Microsoft Looking Into Windows Phone 7's 'Excessive' Data Use

phands writes "A few users are complaining that Windows Phone 7 is eating data plans alive. One user estimates idle data usage at 3-5 Mb per hour. Not good for a phone which seems to be struggling against Android and iPhone."

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[ludomancer]

Is it that bad? Again?

I have a windows mobile phone from the generation before. I tell everyone I'm able: it really is the worst product that I've ever seen actually released. I have NO idea how it was put on the market, because it is so fundamentally nonfunctional in so many primary features... I mean that statement says it alone.

I will never touch another MS mobile product again. It enrages me that they get away with multiple shit-products. DO NOT BUY!

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[John Hasler]

> ...how hard is it to take the phone through normal use case scenarios...

Easy, when you let the customers do it for you.

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[Kitkoan]

About how hard it was for Apple to the their iPhone 4 through normal use case scenarios for things like antenna reception. Sometimes random things are missed, mixed with what was the testing area like? Might have caused unforeseen fixes (a la iPhone 4 was tested near a cell tower if I remember right, why they missed the antenna reception issue.). Also, it seems most of the complaints are from US users, not global users so it could be something up with how the US carriers are handling the phones, which wouldn't come up in a normal use scenario. Maybe US carriers are trying to ping the phones and the pings are accidentally sending more information then they should?

On a completely side note, is it just me or does Ballmer look really haggered and worn in that photo? Maybe all is not going well for him at Microsoft and its really starting to wear on him?

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[digitig]

That probably is right [stepto.com].

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[jeffgeno]

That's simply not true. Windows Phone 7 does the same kind of push notifications iOS and Facebook updates only come over automatically for the couple people you have pinned on your screen. I've had one since launch and used 500MB the first month and 450 the second. I have no doubt a few users are having problem (likely leaving the Feedback option checked and their email) but it's not a widespread problem by any means.

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[Tiger4]

Apple couldn't really test the iPhone 4 antenna because they would have done most of the testing on site,

Then maybe they could have crossed the street. Maybe got in a van and driven across town. Called a cell phone company (like ATT for example) and tried to find out the median distance between towers, or the mean connect distance to a cell site, then tested at range. You know, FIELD testing, with some minimal technical muscle behind it.

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[Rogerborg]

Hah, I used to develop for WinCE and Windows Mobile. From time to time we would look at each other, exchange an "Are we really doing this? For real?" glance, then sigh and get back to our Sisyphean task.

It was always blindingly obvious that the chaps who developed the WinCE line did so on simulators on their desktops, not on actual phone hardware. The WinCE line has never, ever been designed for actual mobile use.

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[afidel]

Yeah and the test mules that were released into the real world were in a 3GS plastic case keeping the testers hands off the antennae. It was a classic case of Apple's need for secrecy keeping them from getting good testing data.

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[DJRumpy]

Actually there are a few apps (third party) that MS has allowed to run in the background.

http://www.wpcentral.com/multitasking-coming-wp7-pandora-can-multitask-now [wpcentral.com]

Scherotter said while a few major apps will be able to multitask, such as Pandora, the music streaming app that will play in the background while the user is doing something else, independent apps will not, for now. Scherotter said that eventually, independent apps will be multitask-capable, but he wouldn't say when that would be.

Of course they didn't note exactly what those 'few major apps' are.

Re:Dumb question

[gmhowell]

Feh. I pick up the phone and ask Ethel to connect me.

Makes for fun times when I call the phone sex numbers.

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[smash]

The antenna works fine in most instances. We've got several iphone 4s at work, none with bumpers and i'm yet to see/experience a reception problem. Not saying the problem doesn't exist, but by fuck is it overblown.

Re:Can't believe they released this shit

[RobertM1968]

Actually there are a few apps (third party) that MS has allowed to run in the background.

http://www.wpcentral.com/multitasking-coming-wp7-pandora-can-multitask-now [wpcentral.com]

Scherotter said while a few major apps will be able to multitask, such as Pandora, the music streaming app that will play in the background while the user is doing something else, independent apps will not, for now. Scherotter said that eventually, independent apps will be multitask-capable, but he wouldn't say when that would be.

Of course they didn't note exactly what those 'few major apps' are.

NOT correct. Please don't count on article titles to be correct. That's like counting on a slashdot summary being correct.

Currently, only Microsoft apps can multitask. The key words in the announcement... errr... sorry, article, are in bold below:

More importantly that multitasking is coming to Windows Phone 7, just no firm date;

Scherotter said while a few major apps will be able to multitask, such as Pandora, the music streaming app that will play in the background while the user is doing something else, independent apps will not, for now. Scherotter said that eventually, independent apps will be multitask-capable, but he wouldn't say when that would be.

And if you read the update, currently Zune is cited as the app that can do this.

So, let me correct your statement:

Actually there are a few major apps (third party) that MS has promised, at some future undisclosed date, may be allowed to run in the background.

Not sure about you, but when Microsoft DOES announce dates for things (Windows 93... 94... Vista as a couple examples) or features (those left out of Vista as examples), it's already something I dont lend much credence to. When they aren't even willing to announce a date, I have NO idea what to think.

That aside, point is, GP was correct. WP7 does not multitask anything but a few Microsoft released apps (or at least Zune).

A -1 Wrong mod (for you) would have saved me so much typing. ;-)