Rumor: Verizon May Cancel or Delay Own Windows Phone 8

By Kevin Parrish
published

Verizon may drop Windows Phone 8 support because it can't remotely manage the devices.

Daily Mobile calls exclusive on a report that could spell trouble between Microsoft and Verizon. The typical unnamed source has informed the site that Verizon may delay or even cancel support for devices based on the upcoming Windows Phone 8 platform.

According to the source, Verizon Wireless requires smartphone manufacturers to implement remote access for provisioning and other device management. But Windows Phone 8, in its current state, doesn't allow for that kind of access, thus Verizon is now re-considering its support for the platform.

The source claims that remote access is required for optimal performance on Verizon's network. If the Big Red doesn't have direct access, then the phone could enter into a state where it stops responding to certain systems on Verizon's network.

Verizon Wireless is reportedly in discussions now with Microsoft about getting "waivers" to address the issue, but the Redmond company is said to be unwilling to cooperate. If an agreement isn't reached by the time the first Windows Phone 8 update is released, then Verizon may not carry the devices at all.

Of course, this is all rumor at this point, but we must point out that Verizon is one of Android's biggest customers as the Droid line has shown – the Big Red will survive without Windows Phone 8 coverage. However Verizon Chief Marketing Officer Tami Erwin indicated back in September that the company planned to launch multiple Windows Phone 8 devices in the fourth quarter, one of them manufactured by Nokia.

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Kevin Parrish
22 Comments Comment from the forums
  • internetlad
    goddamnit verizon, You're like, the only network that covers my area that isn't inherently evil and you can't get ANY good, unique phones.

    goddamnit.
    Reply
  • ejb222
    Can someone explain the technology that they are talking about? Why doesn't any other carrier need this. Is there a distinct advantage to this for consumers?
    Reply
  • they probibly only use it to SPY on their users to be honest.
    Reply
  • wildkitten
    Don't give in Microsoft. Verizon is simply becoming incredibly customer unfriendly.

    First they turn their loyalty discount into a loyalty fee, then they start pushing these much more expensive data share plans, now they put remote access components into their phones (the Bionic's new ICS upgrade has it) and un order to freeze or delete it you have to root, and they now have root checkers built into the phone. Rumor is on several Droid forums is that if someone has ever rooted they may charge more for support or deny it altogether.

    I'm glad Microsoft is taking a stand against this intrusiveness the way Apple did. Now if only Google would do the same.
    Reply
  • wildkitten
    ejb222Can someone explain the technology that they are talking about? Why doesn't any other carrier need this. Is there a distinct advantage to this for consumers?Think of it as a remote desktop connection for your phone. Supposedly it's there for diagnosing and fixing your phone, but would you accept an always on remote desktop connection on your computer?

    It's more than likely if other carriers don't do it yet, they probably will start.
    Reply
  • jhansonxi
    ejb222Can someone explain the technology that they are talking about? Why doesn't any other carrier need this. Is there a distinct advantage to this for consumers?The existence of this "feature" means that if I get a phone from Verizon it will be rootable so I can get rid of it.
    Reply
  • bigdragon
    I don't want Verizon to have these features so I support Microsoft. Verizon just wants more marketing data to sell without our permission. I may not be a fan of Windows 8, but the more I read about Windows Phone 8 the more I like it and will consider getting one. Get those waivers, Microsoft.
    Reply
  • Cheeba Hawk
    Verizon is never gonna support Windows phone like the should. They only had one. Not everyone wants an Android Phone. May have to switch soon. Been wanting a Windows phone for the longest too. Their phone library is craptakular compared to other providers.
    Reply
  • house70
    wildkitten....I'm glad Microsoft is taking a stand against this intrusiveness the way Apple did. Now if only Google would do the same.You seem to have a poor understanding of how pure AOSP Android works (you know, Android the Google way). Android happens to be a very secure OS by DEFAULT, and no app can run without the admin's permission.
    If you take AOSP source code and modify it in order to give yourself root access without the owner's permission (which is what Verizon requires in their ROMs) you can do that and pretty much run a remote desktop on that phone, but that is NOT Android anymore, it's just a crippled clone.
    Rest assured, all the phones that run on Verizon's network and have NOT been altered by their owners (by rooting, for instance, in Android's case, followed by Verizon's app removal, or by custom ROM installation) have these remote access permission on them by default. That includes iPhones, too; just because you don't know about it doesn't mean it is not there.
    With iPhones, the problem is more serious, because AFAIK there are no custom iOS versions to be developed and installed instead of Apple's version; the only thing that jailbreaking does is installing the parallel App market Cydia. Verizon's spyware might still reside on the device without the user's knowledge.
    In Microsoft's case, it's about the manufacturer not willing to give admin rights to Verizon on the phone, and Verizon is not accepting to sell these phones on their network. They never did and never will.

    EVERY phone sold by Verizon has this "feature" implemented. It's the nature of Android that allows owners to bypass that by installing custom ROMs (where possible, of course), but these customers lose all support from Verizon. Just read their official explanation:
    "The source claims that remote access is required for optimal performance on Verizon's network. If the Big Red doesn't have direct access, then the phone could enter into a state where it stops responding to certain systems on Verizon's network."
    This is applicable for ALL their phones,regardless of their OS, because otherwise they would publicly admit they are selling some phones that are already crippled on their network. This might as well be their first official acknowledgement that ALL their phones are "bugged", and the ONLY way to get rid of that bug is to modify the OS (by Microsoft, in WP8's case, or by installing custom ROMs in Android's case).
    Reply
  • Antimatter79
    wildkittenThink of it as a remote desktop connection for your phone. Supposedly it's there for diagnosing and fixing your phone, but would you accept an always on remote desktop connection on your computer?It's more than likely if other carriers don't do it yet, they probably will start.
    AT&T also does this, but it's not necessarily just fixing the phone. Provisioning means adding/removing features. For instance, if you switch from an old school clamshell to a new smart phone, you will likely need to upgrade to a data plan. When you get the new phone, you won't have data access until they provision the account with the new plan, and the phone then syncs with Verizon's billing systems and voila, you have data access. It can also involve resetting your phone's record of what towers/stations are in your local network area as well. I'd imagine the only other way your phone could be properly provisioned is maybe to walk into a Verizon store and maybe they plug your phone into a computer there or something. Not sure, as I work for AT&T. I'm speaking on behalf of myself, not AT&T. It's nothing new, I've been there 8 yrs and 5 days, and that has been the way it has always worked, from GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, and now LTE. I'm not sure if it was that way on their old TDMA network.
    Reply