Microsoft has confirmed that existing Windows Phone users will not be given the option of upgrading their OS to the latest version later in the year.

Speaking to The Verge, senior marketing manager for Microsoft Greg Sullivan stressed that putting the new features like MicroSD support and NFC into existing Windows Phone handsets wouldn't make sense, given that the hardware isn't in place.

"To do the work to bring all of those elements to a platform that can't exploit them wasn't necessarily the most efficient use of resource"



Tango with tantrums

Instead, there will be a cut-down version of the OS, Windows Phone 7.8, that will be released instead, which introduces a number of functions such as the altered Start Screen customisation.

Both Windows Phone 7.8 and 8 will be available later in the year.