Windows 10 Mobile update arrives, finally, but not for all
As far as Microsoft’s move from Windows Phone to Windows 10 Mobile, there are many ways in which the update could have gone more smoothly, but many people will be hoping for a successful update to whichever device they own, and pleased that Android and iOS are not the only operating system choices out there.
Recently it was quietly revealed that Windows 10 Mobile has at last been officially released to many of the older Windows Phone devices, such as the low-tier Lumia 635 and lots of old phone models. When the news broke that Windows Mobile 10 was available, many of the faithful Lumia devotees will have been eagerly waiting to get their hands on the latest operating system after what feels like an agonising wait.
To the surprise of many though the update was not available on many older devices, even though they may be more powerful than more recent but low-specced models that do support windows 10. In fact many of the flagship Nokia smartphones have proven ineligible for the Windows 10 Mobile upgrade, despite having been given previews in the past. For example, the Lumia 920, 925 928 and 1020.
Of course, phones that are a couple of years old or more might not be expected to support the latest all-singing, all-dancing operating system, but having newer models with less powerful specs being able to make the upgrade has caused some confusion among Windows fans, who took to Twitter to ask Microsoft to explain itself. Gabriel Aul, the VP of Engineering at Microsoft, said that models such as the 1020 wouldn’t receive the updates due to a “higher percent of reports of performance issues”.
Microsoft has let many people down with the upgrade, and in the past stated that most Lumias would be updated to Windows 10 Mobile. What’s more annoying is that many of those phone were given access to the Insider Previews, with those owners expecting official support come launch day.
The older models may still be able to run Windows 10 Mobile via the older versions of Insider Previews, and there are also said to be some workarounds if you dig a little online. The users of specific unsupported models have the option to upgrade to a newer device of course, but the options available to them aren’t simple or user-friendly.
Microsoft has been rather tardy releasing Windows 10 Mobile, and now by scaling back support on older phones that were promised an update feels like a poke in the eye to its loyal fan base, many of whom now have what were once flagship device without the promise of more updates. The entire process has been rather confusing for users, and while many in the industry are hoping there’s a bright future ahead for Windows 10 on smartphones, things haven’t exactly gone that well so far…
Have you made the upgrade? What are your experiences so far with Microsoft’s latest mobile OS? Let us know in the comments section below.
