Windows Phone 8.1 lifecycle support starts June 24th

We still don’t have an exact date for when regular consumers will begin to receive Windows Phone 8.1 through their OTA update. Folks will be able to get it on devices like the Lumia 630 and Lumia 930 this month. We do know that companies like Nokia, now Microsoft, have said that devices will see the update rollout throughout the summer. That said, Microsoft has just shared the lifecycle date for Windows Phone 8.1.

June 24. That’s when Microsoft has designated as the start of the lifecycle for Windows Phone 8.1. The lifecycle is the period of time for which Microsoft will provide product support.

With Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft has promised 36 months of updates and security fixes. Microsoft has listed July 11, 2017 as the date for which mainstream support will end for Windows Phone 8.1.

Mainstream support for Windows Phone 7.8 is listed to end on September 9, 2014. Just a few short months from now. While Windows Phone 8 doesn’t have a date listed for their mainstream support end.

You’ll remember that Microsoft increased support for Windows Phone 8 to 36 months while Windows Phone 7.x had 18 months of support.

Again, June 24th is not the release date for Windows Phone 8.1, but the lifecycle start. That’s pretty interesting.

Source: Microsoft (opens in new tab) Via: WindowsPhoneApps.es

144 Comments

Seems older.
So will the Lumia 630 be coming with the final build of WP8.1? or just a preview?
There is no such thing as a preview. The preview for developers update is the same update as you would get with your carrier.
Not the same. There are small bug fixes between now and then. But yeah, no functionality is changed so you may not see major differences. Also the firmware is missing right now.
But I love bug fixes. Can't wait for OEM's release :D
Actually the 630 has a beta of the Nokia Cyan firmware installed right now.
OS level big fixed will most likely not come. App level fixed will as they are now.. Plus the firmware
actually belfiore in the reddit AMA said, that's not the case
It is the case actually, Joe basically said there will always be bug fixes and peformance improvements coming so nothing is ever "final", and that it's also important for OEMs to deploy their firmware updates for each device to make the experience complete. So you won't be getting much new features if at all between now and official availability on new devices, though few bugs will be fixed (as in the case of any operating system throughout its lifecycle).
Isn't it obvious that you wont' get more features (Cortana being the exception outside of US once it rolls out)? The main concern with WP8.1 DP was not the lack of features but stability issues. Also individual apps which were system apps before (like Xbox Music) will get updates and improvements. That's the whole arguement between preview and final build wasn't about features.
No, it is not. Belfiore maid clear that the Developer Preview isn't the final Windows Phone 8.1 RTM you will get from your OEM.
Haha, "maid". Your made me laugh. Thanks.
no it is not. Different lock screens Joe demoed at the event had 3differerent types of lock screen. We don't have any of that in the preview buid. I'm sure there are few more features that we don't have in this build that will be in the final build when all of us get the official update.
That's an app... Made by Rudy Huyn in collaboration with Microsoft. It will be released as an app when 8.1 comes out. It isn't an addition to the OS that still needs to be added. They said that at Build and Joe tweeted as much after.
wrong
Nope, Microsoft already stated that 8.1 Official Release has features that aren't in the Developer Preview. So no, there DP isn't final.
FYI - THE DEVELOPER PREVIEW IS NOT THE RTM VERSION. THE DP IS JUST A PREVIEW. BUT DONT EXPECT DRASTIC OS CHANGES IN THE RTM EXCEPT FOR LOCK SCREEN DESIGNS.
Actually, the firmware for 630 would've been the first one made. That's why it would get the full wp8.1 with firmware much before the OTA update.
That's why older phones get it a little late, they first get the firmware right for the newly releasing phones, then update the firmware for the older phones. Man hours, they're limited..
Lumia 630 comes with Lumia Cyan (final WP8.1)
Lumia Cyan is not final 8.1.
Cyan is Nokia's final release of 8.1 with all of their tweaks.
Final 8.1 alone is what Samsung and HTC devices get.
Not exactly. They also give firmware updates, though they don't give any name to them.
Pls take a look some photo in this link http://www.techrum.vn/threads/tren-tay-nokia-lumia-630-hai-sim-thuc-te-t...
First to say first though I am second.
Sam is out of control, 3 articles! haha
5 :-D
RIP 7.8
Nooooooooooooo
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeees
Ooooooh Yeeeeeaaaaaaah!
hell yeah!
Gotta get my WP 8.1 device before September 9. Farewell WP 7.8.... You have served me well.
Ill get goldfinger when it arrives after my good experience with 720 though few bugs I faced but obviously much much much lesser than droid shit
Won't miss it now that I'm on 8.1
WP 7.8 and 8.0 aren't all that much different anyway. I do prefer my 1020's camera to that of my old Quantum, but otherwise there ain't that much different from the user's perspective.
