Microsoft has failed its mobile users repeatedly over the last year. First, it released its new and improved apps on the competitive platforms – Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android – without even giving Windows Phone 8.1 users a hint about any new features. Next, it has promised to upgrade most Lumia handsets to the latest version of its mobile OS, Windows 10, as early as this January. But as you might already know, no such upgrade has been released until this moment. But this might finally change, with the software giant finally announcing the upgrade to its new OS to be rolled out.
But every piece of good news comes with a bad side, too. The upgrade will be limited to just a handful of models, each with at least 1GB of RAM on board: Lumia 430, 435, 532, 535, 540, 640, 640 XL, 735, 830 and 930. This means that many users – including yours truly – will be left playing red flush casino games and browsing the web with Internet Explorer, on Windows Phone 8.1. At least for the time being.
But even if these handsets finally get the much desired Windows 10 update, most of them won’t be eligible for the most interesting of them all: Continuum. This new, exciting feature allows users to connect their Lumia phones to an external display, through a wired or wireless adapter and use it as a desktop computer. It is a feature that is very exciting for a number of users, especially businesses, as it saves a lot of space and cost by making business laptops obsolete (well, in the long run, that is). But given the hardware requirements for Continuum, none of the above handsets won’t be able to make use of this new technology – Microsoft only unlocks Continuum on handsets with at least a Snapdragon 808 chipset.
But even without Continuum – which their users might not even need, considering that they managed to live without it for so long – the improvement will be felt after the Windows 10 update. Aside from the continued updates, Windows 10 is becoming a popular platform for app developers. This means that an increasing number of popular apps will find their way to Windows 10 in the near future, which is good news for users. Those eligible for the update, of course.
But the news will surely leave some Windows Phone fans – including yours truly – disappointed. Microsoft initially announced that the Windows 10 upgrade will be available for all phones capable of getting the Lumia Denim update. The Lumia 620, an excellent phone by all accounts, was eligible for the Windows 10 Insider Preview, but it won’t get the Windows 10 upgrade at this time. I can only hope that Microsoft will change its mind later, and release an upgrade for my phone, too – even if it will be without Cortana and Continuum included.