But don’t lose heart Windows Phone fans, because Microsoft is still throwing you a bone and delivering a few Windows Phone 8-like changes for you. Following the release of Windows Phone 8 this fall, Windows Phone 7 users will receive an update called Windows Phone 7.8 that includes the new Windows Phone 8 start screen.
[RELATED: Windows Phone 8 Will Be Deeply Integrated with Windows 8 OS]
If you’re a current Windows Phone fan with no immediate plans to upgrade to a new handset when Windows Phone 8 comes out later in 2012, here’s what you need to know about Windows Phone 7.8.
Goodbye Wasted Space
Resizable Tiles
Now you can personalize the size of every tile on your start screen to stress what’s most important to you. Want to shrink the phone icon and stretch out the calendar? No problem. There will be three different tile sizes to choose from: a small square, a medium-size square and a large rectangle.
Apps for Lumia
Nokia Lumia users will be getting a few new app upgrades including Camera Extras, which brings new Windows Phone 8 features like a self-timer and panorama mode. There’s also a feature called Smart Group Shot that takes several pictures in quick succession and then automatically creates a composite photo taking the best features of each individual shot. Smart Group Shot helps avoid photo-taking hazards such as a person blinking when the shutter closes and motion blur. Research in Motion in May announced a similar, albeit manual feature for the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS.
18 Months of Support
Connect with Ian Paul (@ianpaul) on Twitter andGoogle+, and with Today@PCWorld on Twitter for the latest tech news and analysis.