Microsoft addresses WP7 update concerns

Microsoft's very first update to its brand new Windows Phone line didn't go as smoothly as anticipated. It even bricked a small number of phones.

"I know there are concerns around Windows Phone updates, and today I want to try to address them,” wrote Microsoft’s Eric Hautala, General Manager of Customer Experience Engineering.

"Of the customers who’ve so far tried to install it, the overwhelming majority have been successful. If you’ve been following along, you know that we did encounter a few issues, which we quickly identified and fixed or provided workarounds for,” continued Hautala.

"Let me be crystal clear: We’re not satisfied when problems prevent you from enjoying the latest Windows Phone updates.”

Touching upon reports about whether carriers can "block” an update, Hautala said, "We work closely with carriers to test and schedule updates. They may ask us for a specific date to start an update. They may ask for updates to be bundled together.  But you should ultimately receive all the updates we send out.”

The next update – the proper one that delivers new features – is only weeks away.

"We have the next update waiting in the wings. It delivers copy and paste, better Marketplace search, and other key improvements,” promised Hautala.

"But I believe it’s important that we learn all we can from the February update. So I’ve decided to take some extra time to ensure the update process meets our standards, your standards, and the standards of our partners. As a result, our plan is to start delivering the copy-and-paste update in the latter half of March.

"This short pause should in no way impact the timing of future updates, including the one announced recently at Mobile World Congress featuring multitasking, a Twitter feature, and a new HTML 5-friendly version of Internet Explorer Mobile.”