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Windows Phone 7.8 update spotted on Lumias in the wild

Some Lumia handset owners in the Netherlands have reported that they have been able to update their handsets to the new Windows Phone 7.8 build of the Microsoft platform ahead of its expected release early next year.
Written by Ben Woods, Contributor

Some Nokia Lumia 800 owners stuck on the 'Mango' version of Windows Phone are reporting that they can now update their phones to version 7.8 of the OS, which delivers some of the same features found in Windows Phone 8.

According to WP7.nl (Google Translation) in the Netherlands, users in that country can now update their Lumia 800 devices via the Zune desktop software. According to the report, the update is a four-stage process and brings selected new features of Windows Phone 8, such as a revamped lock screen, resizable tiles on the home screen and numerous other tweaks.

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A Nokia Lumia 800 running Mango. Image: Ben Woods/ZDNet

However, despite the report, a Nokia spokesman told ZDNet on Monday that there is "no more information we can give about wider availability of the update". A Microsoft spokeswoman added she was not aware of any change to the expected availability of Windows Phone 7.8.

While neither company was able, or willing, to provide specific details of when other older Windows Phone-based handsets in Europe might get the update, the Nokia spokesman did confirm that the Lumia 510 — which runs Windows Phone 7.8 out of the box — is now shipping to the first markets to offer it, India and China.

Unless there's confirmation of a different arrival date, owners of Windows Phone 7.5-based handsets should still expect to get the update to 7.8 in early 2013. (Unless, of course, they're one of an apparently lucky few using Nokia Lumia 800s in the Netherlands.)

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