It's amazing. Given the importance that Microsoft's smartphone platform should have—not to mention the uphill struggle it faces against the iPhone and Android juggernauts—one would have thought that the company would make sure that delivery of the first patch was rock solid and reliable.

After all, robust, universal patching is one of the big advantages of Microsoft's platform over Google's Android. Microsoft's locked down hardware requirements, in conjunction with its centralized patch distribution and offical (albeit carefully-worded) statements to say that all devices would be "eligible" for updates, should have given Microsoft an almost Apple-like patch process: uniform availability, regardless of carrier, regardless of OEM, regardless of model. And because every phone is running the same software, well, it should all just work, shouldn't it?

Alas not. Monday, Microsoft started rolling out the first update to Windows Phone 7. The company was non-specific about the purpose of the update; it's not the copy-and-paste update that will be shipped next month, but rather an update to somehow improve the update process. Presumably to ensure that the company can keep on top of any issues that arise, the patch's roll-out has been staggered; none of the handsets I have in hand have shown the update to be available, but many others have installed it already.

Sounds simple. Except it doesn't actually work. The two Samsung handsets on the market—the Omnia 7 and possibly the Focus (which are, or were, my pick of the Windows Phone 7 crop, thanks to the way their AMOLED screens make the operating system look so delightful)—are both experiencing "difficulties" with installing the update. The updates are failing to install in two ways. For lucky individuals, the process merely hangs on step seven (out of ten); rebooting the phone resurrects it, albeit without the upgrade. For a minority of unlucky users, the process fails at step six, and corrupts the phone's firmware. What's worse is that for some of them it appears to be bricking the phone completely, rendering it useless.

Those unfortunates with apparent firmware corruption can try forcing the phone into download mode (turn off the handset, then turn it on while holding the camera button and the volume down button) or firmware reset mode (turn off the handset, then turn it on while holding the camera button and volume up button; then choose the "format" option) or perhaps even a different download mode (turn on while holding camera, volume up and volume down). If this is successful, it should allow the handset to recover its original firmware and resume operation. But not everyone can get this to work, indicating that the devices are truly bricked, with the only option being to return them to the network operator and have them replaced under warranty.

Investigation of the issue shows that Samsung has a range of different firmware versions in-use. Devices with older firmwares—JI9, JID (which my Omnia 7 is using) and JJ4—are often failing to update. The newer JK1 firmware updates properly (at least most of the time). Figuring out which firmware version you have is a somewhat awkward procedure. From the phone's dialer, type ##634# , then press the call button. This will start up Samsung's Diagnosis application (it will also create an icon for it in the phone's programs list, so that you can go back to it in future without using the dialer).

In the Diagnosis application, type *#1234# . This will show a screen of detailed version information. It's the first three version numbers (for "PDA", "Phone", and "CSC") that are relevant here. If the firmware versions are older (JIx, JJx) then the update probably won't work; if they're newer (JKx) it probably will. But there are no guarantees.

We've asked Microsoft for its position on the situation, but as of yet have received not so much as a "no comment".

"We are investigating reports related to the Windows Phone update process and will provide additional information and guidance as it becomes available," a Microsoft spokesperson told Ars after publication.

Carrier gripes

Unrelated to this update failure issue, evidence that carriers are indeed exercising their right to block updates is growing. Though Microsoft still hasn't named names or provided any explicit confirmation that carriers have blocked the update, responses on its official support forums strongly suggest that it is taking place. A Windows Phone 7 user asked when he would receive the initial update; the response from a company support representative said that the reason may be that his carrier has blocked the update.

Though circumstantial, this does suggest that carrier blocks are a real concern, and not merely a hypothetical capability. And if carriers are willing to block a minor update with no user-visible changes, what hope is there for updates that actually extend the functionality (and hence lifetime) of handsets? On the upside, the same support thread reaffirmed that OEMs have no facility at all to block updates; carrier tyranny can be avoided through buying unbranded full-price handsets.

It wasn't meant to be like this

This is a monumental cock-up. Failing to install properly is bad. Corrupting firmware and needing recovery is terrible. Bricking handsets altogether is inexcusable. Who on earth wants to schlep into a store to get a new handset just because Microsoft and Samsung screwed something up? In spite of the handsets being available for four months now, in spite of having a month or more to test the update, it doesn't actually work. I don't know how many different firmware variants Samsung has—probably one per telco branding or more—but it's not going to be thousands. Testing all the different variants was certainly something Microsoft could have done, but apparently has not. I'm sure that Samsung has some blame here too—the problems thus far appear to be limited to its handsets—but if Samsung has screwed something up, Microsoft should have noticed this and forced them to fix it before shipping the phones to end users.

As someone who uses and likes Windows Phone 7, I can only hope that this is mere teething trouble, and that future updates will be perfect. But I'm fearful that it's actually a sign of things to come. Even with the minimal variation between makes and models that Windows Phone 7 has at the moment, it looks like it's already too much for the update process to cope with. I can't help but be disappointed.

Part of the promise of Windows Phone 7 is that in spite of the range of manufacturers, the software is consistent across different devices. This screw-up makes it look like that consistency is only skin-deep—under the covers, there's ample scope for things to get screwed up. And this was just a minor update—what's it going to be like when we see major updates like the multitasking upgrade that'll come in the second half of this year?

I do understand that, as they say, stuff happens. I've had iPod touch flashes go bad (forcing me to put the device into recovery mode), and there have been bad interactions between iPhone flashes and jailbreaks in the past. Samsung Galaxy S users on Bell Canada had a firmware update released just before Christmas 2010 that caused widespread bricking. It's not an unprecedented event. But to screw up the very first update of a brand new, high profile platform, on stock standard hardware? Such that the only solution for some people is to get a whole new phone? That is a truly horrendous experience.

The Android update situation, with its haphazard roll-outs and inconsistent availability, is bad enough. But Microsoft, with this update, has one-upped Google. Not only do we have a haphazard roll-out and inconsistent availability—we have ruined phones, too. What should have been a great strength of the platform is now a vulnerability.

Microsoft says that it hopes to produce an update that resolves the Samsung incompatibility within three days or so. In the meantime, owners of Samsung handsets are advised not to install the update, just in case it gives them grief. Small consolation anyone who's had to return their broken phones.