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Microsoft Finally Rolls Out Windows 10 Mobile To Older Phones (engadget.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the don't-forget-about-me dept.

An anonymous reader writes: One year after Windows 10 Mobile was announced, Microsoft is finally rolling out their new OS to older mobile devices, specifically devices running Windows Phone 8.1. Here's the complete list of supported phones: Lumia 1520, 930, 640, 640XL, 730, 735, 830, 532, 535, 540, 635 1GB, 636 1GB, 638 1GB, 430, 435, BLU Win HD w510u, BLU Win HD LTE x150q, and the MCJ Madosma Q501. Depending on where you live and which carrier you have, the update will be handled differently. Microsoft has said "many older devices are not able to successfully upgrade without an impact on the customer experience." For an OS that continues to lose market share [to] iOS and Android, it makes sense for Microsoft to be so concerned about the user experience as it is crucial for the success of Windows 10 Mobile.

44 comments

  1. Dodged that bullet by XnavxeMiyyep · · Score: 1

    Luckily my phone is not on the list, or I'd have to disable updates/buy an older one.

    --
    I put the 't' in electrical engineering.
    1. Re:Dodged that bullet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't worry, you'll get a backported version at a later date!

    2. Re:Dodged that bullet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It can't be worse than the current pile of poo

    3. Re:Dodged that bullet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't worry, you'll get a backported version at a later date!

      ...and you won't have a choice. Because fuck you that's why.

    4. Re:Dodged that bullet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey guys, I found the one person still using Windows Phone!

    5. Re:Dodged that bullet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microsoft Windows Phone. Fuck you! I'm updating.

    6. Re:Dodged that bullet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But it can, as Microsoft has again broken the compatibility and there are even less applications left after "upgrade". Eg. Here maps will be gone with Windows 10.

    7. Re:Dodged that bullet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So only half the Windows phone userbase is still around?

    8. Re:Dodged that bullet by davester666 · · Score: 1

      The other half is now jumping around yelling "Fans. Fans. Fans." at Clippers games.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    9. Re:Dodged that bullet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Being total uncool why not I can make calls , I can text , play mp3's and use the calendar and alarm clock . It cost me less than 40$ why should I pay the shinny apple phone tax rate?

  2. JasJar by ickleberry · · Score: 1

    What about the iMate Jasjar, Jamjar, Jambon and those? Will they support it?

    1. Re:JasJar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ar those Jarjar's cousins? Why would Windows run on Gungans?

    2. Re:JasJar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That explains a lot actually.

    3. Re:JasJar by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      they're stuck on 6.5 forever and htc quit selling/rebranding to them anyways long ago.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  3. No Lumia 920? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Its pretty surprising considering how capable that phone is.

  4. They're not concerned about user experience by penguinoid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    For an OS that continues to lose market share [to] iOS and Android, it makes sense for Microsoft to be so concerned about the user experience as it is crucial for the success of Windows 10 Mobile.

    A major factor in user experience is trust. Without trust, you can't use the software at all. With barely any trust, you have to verify that each update won't introduce nefarious anti-features, nor change your settings or other evil things -- and you have to verify it from someone other than the company. Makes it really hard, stressful, and time-consuming to use that software.

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
    1. Re:They're not concerned about user experience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      And how exactly do all the iPhone and iPad users do that with their products? How do all the Samsung, HTC, LG, etc users do it? Do you think the millions upon millions of people that use Google Play Services are having a hard and stressful time using it or do they just trust Google because of their ass-covering motto?

      This is absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with trust and everything to do with being late to the game with a product that is not disruptive. Windows Phone is not a bad operating system, it is actually quite good but the question is always: Why use X product over the incumbent(s)? Well the answer is because it has a disruptive feature or set of features, this is something Windows Phone lacks. It is the exact same thing as Linux for desktop operating systems, people know about it, it's been trivially easy to both try via Live CD/USB and one-click install for the past decade yet people don't use it because it lacks the disruptive features. You can say it's open source and spread privacy fear but the fact is people don't care about that. Is Microsoft really stealing your banking details? Probably not and since most people do a lot their computing online, transmit data over the public internet and store their "private" communications on the servers of marketing-based companies like Google they don't care that their computing activities might not be 100% private at the OS level. Most people don't browse with TOR, their ISPs can see everything they look at and they don't care.

