Microsoft changes WP7 requirements to allow phones with no cameras
A lot of noise is being made about Microsoft changing the minimum specifications for phones running Windows Phone 7 back in September, with critics wondering why it did it with nary an announcement, and if Microsoft is just trying to help Nokia get low-cost WP7 phones into the market.
In truth, do these minimum specifications really matter? Yes, they do – Android never had minimum specifications, resulting in some strange configurations that admittedly didn’t work too well. Microsoft’s stance was firm with manufacturers from the beginning however, and that is why we’ve yet to see a lagging Windows Phone 7 device.
While these standards or minimum specs do ensure that the platform and its devices never slip below a certain acceptable level of quality and performance, the only announced change here is the allowance for manufactures to include no camera, neither front or rear, built-in to the device.
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How exactly does this “downgrade” the platform or hardware? To us, it simply gives manufacturers the chance to produce lower-cost devices and meet stricter enterprise/governmental security requirements, and customers the chance to enjoy the lowered prices. Everyone wins!
So, some Windows Phone 7 phones in the future will not feature cameras – we assume those who are buying them know this lack, and don’t expect to make video calls, or take photos with their devices.