Windows 10 Mobile has been something of a wasteland for Windows Insiders recently. Sure, Microsoft has rolled out some updates that squashed bugs and made general changes. However, a meatier update with features has been absent. Our friends over at Aggiornamenti Lumia says this is because the company is working on Redstone 2 (rs2) features.
More specifically, Redstone 2 features that may arrive for Insiders shortly. Of course, Windows 10 PC Insiders are already on the road to Redstone 2, which will reach end users next year. However, Microsoft is coming with an update for Windows 10 Mobile too. This will bring the mobile closer to PC on the Redstone 2 branch.
The Italian blog points to three features that will provide the base of the Insider release. Unfortunately, nothing included is especially exciting if you are looking for functionality or design changes. However, the release will bring several changes to the UI of Windows 10 Mobile.
- Introduced a new icon which will appear upon the completion of a new system update or request a reboot.?
- ?Now Windows Update can be viewed in the list of applications that receive notifications.?
- ?New entry advanced options in the upgrade menu.
It is clear from this changelog that Microsoft is rebranding Phone Update to Windows Update. For more substantial features, we guess they will be coming further down the line as Microsoft kicks rs2 development into full gear.
Redstone 2
Back in September, the company revealed some of the upcoming mobile improvements coming to Insiders. My colleague Ryan Maskell pointed out some of the key changes coming to Windows 10 Mobile Redstone 2 soon:
“First up was a whole list of upgrades to Continuum. The service has been due a major update for a while now, and customers will be happy about the following:
- No more crashing on sleep
- Proximity connect will let you dock your phone wirelessly when nearby
- Customizable Start menu
- Ability to pin to Start
- Resizable, snappable windows
In addition to this, Microsoft has a number of admin orientated features. You will be able to bulk update phones via USB, and get access to new auditing features.
The new auditing features will allow for SMS logging, paired with the ability to reset a PIN remotely and better Wi-Fi-Direct control.”
The codename for the Anniversary Update was Redstone and it was always known to come in two parts. Redstone 2 (rs2) was once scheduled for release this year, but has since been pushed back to spring, 2017.
Microsoft rolled out the Anniversary Update to end users at the start of August. This was the Redstone 1 released that had been tested by members of the Windows Insider Program for months. Without wasting any time, the company moved straight to Redstone 2.
While the second Redstone release will not arrive until 2017, Microsoft is already working on it. That means pushing early build out to Insiders.