      Whatever Windows Phone (and desktop Linux) currently offer it is not disruptive, it is merely a fallback alternative in case the incumbents fail catastrophically (and based on the relative success of Windows Me, Vista and 8 it seems it's going to have to be pretty major to drive people to desktop Linux) and I don't see iOS and Android making such major missteps anytime soon.

    2. Re:They're not concerned about user experience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This isn't about trust. End users know fuck-all about trust.

      It ain't fucking trust that keeps people away from winphone. It's the dearth of 3rd party support and apps.

      Sure the phone works great but you're stuck in the Microsoft ecosystem. One that Microsoft fucked up real hard.

      They were late to the party, they alienated developers, and they were pretty awful about how they ran their app store.

      Windows phones are pretty much feature phones at this point. They're that shitty phone your cheapskate parents buy you because they got it for free. They're the phones you get on that shitty no-contract prepay phone service that bleeds minutes for no reason.

    3. Re:They're not concerned about user experience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Silly troll. Who pays you?

    4. Re:They're not concerned about user experience by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 2

      "And how exactly do all the iPhone and iPad users do that with their products? How do all the Samsung, HTC, LG, etc users do it?"

      They don't use Microsoft garbage, dumbshit.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    5. Re:They're not concerned about user experience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The question should be quite clear but I'll rephrase it for you since you have clearly gotten confused and then very angry.

      The question was in response to the statement:
      "Without trust, you can't use the software at all. With barely any trust, you have to verify that each update won't introduce nefarious anti-features, nor change your settings or other evil things -- and you have to verify it from someone other than the company."

      The comparison is between Microsoft's software and the software developed by Apple (iOS), Google, Samsung, HTC, etc (Android). So given the popularity and extensive use of the latter platforms how do the users "trust" those companies when they have the same verification issues that come with closed platforms?

      If you get confused again you're welcome to ask for specific clarification, but try not to get angry and upset about it again. I'm not sure if you're angry at your confusion or angry because you have some emotional investment in the discussion topic but surely you can manage to have an objective discussion without resorting to childish namecalling.

    6. Re:They're not concerned about user experience by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      A major factor in user experience is trust. Without trust, you can't use the software at all.

      For you maybe, but not for the 6 billion other people on the planet who trust their life to just about any 3rd party corporation.

    7. Re:They're not concerned about user experience by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Whilst that is accurate for mobile phones and tablets it is no longer holding true for desktops which are pretty much reverting to the late 1990s and early 2000s power users. So M$ choosing to dick those users about in a shrinking PC market really doesn't make any sense.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    8. Re:They're not concerned about user experience by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      Why would I be angry that you are a dumbshit?

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  5. News at 11 by MightyMartian · · Score: 1, Funny

    There have been reports that all eight owners of older Windows phones have mixed feelings about this upgrade.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    1. Re:News at 11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I see no love for the Lumia 510, so it looks like I'm safe for now. I see that as good news.

    2. Re:News at 11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dodged it too. 635 but it's a 512MB version. And it's on T-Mobile so no chance of an upgrade anyway - they don't support Windows phones any more. Never even offered Win8.1 Denim.

  6. Consistent naming? by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 1

    Windows Phone, Windows Mobile, Windows CE? While I believe the last one is relegated to embedded devices, what is the right name for the Microsoft OS for the phones, since I always seem to hear a new variation?

    --
    Jumpstart the tartan drive.
    1. Re:Consistent naming? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Started as Windows CE
      Then became Windows Mobile
      Was rebooted around WIndows Mobile 6
      The new OS was a Silverlight UI wrapper on top of Windows CE kernel to create Windows Phone 7.
      Windows Phone 8 replaced the CE Kernel with an NT Kernel.

      With Windows 10, a decision was made to rebrand as the mobile (ARM) version wasn't just for phones, so Windows 10 Mobile is the moniker. The new moniker for embedded is Windows 10 IoT.

    2. Re:Consistent naming? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The name you are looking for is "shit".

    3. Re:Consistent naming? by cbhacking · · Score: 1

      Windows Phone NNN for v7.0 - 8.1. Commonly abbreviated WPX (WP8)
      Windows Mobile NNN for 6.5 and down, though MS did try re-branding 6.5 as Windows Phone right before WP7 shipped. Abbreviated WinMo or WMX (WM6)
      Windows 10 Mobile (note the order) for the new version. Abbreviated Win10 Mobile or W10M.

      Yes, it's terrible and stupid. Microsoft branding sucks and pretty much always has. Sometimes I want to know where they *find* these idiots.

