As Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 8 to the world, they dropped word that none of the current devices on the market would receive the fancy new update. Instead, Microsoft would introduce Windows Phone 7.8, a pseudo-combination of some of the best of Windows Phone 8 combined with the current platform of 7.5. Most important was the addition of the new live tiles, and sizable tiles for a customizable home screen and more.

Unfortunately, as a recent from WPCentral points out T-Mobile may have decided to pass on the WP7.8 update for Lumia 710 owners. A reader of the site received an email from Nokia stating in no uncertain terms that Nokia believes T-Mobile has decided to pass on providing the update. Nokia makes sure to lay blame on the carriers themselves, which may or may not make the issue better or worse.

“In response to your concern, we understand that you want to confirm if the Windows Phone 7.8 will be available for Nokia Lumia 710 from T-Mobile. We are sorry to inform you that there are a small number of operators that have chosen not to offer the update to their users.

It is important to recognize that this decision was made solely by the operator and these include the T-Mobile network in the United States.”

Regardless of who is at fault, it’s a disappointing development for one of the T-Mobile’s best launches of 2012. The good news is that Lumia 710 owners can still install the update manually with a little hacking and tweaking and get all the benefits you would as if the device were updated directly from the carrier.

For its part, T-Mobile has yet to comment on the issue, and a thread in their support forums discussing the “denial” of the update by T-Mobile has so far gone unanswered by any moderators. It’ll be interesting to reach out to T-Mobile tomorrow and see if they don’t have an official statement on the matter and if they are blocking the update, what their reasoning is. Until then, take all of this at face value until we can hear from Magenta herself.

WPCentral via T-Mobile Support Forums