Microsoft kicked off the Windows 10 roll out for desktops yesterday, which isn’t free from it’s fair share of issues. Many people went through a seamless experience while others had to go through some problems and issues. The next big thing to look forward to is Windows 10 Mobile which is set to launch later this year. Some reports hint at September/October timeframe, while one of company’s executive in South Africa hinted it’s not coming before November.
Microsoft did confirm that existing Lumia devices will get Windows 10 Mobile when it launches later this year but a recent page from Microsoft creates confusion. A Microsoft’s Windows 10 product page lists some of the devices which will get the update once the new operating system is officially available, including the Lumia 430, Lumia 435, Lumia 532, Lumia 535, Lumia 540, Lumia 640, Lumia 640 XL, Lumia 735, Lumia 830, and Lumia 930. It’s a little unclear, judging by the wording, if these are the devices which will get the update in the first wave, or the only ones.
Some of the most popular devices such as the Lumia 630, 530, 520 and 635 were missing from the list mentioned, which is quite strange. These are some of the most popular Windows Phone handsets globally, and missing them out may put Windows Phone market share at risk in the future. Most of these devices feature less than 1GB of RAM and there are hardware limitations needed to run Windows 10 Mobile properly, but the same cannot be said for other high-end Lumias. The Lumia 1520 and Lumia 730 are also missing from the list despite carrying a similar set of specifications as the Lumia 930 and Lumia 735, respectively.
The folks at Neowin did get it touch with Microsoft to get a clarification regarding this. Microsoft spokesperson confirmed this is the initial list of devices which will get the Windows 10 Update. While other devices running the Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim are also in line to get the update in the future.
Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to Neowin,
“This is an initial list of in-market devices to receive the Windows 10 update. It is our ambition to bring Windows 10 to all Lumia devices running Lumia Denim software, noting that some features will vary, based on the hardware specifications.”
It’s a little reassuring that devices not mentioned in the list will also get the update, provided they are on the latest version of Windows Phone 8.1.
It’s also worth mentioning — something we’ve known from sometime — that not all Windows 10 features, such as Continuum and Windows Hello, will work on existing devices due to hardware limitations. As for devices with 512MB of RAM, the company is apparently working on making sure that they can run Windows 10 Mobile when it launches later this year. Let’s hope the software giant will figure out a way to upgrade devices such as the Lumia 520 and Lumia 630 to Windows 10 Mobile.
Further reading: Lumia, Microsoft, Windows 10 Mobile
