In 2016, we wave goodbye to Windows Phone, because Windows 10 is going to arrive on your PC and your phone. Windows 10 is already here for your computer — and we’ve got all the details you need — but smartphone owners have to wait a little while longer to receive the new software.
In the meantime, we’ve even done a hands-on review of the Technical Preview, which you can read here. We’ve also used the final version of Windows 10 Mobile on the new Lumia 950 and 950XL. You can read that hands on here. Plus we’ve gathered all the details about the new features, apps, and games included in Windows 10 on your Windows smartphone below.
Updated on 3-7-2016 by Christian de Looper: Added rumor that Microsoft will be targeting a March 2016 rollout rather than a February 2016 rollout for Windows 10 Mobile.
Click on a link to jump to a topic:
Some users get the update in Europe
If you currently own a Windows Phone 8 or 8.1-powered smartphones, odds are that you were eagerly expecting to finally get your Windows 10 Mobile update in December 2015, as previously promised by Microsoft. It now seems likely that older Windows Phones won’t see the update until March 2016.
In an December 2015 statement obtained by ZDNet, Microsoft confirmed that the Windows 10 Mobile update has been pushed back to early 2016. “The Windows 10 Mobile upgrade will begin rolling out early next year to select existing Windows 8 and 8.1 phones,” reads the statement. The company did not mention a specific rollout date, nor did Microsoft reveal the reasoning behind the delay.
In February, VentureBeat reported that Microsoft would delay the update for Windows Phone 8 users yet again to February of 2016. The company’s internal goal was reportedly January, but fell through on that, the site’s sources say. The report also indicated that the promised monthly update for Lumia 950 and 950 XL phone owners wouldn’t arrive in January, either, although the December update went according to plan.
February came and went, however, and a new report from VentureBeat indicates that Microsoft will now be targeting a March 2016 rollout of Windows 10 for Windows Phone 8 users. The report highlighted the fact that the February goal was only messaged internally, rather than announced officially, so there technically has only been one delay for the rollout of the software, even though it’s a long delay.
In early January 2016, some Windows Phone users in Poland reported that they had received the Windows 10 Mobile update from T-Mobile. WinBeta reports that T-Mobile Poland posted that the update will be sent over the air or via Wi-Fi. It’s unclear which devices have received the update and which Windows 10 Mobile build is included in the update. An earlier rumor from WinBeta points to a rollout of the update in Switzerland soon, too, via carrier Swisscom.
Based on these reports, it seems Windows 10 Mobile will reach European devices first. we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
Of course, if you own a phone with Windows Phone 8 or 8.1, you can just sign up for the Windows Insider Program and receive the Windows 10 Mobile update that way. We map out exactly how you can do that later on in the article.
Microsoft decides which Lumias get Windows 10
Microsoft surprised and dismayed many Windows Phone users when it did not announce the update schedule for older Lumia smartphones to Windows 10 Mobile at its big event. In mid October, the company told Windows Mobile Power User that it will decide when older Lumia phones get the update.
“Microsoft is working closely with mobile operators to leverage their testing and our flighting to meet and exceed current quality bars,” Microsoft said. “We will use their input but will decide when to send the updates out based on input form Mobile Operators and our Windows Insiders.”
Related: Read our hands on with the Lumia 950 and 950XL
Microsoft also acknowledged that obviously, it’s ideal to push the update out to as many Windows Phone users as possible and to do so as quickly as possible. “The optimum way to ensure our customers are running the best Windows is to get them the latest updates for Windows 10,” Microsoft added. “Delivering Windows 10 as a service means we can offer ongoing security updates, new features and capabilities – we’d like to make sure people can get access to the latest Windows 10 updates as soon as they are available.”
The long and short of it seems to be that Microsoft will send the update out to Windows Phone users, and carriers will not be in charge of the rollout. Theoretically, this should ensure that Windows 10 Mobile reaches older Lumias more quickly, but only time will tell.
Earlier on, Microsoft replied to queries on Facebook regarding the update schedule. Microsoft said it would bring Windows 10 to several Lumia smartphones in December, but ultimately proved false. As to which Lumia phones will be compatible with Windows 10, Microsoft stated that “it is our ambition to make an upgrade available for majority of Lumia smartphones running Windows Phone 8.1,” adding that 8GB of internal memory will be required for the update.
Microsoft also revealed the first smartphones it’ll update to Windows 10. The list appeared on the official Windows 10 Mobile preview page, stating the Lumia 430, Lumia 435, Lumia 532, Lumia 540, Lumia 640, Lumia 640XL, Lumia 735, Lumia 830, and Lumia 930 will “receive a free upgrade when available.” If your Lumia phone isn’t on the list, then don’t despair just yet, Microsoft may confirm more in the future.
In the meantime, you can check out the Lumia support account on Twitter, and Microsoft’s FAQ page on Windows 10 Mobile upgrades.
New build 10080 adds Windows Store and many apps
Microsoft used its Universal Windows Platform code to make a new app store for its phones. The store looks an awful lot like the one you’ll find on your PC, if it’s running Windows 10. You can browse and buy apps or software through the beta store with credit, gift cards, and PayPal. The carrier billing service Microsoft mentioned at its Build conference isn’t available yet, but it should come soon.
