A few weeks back we asked for your opinions on Windows Mobile. We felt that seven important questions
about the platform, the phones and the future needed answering. We’ve had the results checked – over
700 Windows Mobile fans answered our survey and over 250 of you took extra time to add your further
comments about the platform.
The responses reveal several areas for improvement and shocking statistics about your
reasons for buying a Windows Mobile phone. We’ll be featuring the full details over the next few days with further information and analysis. Today we reveal one of the most surprising results – that 40.3% of respondents choose a Windows Mobile purely because it can be updated with unofficial ROMs. A further 14.8% said it would have a bearing on their purchase. Whilst a quarter would never consider it, the vast majority of people filling in our survey would consider using firmware updates from the likes of xda-developers.com. We asked you..
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When you buy a Windows Mobile device, does the fact that you can upgrade it with “unofficial” ROM’s have any bearing on your purchase?
Amonst the “Other” responses you told us in more detail about this. Some did firmware updates after the warranty expired, others did it to customise their handset further, whilst many felt that they had to choose unofficial ROMs purely because there was no way of getting official updates. We’ve included a selection of your comments on this below, feel free to post more on this in the forum.
The results seem to indicate that unofficial firmware updates and CABs from sites like xda-developers.com have helped to sell Windows Mobile phones and keep customers loyal. All this while official updates fail to appear or become available too slowly.
Does the fact that you can upgrade WinMo with “unofficial” ROM’s have any bearing on your purchase?
1 – Not really. However I do like the fact that I can customise it eg. disable threaded messaging!!
2 – update only phones i have for backups not my main phones
3 – Only after warranty expires
4 – I would rather not use unofficial ROMs but as microsoft and the handset manufacturers make little 5 – Effort to keep devices update this is the only option open to me
6 – Used custom rom, went back to standard for stability
7 – Yes, but only because it takes so long for networks to issues updates
8 – Yes once my warranty is over
9 – Yes because networks make it impossible to get new rom updates, which are vital on such buggy phones
10 – I do re ROM for speed and extra functionality etc but I would rather not have to.
11 – Yes – Tho I don’t like the feeling of loosing the warranty
12 – Normally, it wouldn’t but I will be willing to if microsoft doesn’t offer an upgrade to 6.5 from 6.1
13 – I have been forced to do this because my network – Orange – offered no upgrade to version 6.1 even though the manufacturer – HTC – provided one for generic unlocked models.
14 – I’ve found unofficial ROMs are the only way I can get a usable phone. Factory ROMs for the phones I’ve had (many) have usually been too slow and/or buggy.
15 – I need a phone to update its self when its syncing to PC
16 – Yes sometimes its the only way to get an upgrade for a still decent phone.
17 – Yes – without unofficial ROMS tweaked by Windows Mobile ‘oracles’ the default build would not be as good – differences in hardware contribute why unofficial ROMS are needed. I buy Windows Mobile to be unique and not like an Iphone ‘drone’!
18 – Yes I have used these but only as needs must, it’s outrageous I have to go these lengths though!
19 – Yes though I usually like going with official ROMs I try to buy HTC devices since they are more popular and usually get unofficial updates first and I like having that option.
20 – To remove orange extras!!!!
21 – Once out of contract/gaurentee, I like the flexibility to customise the phone with these alternate ROMs
22 – I’ve done it to test 6.1 but voided my warranty 🙁
23 – Again, I want a phone that just works
24 – Yes – without the ability to fix the idiotic holes in the default OS, I’d be long gone….
25 – Bit of both. As operating system updates are controlled by the networks updates may be released but not for us to be able to use them. This is unfair and updates should be controlled by the Operating System Manufacturer not the network.
26 – Yes, but will not upgrade ROM until out of warranty.
27 – Yes but only because there’s no other way to get a ROM upgrade