Here are the limitations of low-end Windows Phone handsets
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- Windows Phone Marketplace app restrictions – Some more processor-intensive apps have memory requirements, and won’t work on phones with 256 MB of RAM.
- Podcast Subscriptions and Video Podcasts – Managing podcast subscriptions or watching video podcasts is not available if your phone has 256 MB of RAM.
- Local Scout – Bing Local Scout is also unavailable if your phone has only 256 MB of RAM.
- Fast app switching – This feature doesn’t work on phones with 256 MB of RAM.
- SkyDrive automatic photo upload – You can’t upload pictures automatically to SkyDrive if your handset has only 256 MB of RAM.
- HD video playback – Videos compressed with certain codecs won’t work on phones with 256 MB of RAM.
- Better media messaging - You will be able to attach multiple pictures and videos, voice notes and ringtones to text messages. Those can be included in IMs too.
- Location awareness icon - If an app accesses your phone’s location information, an icon right next to the battery icon will notify you about.
- Export and manage contacts to SIM card - It seems like all Windows Phone devices will allow you to export contacts to a SIM card, or create and edit individual contacts on the SIM card. Weirdly, this only appears on Microsoft’s Chinese website, so you might want to check with your carrier whether that’s enabled.
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LG to focus on design with its future low-end handsets 
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25 Comments
1. Droid_X_Doug posted on 08 Mar 2012, 07:38 1 4
Where are all of the posts from WPfans claiming that the reduction in functionality is really a 'benefit' to the user?
6. Accent posted on 08 Mar 2012, 08:26 8 0
I am an Android user and well you know what, even cheaper Android phones have some restrictions and don't support all apps. They are sometimes laggy.
7. cepcamba posted on 08 Mar 2012, 08:45 0 0
@Accent
Yeah. I think more than 5% of android apps are not compatible with let's say a device like the Galaxy Y or anything similarly spec'd.
Any reduction in functionality is never a benefit.
But having an updated version sure is a good thing. Cheaper WP with Tango have reduced functionality compared to their more expensive and higher spec'd counterparts. BUT these cheap WPs have more functionality as compared to when they were with Mango.
8. nwright94 (unregistered) posted on 08 Mar 2012, 08:46 2 1
I'm a huge WP7 fan but I don't see how this is a benefit. I know they will run better then low end androids though.
20. dhruba posted on 08 Mar 2012, 11:30 0 0
still. even the low end Androids have features like automatic photo uploading and that works without glitch
16. snowgator posted on 08 Mar 2012, 10:51 1 0
I'm right here Doug!! :-)
Missing features will serve the Tango market better than an underperforming, underpowered option or a 3 year old outdated piece of crap. Microsoft needs to be honest to their buyers of Tango. The performance should sell itself.
22. Droid_X_Doug posted on 08 Mar 2012, 13:02 1 0
Hey, snow, better late than never. :-)
I am not knocking the idea of reducing the O/S footprint to be able to offer a solution to a larger market. Google/Android have hinted at a similar effort to be able to enable Android's continued market expansion.
I completely agree with you about the need for honesty. Then it comes down to an informed purchase decision.
23. Penny posted on 08 Mar 2012, 13:59 0 0
I don't think that anybody would argue that having features taken out of an OS is good for the user. Personally, I would never go for Tango because I like the features of Mango and the hardware as well. However, having this option is a luxury that other people may not have, and these are the people that Microsoft is trying to cater to.
Is it better to give the users a device they can get, but remove some of the cool features in the process, or is it better to give them your full product, even if that may greatly limit the amount of people that could obtain it?
Is it better to be able to obtain a product, even if some of the cooler features have been cut out, or is it better to have the full featured product available, but you can never get it?
24. TryllZ posted on 09 Mar 2012, 03:27 0 0
andits not for chitias...either...u need an iphone in ur GAND...or better u need an iPad in ur GAND...got take it away...u makharda-di-phallo...
kutay ki gand...
3. Jericho posted on 08 Mar 2012, 08:17 4 1
expected from an indian using abusive language in hindi/urdu phonearena.
Windows phone is a great os and is gonna take off when windows 8 pc's and tablets hit the market.
Hopefully......
5. droiddomination posted on 08 Mar 2012, 08:24 2 1
i totally agree with your comment. say two years, when everyone is comfortable with desktop windows, and they invade the tab market and phone market..they will be on top i feel, of the mobile ecosystem.
25. theindianguy posted on 09 Mar 2012, 06:41 0 0
lol phonearena is available in hindi? :P and these people are actually annoying -.-
4. droiddomination posted on 08 Mar 2012, 08:19 3 1
i am starting to like the windows platform a lot more....have to check out the tango in the future!
9. hunted posted on 08 Mar 2012, 08:51 1 0
Everyone were using symbian a great os(many still love including me), looked for a change and came to android. Now everyone will start looking for a change & come to windows phones(as this os is catching up the market) definitely windows will come up & will be a threat to others :)
10. Bluesky02 posted on 08 Mar 2012, 08:58 1 1
A very important useful article. Thanks Victor.
This is what precisely i wanted to know. So far it doesn't sound that bad.
19. snowgator posted on 08 Mar 2012, 11:02 1 0
Oops. That should be a +1. My bad. Feel free to thumb me down on a future post to get even. Sorry, Bluesky.
11. haseebzahid posted on 08 Mar 2012, 08:59 0 0
Where is Static WIFI IP support ? still not done yet ? it is most simple thing if hardware dont block it
12. naveenstuns posted on 08 Mar 2012, 09:58 0 0
I have one question? lumia 610 have multitasking?
13. Droid_X_Doug posted on 08 Mar 2012, 10:47 0 0
One further question - does the low end edition of WP support any kind of background processing? Like having Skype active, and waiting or an incoming call while the and set is used to review an Excel spreadsheet that was received as an e-mail attachment? When a Skype call is received, can the user receive the call and return to their Excel spreadsheet concurrently?
15. Droid_X_Doug posted on 08 Mar 2012, 10:51 0 0
Minor edit - ...waiting for an incoming call...
17. snowgator posted on 08 Mar 2012, 10:56 0 0
With that low end of a processor that will be on these cheap handsets and that low of spec sheet, bet on Tango being a one item at a time device. But again, most low end, underpowered Android freeze up like an ice cube if you ask them to multitask. Remember the market. These buyers don't expect the mobile world laid at their feet. They just want devices that work well. Most of these, poor hardware excepted,.will.
18. snowgator posted on 08 Mar 2012, 10:59 0 0
Okay, I think we can expect a mobile phone to have incoming call capabilities. If not, I will be right with you on that.
14. snowgator posted on 08 Mar 2012, 10:48 0 0
These restrictions are important enough to know, but not discouraging enough to scare away any potential buyers of the lower end phones. Prepaid carriers always have weaker, slower performing devices, and developing markets do not care about all the bells and whistles. Microsoft will push Tango as an affordable, smooth option in those price markets. This was extremely important to Nokia. WP 7.5/8 is to compete with the rest of the market.
21. Bluesky02 posted on 08 Mar 2012, 11:38 1 0
@snowgator
Lol nevermind,
Agree with your comments.
Something interesting is that, without offending Android fan. This low range WP tango runs smooth whereas a low range Android would lag.
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