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Windows Phone 8.1 Update Is Now Live! (Vid of Cortana vs Siri vs Google Now added)

Lloydbm41

Lloydbm41

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Original poster
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
UPDATE IS LIVE ALL OVER THE WORLD. NO REGION ROLLOUTS. You will get a quick download first to prepare your phone for 8.1, then the download for 8.1 will begin after a restart. It takes about 45 mins to upgrade, so plug in your phone.

And for those of you that don't want to wait 6 months for AT&T or Verizon to release their version, here is how you sign up for the 'Developer's Preview'. (ANd if you don't know, the Developers Preview IS the official release AND the same thing you will get from the carriers, minus firmware and crapware addons. And yes, you will still get the carrier update 'whenever' they decide to release it.) Windows Phone OS updates are not like Android. OS updates are not blocked if you do this, like say rooting or jail breaking.

Here is the How To to get signed up to get Windows Phone 8.1 Blue when Microsoft releases it within the next 96 hours:

1. Sign up for Microsoft’s App Studio: appstudio.windowsphone.com
What is the cost? Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero

Just sign in with your Microsoft ID and let them register your email address. That’s it.

2. Now that you are a registered ‘developer’ with Microsoft, you need to download the app to your Windows phone. Here is the link to the app in the Windows Phone App Store: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/preview-for-developers/178ac8a1-6519-4a0b-960c-038393741e96?signin=true
Run the app, sign in with the same Microsoft ID you registered with App Studio and check the box that says ‘Enable Preview for Developers’.

3. Wait for Microsoft to release the update. Once it’s live, you head into your devices [Settings -> Phone Update -> Check for updates]. The OS update will begin downloading immediately, and the program will walk you through the process

Please remember you will want to either plug in your phone for the update process or have at least 50% battery and make sure you are on Wi-Fi for the download. Last, make sure you have about 1GB of free space on your phone.

If you hate reading, here is a video on how to do all this from WPCentral:
 
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Yep done this already, must admit at midnight last I went trying to get the update ;) but not there. Looking forward to getting it though.
 
I think VZW may be on the slower end of the spectrum given the track record with android.

With that said, if you get the developer preview which does not include any carrier firmware updates, can you still get those carrier updates or re-apply the "official" 8.1 update?
 
maflynn said:
I think VZW may be on the slower end of the spectrum given the track record with android.

With that said, if you get the developer preview which does not include any carrier firmware updates, can you still get those carrier updates or re-apply the "official" 8.1 update?
Click to expand...

You should be able to simply sign out of the developer programme by flipping the enrol switch in the app, and then if you did a factory restore inside windows phone connect you should be able to get your carrier firmware.

However if you have access to a pc, you can actually flash any windows 8 firmware over your device very simply (to unbrand etc.) so you should be able to restore to a verizon firmware via that procedure anyway.
 
MacRumorUser said:
However if you have access to a pc, you can actually flash any windows 8 firmware over your device very simply (to unbrand etc.) so you should be able to restore to a verizon firmware via that procedure anyway.
Click to expand...
Good to know, I've been setting up a Vmware instance of windows for my phone. I'm finding the PC version of the syncronization app seems a bit more robust and the ability to fully navigate the phone's directories is a plus in the file explorer.

I'm on windows 7 right now, and I'm looking to purchase win8.
 
maflynn said:
I think VZW may be on the slower end of the spectrum given the track record with android.

With that said, if you get the developer preview which does not include any carrier firmware updates, can you still get those carrier updates or re-apply the "official" 8.1 update?
Click to expand...

You don't need to do anything. Once the carrier releases their version, your phone will
Download it and install without a hitch.
 
Joe Belfiore of Microsoft just twittered this:

“Yowza, you're going nuts 4 #WP8.1 dev preview. Everyone relax thru weekend, check in early next week. Enjoy Win8.1 update, write apps! :)”

Looks like April 14th will be the day.
 
Just got an update !!!!!!

Seems like preliminary update to 8.1 ....


edit...

and now 8.1 is

--- downloading (and taking much longer :) ) excited :D


--- preparing to install 96%.......
 
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MacRumorUser said:
lol... ridiculous that a phone update can be so exciting.

Mines just restarting now to finish installing...
Click to expand...

I know! If it wasn't such a significant update to the platform, with so many things to bring it on par with iOS and Android, I wouldn't have bothered right now. BUT.... :D

Preparing to install... 43%
 
Lloydbm41 said:
I know! If it wasn't such a significant update to the platform, with so many things to bring it on par with iOS and Android, I wouldn't have bothered right now. BUT.... :D

Preparing to install... 43%
Click to expand...

gosh it's seems like it takes forever after the preparing to install part and the cogs spinning screen.... :)

I think a can of paint as an image would be more appropriate than the cogs . lol

----------
Lloydbm41 said:
Screenshot the "About" page for me when it finishes. You get to be first!
Click to expand...

Will do.... :)
 
wp_ss_20140322_0001.jpg
 
Mines chugging along, I finished up the initial update to make way for the 8.1. It downloaded the 8.1 and I'm at the spinning gears stage. Slow process but that's ok, I have time - as long as work doesn't need to call me :p
 
Having 1 issue, gmail account is acting up - I deleted it and went re add it and it says it will connect to authorise and it doesn't do anything.

Had to basically re set up the account as a new imap account for it to take.

Also no cortana for me :(

changing my system language to US and seeing if that enables her.....
Ok you have to change not only system language but locale too.....
 
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Yep, Cortana has to be set with U.S. Region and language, or it wont work.

And no issues for me with Gmail. Just had to put my password back in for Google after the restart. Also, the swipe feature with the keyboard works great! No mistakes so far. Microsoft did a great job on it.
 
Lloydbm41 said:
Yep, Cortana has to be set with U.S. Region and language, or it wont work.
Click to expand...
yes, Cortana is a us only product, partly because of the services that bing has in the US vs. the world. (at least that's what they explained in the windows weekly podcast).

As for 8.1, so far it seems nice, though I'm loving the keyboard, its improved my typing speed dramatically.
 
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