows Phone Store as some app fragmentation is now becoming a little more evident. Such is the case with the updated official Vimeo app, which was bumped to version 1.3 this morning, joining the list of updated Windows Phone 8 apps. The bad news is it’s no longer available for Windows Phone 7.

We’re unsure if this is yet-another-Store error, meaning in the next few days Phone 7 owners will be able to download the app again, but for right now, it’s exclusive for those with the latest and greatest handsets on the market...

Version 1.3 is stunning, to say the least. Videos play in HD resolution and look fantastic on the HTC 8x’s 720P display and the Lumia 920’s PureMotion HD+ screen. In addition, you can use the NFC ability to tap-to-share with other Vimeo users, which should be fun and seems to work well from our tests. The full feature and change log is quite impressive:

  • Watch and manage all your existing Vimeo videos
  • Watch videos from your Vimeo inbox, Watch Later queue, or videos you have liked
  • Use NFC Tap-to-Share to share Vimeo videos between phones
  • Create live tiles from your videos or featured channels
  • Easily like, comment on, and add videos to your Watch Later queue
  • Discover new and fascinating featured videos
  • Quickly search for videos on Vimeo
  • Easily upload your footage in HD
  • Pause and resume uploads
  • Replace existing videos
  • Share via Facebook, Twitter, email, or SMS
  • Add videos to your Groups, Channels, and Albums

What can we say besides it’s a great app that works wonderfully on Windows Phone 8? Unfortunately though for now, Windows Phone 7 users are left holding the bag with this update, which hopefully is more oversight than shafting.

We’ll keep an eye out to see if any of this changes in the coming days. But for now, if you’re on Windows Phone 8, treat yourself to some stunning video-streaming with the official Vimeo app found here on the Windows Phone Store.

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Executive Editor

Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.

