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Microsoft Confirms Only a Handful of Windows Phones Will Receive Windows 10 Creators Update (zdnet.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the new-and-improved dept.

Windows Phone has less than a 1 percent market share in the mobile industry, but it is not completely dead, yet. In fact, if you own a relatively new Windows Phone, it may receive a new update that will give new life to it. Microsoft has confirmed today that only a subset of Windows Phone handsets will be getting the Windows 10 Creators Update when it begins rolling out on April 25. ZDNet reports: [Here's] Microsoft's list of supported phones: Alcatel IDOL 4S; Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL; HP Elite x3; Lenovo Softbank 503LV; MCJ Madosma Q601; Microsoft Lumia 550; Microsoft Lumia 640/640XL; Microsoft; Lumia 650; Microsoft Lumia 950/950 XL; Trinity NuAns Neo; VAIO VPB051. "Devices not on this list will not officially receive the Windows 10 Creators Update nor will they receive any future builds from our Development Branch that we release as part of the Windows Insider Program. However, Windows Insiders who have devices not on this list can still keep these devices on the Windows 10 Creators Update at their own risk knowing that it's unsupported," said Windows Insider chief Dona Sarkar in today's blog post. Microsoft attributed the short list of support phones to Insider feedback that indicated older phones might not be providing "the best possible experience" for customers. Microsoft also released a Fast Ring test build of Windows 10 Mobile for phones to Fast Ring Insiders today. That build number is 15204 and it includes a number of bug fixes. This is the first Redstone 3 build for Windows Phones. It's only available to Insider phone users of handsets that are on the list above.

46 comments

  1. Jim ... by whoever57 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "It's dead Jim ..."

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  2. Also by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Microsoft confirms there are only a handful of Windows phones.

    1. Re:Also by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

      There are tons of unsold Windows phones.

      --
      Circumcision is child abuse.
    2. Re: Also by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you see an unsold Windows Phone at a discount price, grab it. They make amazing PDAs and even decent tinyPCs if you get one with dock or widi support for continuum.

      I paid $600 for my 950xl with dock last year. And I don't regret it, aside from wishing I had gotten it sooner on release.

    3. Re: Also by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

      $600 is a rather high end price. There are good Android phones for less than $200.

      --
      Circumcision is child abuse.
  3. I keep beating this dead horse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I keep beating this dead horse and it wont respond, should i beat it harder ?

    1. Re:I keep beating this dead horse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes because after enough beating the horse will become hamburger and you can sell hamburger for profit.

    2. Re:I keep beating this dead horse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't tell Burger King!

  4. This is fitting... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is fitting as only a handful of Windows Phones were ever sold.

  5. What a surprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yet another generation of devices killed off by microsoft.
    Why anyone still bothers with their phones is beyond me.
    This exact same thing happened to me a couple of years ago.
    That's when I decided to never again get a windows phone.
    Also, didn't microsoft abandon windows phone a couple of months ago?

    1. Re:What a surprise by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      No they haven't abandoned it quite yet, I'm guessing for political reasons within the organization? Though they now sell Samsung Android phones in their stores that are slightly modified in that they include a bunch of Microsoft apps (i.e. Office 365 and Craptana.)

    2. Re:What a surprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But remember, it's Android that has the fragmentation problem, not Windows Phone!

    3. Re:What a surprise by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1
      Vendors. Lumia might be dead but look at that list - HP, Lenovo and VAIO.

      Enough to keep the platform on life support. Still teasing the market with rumours of 'Surface Phone' vapourware emulating x86 on Snapdragon 835...

      Footnote: Cerulean Moment is a crowdfunded project launching a new mid-range handset. Still a long way to meet their funding goal, however.

    4. Re:What a surprise by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      Perhaps, but based on this I think there is political pressure:

      http://www.geekwire.com/2016/w...