So what happens when my still good looking HTC HD7 WP loses support from Microsoft?
it will engage the self destruct sequence
Comment of The day, no week, no month, no year, no Best comment made ever!
ROTFLMAO!!! BEST COMMENT EVER!
Hahahaha nice one :D
That was good hahahaha
nice lol
My hair lost mainstream support from my body years ago. Im bald, but still working. Something like that.
xDD
Lolololol
Almost made me choke...thanks for that lol. Sorry about losing that support though :/
Smoke will start coming out of it and if you don't get rid of it within ten seconds.... Well let's just ain't you do. It's much better that way. Trust me.
Nothing, you just don't get anymore updates.
Can we still access the store and download apps?
Yes. This just means if there's a big bug in windows phone 7.8 , Microsoft won't update it
Also, there will be no new articles written for it and you can't contact them for help with it.
only those that will be compatible with your version of the OS
Sharpmango made me throw my Lumia off my hands cause I laughed so hard. Lol.
HTC HD7 WP? Wow! Nothing will happen... just all the best!
That's my side phone along side my 920
Out of patience
get the preview? :S
Before release fix games app
When for 7.8?
Anything on the new 1520 color options thats what I'm waiting for. I read there will be a orange one as well as the green of course.
That we will probably see when they announce a new couple of phones.
Do anyone know where the cycle starts,i mean which country.
USA, lol
Dammit, haha
Doesn't matter. The difference between all countries is more or less than 24 hrs
HA! 'MURICA "F YEAH
I high end devices like 1520,1020,925 will get on that date. Rest 920 and rest of low range devices will get few weeks later
Why would 920 get the update later then 925 or 1020 when it's basically the same phone ;)
920 is a low range device?
Looking back the black updates and saying
lol wut?
@borasar.
Since when was the 920 considered a low end device? Can I have some of whatever you are smoking ❓ LOL
Can I have whatever you're smoking, since I'm actually disagreeing with someone else saying that 920 was a low end device as in I don't consider 920 to be a low end device. Dost though comprehend?
I got that 1520...bring-on the official 8.1 ota update MiKia
My 920 is 8.1 with Cortana already, so beat you :D
I say, order would be 1520, 1020, 920, 925, 520, 720, 820... And months later for 620. At least this would be for India, where carriers aren't a problem.
Ummmm, 928?
928 isn't available in India. That's why i didn't write about it.
It was kinda like that in Mexico too, and carries are a problem here anyways lol.
Too late!!!
India offcourse where else
"Mainstream support for Windows Phone 7.8 is listed to end on September 9, 2014." I guess it's safe to say real support for WP7.8 has ended quite some time ago.
Uh yeah and my HTC Titan II on At&t never got past 7.5... Seems like anything HTC is obsolete the moment of its release..
Is Daniel Rubino, long distant relative of Al Pacino by any chance?
I guess Al Pacino is his father :)
"Noooooooooo!"
"Say hello to my little friend! Booom!" xD
I stopped playing game in wp8.1 cus games listed in second screen
The same with me. I uninstalled all games after update to wp8.1
I still play "World at arms" but I uninstalled some 20 games or so..
That's just silly. It is actually fast easier to manage games from the all apps screen. This simply makes it more like Windows. If you really can't be bothered with the games hub then just use Kids Corner and pub gamers there.
Good. Now go outside and don't come back til dinner.
So windows phone 7.8 still getting support? *ran to my 710, check for updates*
they have extended the support for wp7.8, but have they released any new updates lately?
Android better WP 8.1
No. Windows phone is way better
Android better run :D
Android, better run!
It's up to the user to me android, iPhones and Nokia's are pretty much the same they all smartphones but one difference that Nokia is the "posh one" ;-)
Certainly. It lags better,crashes better,freezes better,& what wonderful viruses it has!
Exactly lol!
2011 called, it wants its joke back.
I think they won't release it till there is no support for it... Which means that it won't start to roll out before June 24th. So if I count the same date differency (cause of the carrier) as with black update was, I'll get cyan update at the end of the year... "nice" :d
then Lumia 620 users will get on next summer i think :'(
Yeah the black update came like a year after all the other phones got it, especially in India.
Waiting for windows phone 9
My battery have a really short life time since 8.1 :(
Turn off location. Reset your phone be warned you will lose all your files. I had the same problem with my Lumia 1020,my battery life only last for 2 hours, it was the first update and I haven't reset my phone since then. Some people on the forum told me something its about the update. Now I got like 9 hours of battery life on heavy use.
Same here. With the 8.1 update the battery seems to last shorter. Its not just me then. With the Nokia recovery tool you can go back to windows phone 8.0. i just might do that and wait for the offical 8.1 update from Nokia.
