Finally available: Windows 10 for Phones technical preview
At last, the technical preview of Windows 10 for phones is here for those who wish to delve into the future of Windows Phone.
For owners of qualifying Lumia devices, Windows 10 for phones can be installed (at own risk), rather painlessly. So far, the list of compatible devices include:
- Lumia 630,
- Lumia 638,
- Lumia 635,
- Lumia 730,
- Lumia 636,
- and Lumia 830
In order to upgrade to Windows 10, our Lumia phone needs to run Windows 8.1, which can be verified by launching settings and opening About, and then Info.
Just like for the PC version of Windows 10 preview, we must sign up for the Windows Insider program. Such step can be skipped if an already active Windows Insider account was created for the desktop version of Windows 10 preview build.
The final step is to download and install the Windows Insider App, from the Windows Phone Store. Upon launching the app, it will scan the system for compatibility and a guided upgrade process will begin.
What can we expect from the new Windows 10 for Phones?
Insiders who ventured into Windows 10 for Phones, are confirming what Microsoft has promised all along: a cleaner, more streamlined interface, aligned with its desktop version, delivering a user experience that is as seamless as possible across all devices.
Considering it’s only a preview, many of the features in Windows 10 for phones, much like Windows 10 for PC, are still missing, however, if the frequency of the updates for Windows 10 are of any indication, we can expect Microsoft to deliver Windows Phones updates at an even faster pace, and for an increasing number of devices as well.
As shown in recent pre-release image leaks, the interface features transparent tiles over high resolution background. Users of OneDrive will also enjoy automatic file synchronization through the Photo app, for which Microsoft has released a new update on Friday.
The release of this technical preview could be an indication that rumors of an early release of Windows 10 could be closer than we think, at least judging by the frequency of the updates for the PC version of the preview build.