      It could also be that Microsoft has it in the back of their minds that they're going to have some "must have" feature and need the OS to be ready when the time comes, thus they maintain it. Or at least, this is what they've hinted at by saying that they don't want to release just another phone when (indirectly) commenting about surface phone rumors. Though I don't really see what they could pull off that hundreds of other OEMs (especially Google, Samsung, and Apple) won't think of. Supposedly continuum was going to be that "must have" feature, but it didn't really do them any favors, mainly due to practicality. Namely, who is going to carry around an extra keyboard and mouse on the off chance that they'll find an unused monitor that they can connect to? Likewise, including x86 support seems like an equally pointless thing to do. It's just an ill-conceived idea because it completely breaks the point of being mobile, IMO, and as an end user you're better off just carrying around a laptop.

      It's a bit like how Microsoft (and its fans) kind of assumed that any device that ran Office would just immediately win out over its competitors for business customers, but to think so is to not understand mobile (Balmer admitted as such after he wrongly predicted that the iPhone would fail because, among other things, it doesn't have a physical keyboard.) That, and Microsoft overall has this mindset that any product can succeed if you throw billions of dollars at it.

    5. Re:What a surprise by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      I'd be tempted to use continuum if they have sold it as a standard feature on $200 handsets but the Elite X3 is only going to be purchased by business customers for staff who'd prefer an iPhone 7.

      Being a slashdot nerd I have multiple monitors, USB keyboards and mouses plus an HDMI TV. I do have a 2009 era laptop running Windows 10, as a student but would gladly turf it once my degree is complete in favour of a pocket device which has possibly more processing power!

    6. Re: What a surprise by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Continuum rocks if you equipped for it. If you have Hugh end equipment on either end of your trips. WiDi is built in and you don't need a dock.

      You can use any blue tooth mouse and keyboard, but if you are using an external display, the hardest is decent enough for any non touch typists.

      That said, where are you traveling that you don't have access to a keyboard and mouse on the other ends? Toss your tiny dock in the carry on and you are good to go. Don't want to carry anything at all? Spend $200 and you have an extra set to leave at the second home.

      I love this phone. Anywhere I get 3/4g, I can vpn in. RDC in and reset idiots' passwords, recover deleted files, etc. And I can do so natively with no third party apps needed. I don't even have to get out of bed if I don't want to be bothered to use a BT keyboard.

      Downside: No VBA/macro editor in the continuum excel. I can rdc to my v/desktop if needed though so even that's viable.

      If you don't work with Microsoft tools at work, you can use android too I guess. But for a partially MS shop? It rocks.

  6. Was Told My Nokia 521 Would Receive Win 10 by zenlessyank · · Score: 0

    Upgrade. Fuckers lied. I despise Apple and have never nor will ever give them any money. Guess it is time to go back to a cheap ass flip phone when my 521 croaks.

    1. Re:Was Told My Nokia 521 Would Receive Win 10 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > If you think Windows Phone would actually ^H^H^H^Hremain ever become

      Hey, kid! The ^H^H^H^Hs go after the text to be erased. Long story, but ^H means "backspace" and long ago there was a kind of robot who would write with monospaced fonts and it could "go back a space" when writing... cool, eh? Kinda steampunk, as they call it these days...

    2. Re:Was Told My Nokia 521 Would Receive Win 10 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you think Windows Phone would actually ^H^H^H^Hremain ever become a viable platform, you are an idiot

      So..

      If you think Windows Phone would actuaremain ever become a viable platform, you are an idiot

      What the fuck is an "actuaremain ever"?

      Maybe you shouldn't be throwing around words like idiot while using made up words like actuaremain in the same sentence, idiot.

    3. Re:Was Told My Nokia 521 Would Receive Win 10 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ^D

      RRK

    4. Re: Was Told My Nokia 521 Would Receive Win 10 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Um, I have a pay as you go tmobile Lumia 521 too. It can run Windows ten and has been for a year, Year and a half or so. Your carrier won't push it out, but you can enroll in windows Insider and update it yourself via the app.

      Enjoy!

      Or just buy a 640, and have a spare, even if your not looking to jump on a 950.

  7. 1% of 1% by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is the chance anyone cares about Windows 10 phones. FreeBSD on phones probably has more market share on Slashdot.

