Windows 10 Mobile news: Microsoft to update select Lumia phones in December
In 2015, 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 10-07-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added news that older Lumia phones will be upgraded to Windows 10 in December.
Many Lumia phones will get Windows 10 in December
Although Microsoft did not announce when Windows 10 would reach older Lumia smartphones at its keynote on October 6, the company did reply to queries on Facebook regarding the issue. Apparently, Microsoft will bring Windows 10 to several Lumia smartphones in December. 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.Earlier on, Microsoft 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.
Universal apps, including Office, on your phone
Microsoft will make a variety of universal apps for use on the phone and the PC. For example, Office, with Word, Excel and PowerPoint will be included on all Windows 10 phones. Described as a “nearly no compromise experience,” by Joe Belfiore, Office for touch devices on Windows 10 will work the same on your phone as it does on your PC. Although you can’t test Office yet, the Outlook app is out in the latest preview. It lets you delete mail with a swipe to the left, or flag it with a swipe to the right. Now, Office is finally available on the Technical Preview build 10080. You can download the apps from the beta app store.
In
Word, an app bar will slide up at the bottom of the screen, where all
the formatting commands, collaboration actions, and review tools are
shown. This will be repeated in PowerPoint, and recent documents
will sync across devices and services like OneDrive. Transitions between
slides in PowerPoint are hardware accelerated for smoothness, and the
app will support Miracast for wireless streaming, along with wireless
printing.Microsoft is writing a new version of Outlook Mail and Outlook Calendar for Windows 10 touch devices. It’ll use the full Word engine, and contain all the same functions and formatting tools as the word processor. Outlook will use the same engine on both the phone and the PC, and actions such as a swipe left for delete and swipe right to flag will instantly sync. The Calendar on your phone will also look identical (and be identical) to its PC counterpart, with color coded categories showing up in real-time.
Although the details are vague right now, we know gaming will be a more connected, seamless experience on Windows 10 Mobile smartphones, thanks to the Xbox One console also running the new operating system.
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 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
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.Read more:
