Microsoft unveiled its Windows Phone 8 operating system earlier this week with software improvements and support for new hardware, but the bombshell for current Windows Phone users was the news of no updates to the new OS. Existing Lumia Windows Phone devices, and some other handsets, will be offered a Windows Phone 7.8 update that includes a new Start Screen interface. Understandably, the reaction to the news has been mixed, so we sat down with Nokia's Kevin Shields to find out if the company is doing enough for its existing Lumia users.

"I definitely think it's more than enough. I think that ultimately your typical customer probably isn't all that aware of this upgrade thing," he says, referring to news about Windows Phone 8. Shields says he holds Nokia accountable for ensuring that the company delivers on its promises with its Lumia range. "I definitely think with products like the Lumia 900, where a consumer walks in and buys that product they're getting great value and they're getting a great offering that's gonna have a long lifetime of innovation."

Many will question whether more innovative Windows Phone apps will simply take advantage of the next-generation hardware and unique kernel features that allow for native code support on Windows Phone 8 devices, but Nokia is attempting to appease its existing customers with a set of new apps. Rolling out to all Lumia devices between now and the end of July, features such as a Camera Extras app will extend the functionality of the Windows Phone camera on Lumia devices by adding Panorama and Smart Group Shot options.

Should people still buy a Lumia 900 in the wake of the Windows Phone 8 news? Shields certainly thinks so. "I feel really good about recommending the product," he says, but will consumers feel really good about the lack of upgrades?