At the official launch of Windows Phone 8 event occurred a few weeks ago Windows Phone Summit, Microsoft announced that current smartphones on the market will receive a reduced version of Apollo named Windows Phone 7.8.

This reduced version of the new Windows Phone 8 will start on the current screen smartphone, unfortunately it was not stated whether it also includes all services and applications that will be introduced by this new update. Microsoft has stated that the presentation would show all the new features and functionality that will introduce Apollo, so when we do not know what the full capabilities of the next update.

In a conference held at TechEd 2012, Microsoft Senior Larry Lieberman, had to answer some questions from the audience raising a lot of hope for those who would like other features in Windows Phone 7.8. The following questions and answers between a developer and a Microsoft employee:
Windows Phone 7.8 will get new features accessible to us developers?
Maybe. We have not yet announced. Everything we have announced is the new start screen. Sorry, currently we have nothing new to announce. You're asking me things that I can not answer.
Microsoft probably has some surprises in tow for owners of Windows Phone devices of first and second generation. Recall that Windows Phone 7.8 will arrive a few months later than the launch of Windows Phone 8. This could be a reason to implement new features in it than those declared at the time.

Via WPCentral