My battery was bad, but I had 2 google accounts that were stuck continuously syncing. I couldn't degree with out a hard reset. But battery I'd great now.
I can almost guarantee you this will work... Ok, go to battery saver app... click on battery saver itself... and DO NOT let it run in the background. Now turn off your phone start it up again. DONE :) lol dead ass man, I tried everything in the forums and nothing worked, I go and disable battery saver and BOOM all of a sudden I got my awesome battery times back. People go to an extreme and disable cortana or location tasks but disabling battery saver in the background worked.
Soo pretty much the Icon is not gonna get the much need firmware updates till like July? Well knowing Verizon August? I'm about to revert back to WP8 from 8.1 because the Icon is a streaming pile of s**t with 8.1
k
Does that mean all windows phone running 8.1(Lumia 520 to 920 to 1520) will be future proof till 2017? Sorry if I am wrong.
It means any device running WP 8.1 will be capable of getting updates for WP 8.1 for 3 years, but you are still beholden to carriers unless you've gone the developer preview route. It does not mean you will get the next release of WP, however.
Its not ready for prime time, my phone over heats all the time now with 8.1 and also battery drains very fast now....and sometimes my phone freezes....using Nokia 925
My 925 has been solid with it. Aside from my Mic no longer working which resulted in me having to get a replacement.
I have had freezes and various issues. Volume bug is still present and had issues with calls. Unable to make conference calls and call waiting doesn't work. I guess noisy of these may be firmware issues.
It is a developer preview/enthusiast beta. Without the accompanying firmware you should expect some problems.
So basically WP8 support is until 2017 cause all wp8 can be upgraded to wp8.1 with dev preview if not by carrier/OEM. Nice, I had a reason to buy a new phone by 2015, now it had been entended to 2017. Oh well
May not be the release date, but it certainly gives a better clue as to when it should start to hit the mainstream.
So, when can we update our developer preview 8.1 to an official version through Preview for developers? XD
You don't. You have to wait for the OTA update like everyone else.
So does that mean wp8.1 update will come after 24th June???or they might spread the update before starting the support for it???
How could be this late Vodafone Australia has confirmed that wp 8.1 update will come end of this month or start of next month....ms date 24 June confusing....
Who is using the dev preview have to wait until the carrier release the 'final' 8.1? This sux... :/
this means that windows phone will continue to evolve.. 8.2 or 9, 10, 11 and so on... ?
When is the second xbox music update going to be released? It was issued due this week, right?
I am hoping that any documents that are downloaded to be available for sharing :-/ Each and every time I need to connect my 920 to a system to send the downloaded pdf as an email attachment :-(
You can use pocket file manager to send any file to your mail and OneDrive,note etc
Does this mean the WP 8.1 will be available after June 24th? :-/ I can't wait anymore... (and I don't wanna update to developer preview)
No, it could also be released before that date, support cycle for Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows 8.1 also started some time after their releases.
Can't wait to use Cortana on my HTC 8X!
Please fix the Cortana issue on HTC devices dear Microsoft/HTC!
My birthday!
I found the overheating is more app specific. Same with battery. Also, don't forget to close apps. Far more can be running now than before and I have to remind myself to go to the task manager and close things from time to time. Overall, not that much difference in battery life on my 920 than before. Also, use the action center to turn off Bluetooth Wi-Fi and location when not needed.
When 7.8 Stops ill bet Zune software is done also? Any thoughts on this?
Likely means we won't see it till July. Good job Microsoft. Glad to see that rapid release cycle is working out for ya.
Too much waiting
I need this update!
I'm wating June 26th and Zune 5th. It will be long wait. Maybe Endless
I just got a text telling me my Lumia 1020 will get the upgrade on Tuesday. Oh wait, that was just in my dream. Fuck I hate that...
Considering that some OEMs don't support their devices for even a full year, three years is pretty damn impressive.
So what you're saying is... everybody on AT&T is screwed until next year.
guys, i'm to get a lumia 1020 in about week's time, i've installed the preview for developers on 920, seems great, when the official one comes out, would we have to hard reset our phone then get update or will they make it just like another update to install for end users cause i mean it's a developer preview which really should be for developers testing stuff and the like but they've made it easier for all of us indeed. Just a question to know how to handle stuff in future.
Hey, it's 24th June. What's happening?

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