Microsoft has officially released Windows 10 Mobile for Windows Phone 8.1 users, according to a new post on the Microsoft Blog
“Today, we’re pleased to begin the roll-out of Windows 10 Mobile to select Windows Phone 8.1 devices. There are a lot of great new features in Windows 10 Mobile, like Continuum, Windows Hello and Cortana. Consistent with our approach to the Windows 10 PC upgrade, we are focused on delivering a high quality experience for our customers.”
You can see if Windows 10 Mobile is available for your device using the Windows 10 Upgrade Advisor app can be downloaded from the Windows Store. Because of the size of the update, a Wi?Fi Internet connection is required for download and installation.
As Microsoft notes on a specific Windows 10 Upgrade page, “the availability of Windows 10 Mobile as an upgrade for existing Windows Phone 8.1 devices will vary by device manufacturer, device model, country or region, mobile operator or service provider, hardware limitations, and other factors.”
Microsoft´s official list of Phones and devices that can upgrade to Windows 10:
- Lumia 1520
- Lumia 930
- Lumia 640
- Lumia 640XL
- Lumia 730
- Lumia 735
- Lumia 830
- Lumia 532
- Lumia 535
- Lumia 540
- Lumia 635 1GB
- Lumia 636 1GB
- Lumia 638 1GB
- Lumia 430
- Lumia 435
- BLU Win HD w510u
- BLU Win HD LTE x150q
- MCJ Madosma Q501
According to Microsoft, the list of supported devices “includes a limited set of Windows Phone 8.1 devices and does not include some devices that are currently running Windows 10 Mobile in the Windows 10 Mobile Insider program.”
The company admits that “many older devices are not able to successfully upgrade without an impact on the customer experience.”
Deprecated features
When you install the Windows 10 upgrade, some features currently on your device will be modified or removed, including the following:
- Notifications for missed calls, messages, and emails on contact tiles is not supported at the time of Windows 10 Mobile release.
- Me Tile and Me Card are no longer supported.
- Cortana can no longer search for apps, setting, email, text messaging, contacts and QR Codes on the device and can no longer open apps through voice commands.
- “Hey Cortana” is no longer available on some upgraded devices.
- Group tiles can no longer be used to receive social networking status updates.
- Indoor Maps are no longer available for some locations.
- Certain enterprise features, including Data Protection Under Lock, are not available; please contact your Microsoft Volume Licensing representative for more information.
- At time of Windows 10 Mobile release Outlook Mail app cannot open .EML attachments.
- Outlook Calendar app does not support Tasks.
- MDM capability to prevent saving and sharing Office documents not supported.
Microsoft has also started a Q&A thread on its community forums with some more details and asks users to “provide feedback on your experiences with Windows 10 Mobile by using the Windows Feedback app located in the App List, and by posting discussions and questions in this Answers Community.”
Here the FAQ from Microsoft:
Q: Are all phones eligible for the Windows 10 Mobile upgrade?
A: To ensure the best experience possible for our Windows Phones customers, we are upgrading devices which will offer a great Windows 10 Mobile experience after the upgrade to Windows 10.
Q: How will the upgrade work?
A: You can check on upgrade eligibility to Windows 10 Mobile by downloading the Upgrade Advisor app from the Store on Windows Phone. On eligible phones, the app will provide and option to Enable Windows 10 upgrade. Once enabled, the update can be downloaded by going to Settings > Phone Updates > Check for updates.
Q: I checked the Upgrade Advisor app and it said my phone was not eligible for the upgrade, how do I get Windows 10 Mobile?
A: To ensure the best Windows 10 Mobile experience possible, only select Windows Phone devices are able to upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile. The availability of Windows 10 Mobile as an upgrade for existing Windows Phone 8.1 devices will vary by device manufacturer, device model, country or region, mobile operator or service provider, hardware limitations, and other factors.
Q: If I receive a notification from Upgrade Advisor that the Windows 10 update is available for my phone, do I have to update?
A: No, you can stick with your current version of Windows Phone 8.1. Simply do not select “Enable Windows 10 upgrade” within the app.
Q: I’m a Windows Insider, what should I do if I want the ‘official’ Windows 10Mobile upgrade?
A: As a Windows Insider please read http://aka.ms/W10MInsiderFAQ to get answers for common questions regarding the upgrade. We also recommend visiting http://aka.ms/WIPMDeviceList to understand whether or not your phone is on the program’s supported device list, as this may impact your ability to get future preview updates. If you wish leave the Windows Insider program and check on your device’s eligibility for Windows 10 Mobile using the Upgrade Advisor app, you will need to first go back to Windows Phone 8.1. To go back to a previous version, see Windows Device Recovery Tool: FAQ.
Q: Can I go back to my previous version of Windows Phone 8.1?
If you upgraded your Windows Phone 8.1 device to Windows 10 Mobile, you can use the Windows Device Recovery Tool to rollback to a previous version. For more info about this tool, see Windows Device Recovery Tool: FAQ.
SOURCE: Microsoft
I look at that list and flat cannot understand why the Lumia 1020 isn’t in it…
The Upgrade Advisor app won’t download, at this time.