Windows Mobile/Windows Phone: It it taking too long?

[Mockingbird]

Microsoft seems to be releasing a major new version of Windows Mobile/Windows Phone every 18 months or so.

Between releases, everything seems to be in slow motion. Between major releases, new handsets and features are far and between: they are mostly bug fixes.

Windows Phone 8.0 -------------------------> WAIT! -------------------------> Windows Phone 8.1 -------------------------> WAIT! -------------------------> Windows 10 Mobile

It seems to me that Microsoft should release new features between major releases.

[Snowbooks1419]

Software-wise, I'd agree - it seems like the updates to Windows Phone (like the recent Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2) aren't too major. (I don't have a Windows Phone, though, so I wouldn't know for sure.) But doesn't Microsoft release new hardware in between software releases? Windows Phone 8.1 was released in April 2014, along with the Lumia 630/635 and Lumia 930, but more devices -- the Lumia 730/735 and the Lumia 830 -- were released in between WP8.1 and W10M, in August 2014. And Microsoft has been releasing several new phones since then as well, such as the Lumia 535, 532, 435, 540, 640, and 640 XL. (And not all of these phones seem to be low-end phones -- the 640, 640 XL, and the 730/735 XL appear to be mid-range, and the 830 seems to be in the mid/high-end category.)

[Ironman273]

Yes.

[Jack W]

It is quite slow, I'd agree. With them being such a large company, you'd think they'd be able to get things done a lot quicker, yet, in each update we see only a few bug fixes and minor additions.

[Son_Of_Dad]

It's not just that it's taking so long it's that what they're producing isn't very good IMHO. It's a dull, inconsistent interface that is clunky in comparison to WP8.1. If this is supposed to launch in 4-6 weeks I think they'll deliver it as a working OS but bear with us while we tidy it up!