Microsoft has found the cause for unexpected data usages by some Windows Phone 7 owners. It's Yahoo! Mail. There is also a problem with some Exchange ActiveSync
(EAS) email such as Gmail. There are few things you can do while you are waiting for an update with glitch fixes and new features.
Microsoft determined that an inefficiency exists in the synchronization of
email between the Windows Phone Mail client and Yahoo! Mail. This inefficiency can result in larger than expected data usage for a very small percentage of users. Microsoft and Yahoo! have worked together to identify a fix, which will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
Until the fix is ready, you can prevent the problem by setting to "manually" for "Download new content" frequency. The time range for email should be changed from the default setting of two weeks to "last 7 days."
Microsoft has also identified an issue with our Exchange ActiveSync
(EAS) email synchronization protocol that may affect a very small
percentage of users. This issue can be caused by email that exceeds the
mail server's email size setting or that the email is sent to an invalid email address.
The issue can potentially affect email services that utilize the EAS
protocol - Outlook and Gmail for example. The immediate mitigation is
for users to delete mail that appears "stuck" in the outbox. This is
currently scheduled to be fixed in a near-term end user update from
Microsoft.
So how do you update a Windows Phone 7? We've published a Windows Phone 7 update article earlier this week. In order to do any kind of update on a Windows Phone 7, you must have the latest edition of the Zune software installed on your computer.
Yahoo! issued this apology:
Tens of millions of people check their Yahoo! Mail from their mobile
device each day and we know they want their mobile mail experience to be
fast, rich, and real-time. While our default settings on all mobile
platforms realize this approach, we have determined that an inefficiency
exists in the synchronization of email between Windows Phone Mail
clients and Yahoo! Mail, which can result in larger than expected data
usage for some users.
Microsoft and Yahoo! have worked together to
identify a fix, which will be rolled out in the coming weeks. In the
meantime, Windows Phone 7 customers can mitigate this issue by changing
their settings to reduce the frequency of Yahoo! Mail updates. This does
not impact any other phones, and we apologize for any inconvenience
this is causing to users.
Windows Phone 7 models include the HTC Surround, Samsung Focus, LG Quantum, Dell Venue Pro, and HTC HD7.
Microsoft is working with the third-party app maker that caused errant data usage to correct glitches.
Ovum recently predicted that Windows Phone 7 will upset the smartphone balance of power. A Windows Phone appeared on an episode of Castle.
Windows Phone 7 smartphones have the same operating system and a few differences in hardware, which we compare in "Best
Top Windows Phones: Windows Phones Compared."