Related: Candy Crush Saga will come on all Windows Phones
In the store, you can also buy Movies and TV shows right now, but music remains unavailable. However, the new music app is now available, and it gives you access to the music you’ve got on the phone, as well as the songs stored on OneDrive. The overall look of the app has been streamlined, too. Microsoft added a video previewing app, as well, which lets you see all the movies and shows you have.
Finally, the camera app, Xbox app, and universal Office apps are included in the new build. You can read all about it on Microsoft’s website.
Windows Insiders can download the Windows 10 Technical Preview now
Microsoft’s Engineering General Manager Gabriel Aul tweeted that the Windows 10 Technical Preview arrived on February 12, 2015 for Windows Insiders to test. The latest update is live and can be accessed via the Windows Insider app. If you’re registered as a Windows Insider and your phone is on the approved device list — which now includes many Lumias and the HTC One M8 for Windows — simply follow these steps:
Join the Windows Insider Program by signing up on this page
Register to receive over the air updates
Builds will go straight to your phone once they’ve been vetted by Microsoft
The built-in Windows Feedback app lets you send problems and suggestions
Updates will keep coming until the final build comes out to all
You can restore your phone to an older version of the OS at any point
Although there’s a long list of known issues in almost every build, there are always many new features added.
You can find more info about the new build on Microsoft’s website. There’s still no news on the update’s release date to the general public.
Some phones with 512MB RAM may get some Windows 10 features
At this point, Microsoft has yet to issue a full list of devices that will support the Windows 10 preview for mobile. One enterprising Twitter user asked Microsoft Engineering General Manager Gabriel Aul if Windows 10 will work on Windows Phones with just 512MB of RAM onboard. Aul answered that some devices will low RAM will be supported in the first preview for Windows 10.
@Qushery @NicholasHayman Hmmm. Do I cave? Don’t think you can squeeze anything ELSE out of me:-) Yes, we’ll have 512MB devices for 1st prvw.
— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) February 5, 2015
He didn’t say which devices in particular will be included, nor did he clarify whether support will be extended to those devices beyond the first preview. Shortly thereafter, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President, Operating Systems Group Joe Belfiore tweeted that the company is working hard to get Windows 10 on Lumia phones with less RAM, but cautioned that some of these devices may not get the Windows 10 feature set.
Hey all: we ARE working on Win10 for 512MB, including 520. Our ambition is to make #Win10 available for these devices but features may vary — joebelfiore (@joebelfiore) February 8, 2015
In his tweet, Belfiore references one of the most popular Lumia phones ever made, the Lumia 520, which just happens to have 512MB of RAM. It’s unclear which features these low-RAM Lumias will receive, if they get the Windows 10 update at all.
Cool new apps and a refreshed design
Microsoft only gave us the briefest of sneak peeks of Windows 10 on mobile devices at its launch, but now that the Technical Preview is available, we know a lot more about it. Among the new features are an audio recording app, new context menus, keyboards that you can center to the right or left side of your screen, an updated alarm app, and a fuller notification menu.
Most of the changes are slight, but they should help make the overall Windows experience smoother on smartphones. The keyboard positioning feature in particular will come in handy with the larger Lumia phablets. There’s also a new notification center, quick action settings, and other key design improvements in core apps. Voice controls are also much improved and you can now ask Cortana to search for things for you.
Windows 10 will feature a brand new, universal Photos app, so it runs across the phone and the PC in the same way. Images will be formatted to appear correctly on all devices. It’ll work using OneDrive, and photos uploaded from your phone will sync locally on other Windows 10 hardware. Cleverly, the Photos app will aggregate all pictures and remove duplicates or multiple images from burst mode shots, for a simple, single view.
An Auto Enhancement mode will be activated by default, offering features including red eye removal and brightness adjustment. Manual settings will let you adjust all these settings. An Albums feature automatically makes collections from your pictures, and the same feature will eventually organize your music.
Previous updates:
Updated on 1-22-2016 by Malarie Gokey: Added rumor that Microsoft will rollout Windows 10 Mobile in February. Also added news that the monthly update to the Lumia 950 and 950 XL has been delayed for this month.
Updated on 1-13-2016 by Malarie Gokey: Added news that some T-Mobile Poland users are getting the Windows 10 Mobile update on older Windows Phones.
Updated on 12-17-2015 by Williams Pelegrin: Microsoft updated its availability statement to say that the Windows 10 Mobile update for Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 has been pushed to early 2016.
Updated on 10-13-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added news that Microsoft will decide which phones get the update and when it arrives.
Updated on 10-07-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added news that older Lumia phones will be upgraded to Windows 10 in December.
Updated on 08-05-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added news of which Lumia phones will be first to get upgraded to Windows 10.
Updated on 5-15-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added list of new features in latest Technical Preview build 10080.
Updated on 4-17-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added news that Office apps may reach the Technical Preview before April ends.
Updated on 4-15-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added new features from latest Technical Preview update and refreshed information in the post that was out of date.
Updated on 2-12-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added news that Microsoft’s Windows 10 Technical Preview is now available to Windows Insiders.
Updated on 02-10-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added news that Microsoft will hold a press event at Mobile World Congress on March 2, where it may reveal new phones and more Windows 10 news.
Updated on 02-09-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added news that only some features from Windows 10 may be supported on select 512MB RAM phones.
Updated on 02-06-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added news that Windows 10 may support some 512MB RAM phones and added leaked screenshots of new features.
Please enable Javascript to watch this video