36 Comments
  • So it begins...
  • wait wait wait....not that long ago people were saying app fragmentation doesn't exist! /sarcasm
  • Well, that was true pretty much. Windows Phone 8 and apps are new by definition ;)
  • Even as a current user of WP7.5, I can honestly say it's better for the platform that these things come to WP8... In that regard, I'm happy.
  •   Love my job, since I've been bringing in $5600… I sit at home, music playing while I work in front of my new iMac that I got now that I'm making it online(Click on menu Home) https://goo.gl/UM59Y
  • I was ready for this to happen anyways. I'm still hoping WP7.5 Users will get instagram when WP8 comes if it does.
  • Unfortunately, as soon as it was announced that 7.x devices would not see the 8.x updates, fragmentation was bound to happen. Trouble is, if more and more people adopt wp8 (great for the platform), its going to become even less beneficial for devs to update apps for 7.x devices. Happy I didn't keep my l900 right now.
  • I would just be happy if they get wp8 up to where wp7 is in the areas that have been reported to work better in wp7. It doesn't hurt my feelings all that much to see those of us on 7 to miss out on stuff if it means we will have a better platform to upgrade to. They also need to get all of 7's apps that people paid money for working on 8. In time 7 will disappear and fragmentation will be no more. The new kernel should have a long life ahead of it if MS does things right.
  • Being a L800 user I haven't got much of a problem with this. Imo, it's not the right time to upgrade yet, too many shaky apps on WP8 yet, all in all WP7 is still a must, but time will come...
  • Agreed.
  • I've ported two apps to WP8 now, and I'm not really sure why it'd be too hard for developers to not continue to support existing WP7 versions of their apps. Visual Studio easily lets you link common files used by both projects, for example, and they can use conditional compilation directives to add new features that WP8 affords if needed. Of course, it's a different story if the app is a complete rewrite that isn't primarily written in C#... but otherwise, dropping support entirely for WP7 seems silly.
  • The only saving grace at moment is the fact that Nokia are producing quality apps, but I worry about 3rd party apps deserting.
  • This wp7 vs wp8 is getting old...i dont care!!!
  • As long as the older app works?  As time goes by the WP7.5 devices will phase out I guess?
  • Nice! Yet another excuse to upgrade! Can't wait to next year!
  • Ya, I'll still have to wait until next year, but I'll be damned if I buy another Windows Phone. I don't blame Vimeo, it's quite charitable of them to support Windows Phone at all when so many others don't. 
  • Hello fragmentation!
    I can't wait for WP9 next Christmas, when all the Lumia 920 owners will be left with an end-of-life handset after a year.
  • Don't be stupid
  • Um, can you point to the announcement from Microsoft where they're guaranteeing future upgrades to early WP8 adopters?
    Because Microsoft and Nokia certainly didn't do anything to discourage early buyers of the Lumia 900 this spring and summer, even though they knew full well they were shipping phones on a dead-end OS.
    Fool me once, shame on you.
    Fool me twice... GeorgeBushsomethingsomethingsomething.
  • LOL! 
    You're right though. Who's to say if WP9 is not around the corner? Or the "Surface Phone"?
    If Microsoft does release a "Surface Phone" and the Nokia partnership falls appart, no one can assure that the developers will stick with WP8. Or 7. Or Surface.
    3rd parties have, in most cases, limited resources. Look at the "Tango Video Calls". They have assumed they won't invest in the WP platform 'cause they rather spend the money they have with Androids and iOS. So if you have limited resources, what would you do? Bet on a company that has 2 or 3 OS with divided markets? Or will you go with the ones that have a transversal market?
    This stunt Microsoft played with WP7.5 and WP8 will cause them more harm than good in the long term. Oh and...what about 7.8? Wasn't 7.8 to become the OS on lower class devices? That means that MS won't abandon WP7.x so soon...and in that case...will they allow this kind of market divisions inside the same brand? This all seems to me that the person in charge of these decisions should just be fired. It's a shot in the knee after another...
  • http://www.slashgear.com/windows-phone-8-devices-get-18-month-update-pro...
  • The title of that slide tells you everything you need to know: "Windows Phone 8 Updates". So it'll get all the available updates to Windows Phone 8 for 18 months. Call it Windows Phone 9 and Microsoft's off the hook.
  • WP9 likely won't come with the drastic under-the-hood changes that came with WP8. Also, MS likely will coincide WP9 with the release of Windows 9, which unless they switch to yearly OS updates won't be out for a few years.
  • An idiot is an idiot. If an idiot is an idiot, then an idiotic troll = an idiotic troll. End of proof.
  • Who are those seven users?
  • Ally McCoist demands to know.
  • No fast resume... Wtf
  • Can this app be used to view embedded vimeo on web pages? Was actually trying to do that the other day and was prompted for what app to use to open the vid.
  • I wonder if these changes can be attributed to new API's that are available only on WP8 and not WP7. While it's true developers can target WP7 and have an app that also works on WP8, most might want to take advantage of newer features of WP8. 
  • Was there an upgrade from Windows Mobile 6.1 to Windows Mobile 6.5? From WM6.5 to Windows Phone 7? From 7.5 to 8? I expect one or two upgrades coming to WP8 and in about a year WP9 with no upgrade route from MS. Buying L920 now might make sense, buying it in Spring 2013 makes less sense and buying it in Summer 2013, unless it's very cheap, doesn't make much sense. MS loves abandoning their customers as it means more revenue for MS. Their chunk of the market is so insignificant they can risk their customers being extremely unhappy as their new products may appeal to new customers. It is risky, but, at least for the time being, profitable.
  • What on Earth are you talking about? "Microsoft loves abandoning their customers" is a silly statement. Apparently, Microsoft are looking to release Windows Phone 7.8 for January 2013 and are looking to upgrade new Windows Phone 8 devices next year as well. Now is still a great time to be apart of the Windows Phone 7 family, like me, because we are still getting so much out of this OS.
  • If application fragmentation did begin to occur Store-wide, I wouldn't be bothered in the slightest. I currently run Windows Phone 7.5 and I love it because I have all of the apps I need. I am itching to get my hands on a Windows Phone 8 device (namely, one Nokia Lumia 820), but for now my HTC HD7 is perfectly suited for me. If people are genuinely upset about any fragmentation (assuming fragmentation would happen) then people are going to have to upgrade - simple.
  • never used it....so dont care..eventually wp7.5 has got to disappear
  • January 2013? Are you joking? May 2013 perhaps.
  • My vimeo on my focus 2 just updated to 1.2.....
  • I was updated back to 1.2 o.O