Microsoft’s plans for updating Windows Phone 8.1 devices to Windows 10 Mobile have been fairly fluid. First, a November 2015 rollout was hinted at by a Microsoft executive in South Africa. Then, Microsoft commented on the official Lumia Facebook page that the rollout would begin in December 2015. Of course, it’s now March, and Windows Phone owners are still awaiting their update.
Today, VentureBeat reports that Microsoft sent out an email indicating a March rollout is now the plan. According to Venturebeat:
Unlike the previous schedule, reported by VentureBeat at the end of January, this one separates the upgrade from the service update. In other words, whereas the February rollout would have seen the update bundled into the upgrade, in March they are expected to be two distinct processes.
The rollout is said to begin passively, from Microsoft’s perspective, in that users will need to initiate it manually from their handsets. Only afterwards, on an unspecified timetable, will the company begin actively pushing the new firmware to eligible devices.
Recent updates to the TH2 builds of Windows 10 Mobile seem to be aimed at improving the update process and making sure Windows 10 Mobile is stable enough to rollout to the millions of Windows Phone 8.1 devices that are awaiting their turn. As always, we’ll be keeping our eye out for more information, and will let you know more as soon as we can dig it up.