      None have anything to do with Windows CE (WinCE) except that the CE kernel was used for legacy WM and for WP7.x. WP8.x and W10M use the NT kernel, same as on PCs.

      W10M at least makes more sense than calling the previous versions "Windows" did; it not only uses the same APIs and same kernel, but can actually run same of the same, unmodified, apps. It also supports USB (or Bluetooth) keyboard and mouse (WP8.x supported USB keyboard but no mice at all) and can display to an external screen if it has the right hardware (Continuum for Phone). Windows 10 Mobile is, in many ways, the same OS as Windows 10.

      --
      There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
  7. the punishment phone by xeno · · Score: 4, Funny

    I picked up a Win8 phone back while working at MSFT, in an effort to be a good corporate citizen. Never really used it much, so it stayed in pretty good clean shape. When one of my teen kids broke or screwed up their phone (all too often), it was handy to have a spare they could use. It was also handy to have around when they misbehaved by spending too much time or data using their phones; swapping this one in curtailed their usage just by being itself. Fewer apps, limited access because they aren't bought into the Live/msft account ecosystem, generally iffy UI, etc. I find it very useful. They don't appreciate that.

    TL;DR: My kids refer to the spare Windows phone as "the punishment phone"

    --
    I think not...(*poof*)
    1. Re:the punishment phone by b0bby · · Score: 1

      I don't call it that, but that's how I use mine too. In fact, my oldest is using it right now since she lost her iPhone. She's saving her pennies to get another iPhone asap. I can't convince them to go Android, but if it's their own money I don't really care.

    2. Re:the punishment phone by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 4, Funny

      My kids refer to the spare Windows phone as "the punishment phone"

      Lol, so true, so true.

      I was speaking with my son the other night and he wants to replace his Galaxy S6.

      I said, "What about a Windows phone?" and then we both just laughed and laughed. It was like I'd told the funniest dad-joke ever.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  8. Yet another forced update... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is pathetic.

  9. New Headline by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

    "Microsoft Finally Rolls Out Windows 10 Mobile To Older Phones, Both Customers Said To Be Excited"

    Out of the hundreds of people I know (including many who work at Microsoft) I know of 2 people who have Windows phones. One loves his phone, the other is looking to move to a iPhone because the Windows App Store is a "barren wasteland" (his words, not mine).

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    1. Re:New Headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was going to post that they will increase there windows 10 phone market by 4 once it is done pushing out.

      Guess, I need to up that to 6 lol

  10. Why not? by ilsaloving · · Score: 1

    What's better than having privacy invasion and telemetry you can't shut off?

    Why, Privacy invasion and telemetry being sent over a limited, metered pipe that you have to pay through the nose for, of course!

    1. Re:Why not? by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      If you get a Nokia 535 from Virgin Mobile, you have a Windows phone, that costs $40. And you can go on an unlimited data/voice plan for $35/mo with no contract. The unlimited data is, of course, throttled at 3 GB. But it's a relatively low cost way to do a smartphone.

      I use a Moto E on Virgin Mobile now. It was another $40 smart phone. I like it better than the Windows phone, but now that the Nokia will be upgradable to Windows 10 I might try it again for a bit. It's only $35 to put a month on it again and I can let the Moto go lax for that month.

    2. Re:Why not? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With any phone, you expect monitoring and a metered pipe. Not just Windows. That's the way the system works. I don't care for that approach to a desktop or laptop computer, but the phone simply won't work unless you accept that. Sorry. Guess you still use the Bell set wired into a box on the baseboard.

      With most carriers no longer supporting Windows phones, I wonder how long your (our) Nokia(s) will keep working. As it is now, T-Mobile is using VoLTE service on Band 12 for new coverage areas, with no backup GSM or CDMA, so most older phones including my Windows phone won't work there (probably won't work on Band 12, and not certified for VoLTE with E911). I bought it because it was cheap (for the time) and it worked with GSM (Metro PCS shut off CDMA after T-Mobile took over), but I guess it's time is nearly over. Too bad - as hardware it's well-designed and built.

  11. Windows Phone 10 = Telemetry? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So is your data plan going to be sucked dry by Microsoft shipping tons of Telemetry data to their coffers? How about using your bandwidth to torrent the update to other phones?

  12. Lamentable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Microsoft continÃa dejando atrÃs a los que tienen equipos menos potentes. "usar y tirar" esa es la premisa de la corporaciÃn.

  13. And Windows Phone users rejoiced. by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

    Both of them.