Smartphone Thoughts is reporting that Microsoft will give vendors free Windows Mobile 6 upgrades to upgrade their devices. I think it’s clear that Microsoft understands the frustration that all of us feel when a new OS is released and are trying to change things. It’s expected that HTC will offer upgrades for any device with a keyboard – as all of you Dash/Excalibur users are already aware. Unfortunately we don’t know what Motorola or Samsung plan to do about this. The ball is in the carriers and manufacturers court.
While this does increase the likelihood that more devices will see upgrades, device manufacturers will still need to develop ROMs for devices that they may no longer be selling and then the carriers would still likely want to certify these upgrades on their networks. And will other manufacturers follow HTC’s lead and only offer upgrades for devices with keyboards?
I expect that we will hear many complaints about the lack of upgrades in the upcoming months!