Windows Phone 8.1 Users Won't Get Windows 10 Update Until 2016
Well, that's a bummer: A Microsoft representative confirmed to Tom's Hardware that Windows Phone 8/8.1 users won't get the Windows 10 update until after the new year.
Windows Phone users -- those few and long suffering -- have been eagerly awaiting the impending update to Windows 10 for phones. In October, Microsoft promised that Windows 10 for phones would arrive in December, but that is not going to happen. (This was, by the way, after a rep told us at the time that the release date was November.)
Worse still, there is no specific timeline yet -- just "early" next year, which could mean as soon as CES (the first week of January), or as late as Build (the end of March). There is also still no definite list of Windows Phone 8/8.1 devices that will receive the update when it does come.
However, it's possible that providing the Windows 10 mobile update to existing Windows Phone users just isn't much of a priority for Microsoft -- and it would be hard to blame the company if that's the case. Windows Phone has a minute market share, and many of those users have been hanging on to their aging devices in anticipation of a new Windows Phone flagship device, which they just got with the launch of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, which ship with a version of Windows 10 for phones.
Even low-enders are getting Windows 10 for phones with the Lumia 550. Most users stuck with Windows Phone 8.1 are actually more likely to be those who popped on the midrange Lumia 640 and 640 XL, which came out this year. Even so, the chief feature to entice anyone to the Windows mobile platform is Continuum, and that requires fairly high-end hardware, so it's not as if Lumia 640/640 XL users are missing out on the Continuum/Display Dock experience.
Microsoft may simply be making a calculation here, prioritizing other projects that need more attention at the expense of lower-priority ones, such as pushing out an update to a small (but dedicated, and increasingly impatient) cadre of users.
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Seth Colaner previously served as News Director at Tom's Hardware. He covered technology news, focusing on keyboards, virtual reality, and wearables.
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gbair I'll be moving back to android, the only problem is finding a sturdy phone with a great camera like my Nokia 1020. Emphasis on sturdy; some of those high end androids look and feel like they'll snap in half holding it wrong.Reply -
digitaldoc Special thanks to Microsoft for supporting a phone (Lumia 635) so little that I am planning to move to Android.Reply -
nikolajj ReplySpecial thanks to Microsoft for supporting a phone (Lumia 635) so little that I am planning to move to Android.
That is a pretty new phone. What is not supported?? -
ohim ReplyI'll be moving back to android, the only problem is finding a sturdy phone with a great camera like my Nokia 1020. Emphasis on sturdy; some of those high end androids look and feel like they'll snap in half holding it wrong.
Don`t be such a whiner about it, i have Lumia 930 on Win 10 insider for some time, the OS is pretty solid, if you really want it you can join the Insider program and enjoy it.
I like it that now i can make 4 rows on tiles on my screen :)
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hannibal My Lumia 630 has had excellent support. I wonder, do you (digitaldoc) have your 635 from american phone carrier company? They have very bad reputation of offering updates.Reply
In here Europe the updates have come very fast! So if that is the case you can blame only those lazy USA based companies that does not give ready upgrades to their consumers...
When they get non beta win10 to those new phones, they have more time to iron out bugs that are still in win10 for those older phones. Win8 for phones works very nicely, so they can wait for a little longer. But if 950 and 550 does not get non beta version of win10 soon, there is much bigger problems!
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SchizoFrog I have a UK 735 and I recently used the Insiders app to upgrade to 10 and I could not be happier. Yes, W10m has a few glitches here and there but in my experience over the last 2 weeks it runs faster and smoother than 8.1 was and has many more options to play around with.Reply -
alextheblue I thought that early 2016 was the expected release timeframe for the Win10 updates for quite some time - especially once you factor in carriers.Reply
"Windows Phone users -- those few and long suffering -- have been eagerly awaiting the impending update to Windows 10 for phones."
8.1 has been working fine for me. I'm not exactly chomping at the bit for 10. If I was I'd be running the preview, feedback has been pretty good on the recent builds.