  8. Lumia 1520 not included? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    So I own what was the "Flagship" phone for Microsoft windows phone platform, the 1520. Admittedly its more of a "phablet" with its 6" screen but I don't understand why this phone isn't being updated. Is it that the built-in ram is only 2GB? Is it that it wasn't originally delivered with Win10? Grrr. I purchased this top-end phone when I started my side-job doing consulting for Microsoft. I figured showing up with an Nokia-MS phone...when I'm selling support for Microsoft products made sense.

    https://www.engadget.com/2013/10/22/nokia-lumia-1520-hands-on/

    1. Re:Lumia 1520 not included? by mordenkhai · · Score: 2

      It isn't getting the updates because that phone is 4 years old. I got mine at launch and loved it until the non replaceable battery died last Fall. Then I got a Note 7 which I loved until it was branded unsafe. I have no desire to go back to Apple, while my 3GS was great, my 4S had problems, mostly with the camera app not opening the faux shutter. Seems like there is no winning in Smartphone land.

    2. Re:Lumia 1520 not included? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I won in smartphone land.

      I used to have an iPhone. It was OK, but only that. I replaced it with a WinMo 6.5 phone. (Bad idea.) For obvious reasons, I replaced that phone with a Galaxy S3. It was certainly better than the previous phones, but not "great". Eventually, the S4, S5, S6, and S7 were released, and the S3 was never going to see a fix for a lot of security issues. So I bought a Lumia 950XL.

      They can declare Windows on phones dead when they pry it from my cold dead fingers. It's that much better than anything else on the market.

      But this is /., and haters' gonna hate, so expect this post to get modded down.

  9. Not really a big deal by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 1

    The Creators Update adds a fair amount of stuff for desktop systems, but for mobile it's a pretty minor update. They essentially took all the desktop updates, and gave mobile the handful of ones that made sense. There are no mobile-specific updates.

    For example... Edge is updated to latest version. And it goes downhill from there. Their really slow biometric login is now a little faster, their digital assistant supports a few more commands, you can uninstall apps that previously came with the OS.

    1. Re:Not really a big deal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not really a big deal

      It's fun watching you useful idiots rationalize getting fucked over by Microsoft.

  10. Windows phone owner here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A former iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro user here.

    I got a top of the line Lumia 930. Precisely for the extended updates directly from the OS manufacturer. Just like Apple right?

    Now much weaker specked phones are receiving the update, but not the 930.
    Just great...

    Oh and apple, my beefed up dual Xeon Mac Pro tower is running circles around the laptops you sell these days.

    BUT you blocked it from receiving OS updates. ZERO technical reason to not support it.
    Again just great...

  11. To be fair... by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 2

    This actually will be an update for everyone with a Windows Phone, all ten users. Two of the models are on display in hopes that they will one day be purchased. ;)

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:To be fair... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I actually like Windows Phone, I prefer its interface over Android and iOS but Microsoft having no direction, no follow through made it so my phone which was going to get upgraded to 10 stayed at 8.1u. That also made it so when I damaged that phone and decided to replace it I moved to Android.

      I still don't care for android, I do prefer it over iOS which I use on my work provided phone. If I thought Microsoft had an actual plan and clue on mobile I'd be willing to switch back, but this just kind of indicates they are still not there (and likely will never be).

    2. Re:To be fair... by filesiteguy · · Score: 1

      Well, I'll be one of the five upgrading. Bummer I can't currently find my 950xl because I'd like to try the upgrade on Fast Ring before I commit my X3. I think I see where MS is headed with "mobile" - a future where a device runs the same kernel (OneCore) as a desktop or game console. The device may or may not have a screen (similar to Roku or Google Alexa).

      If worse comes to worse I'll fire up my SGS6 and play Pokémon Go! for two minutes until I get bored.

      --
      The Kai's Semi-Updated Website Thingy
    3. Re:To be fair... by MMC+Monster · · Score: 1

      I think I see where MS is headed with "mobile" - a future where a device runs the same kernel (OneCore) as a desktop or game console. The device may or may not have a screen (similar to Roku or Google Alexa).

      Windows has been heading this way for quite some time. Heck, it's almost 5 years since Windows 8 was released (with a desktop that was optimized for touch screen devices).

      5 years is a long time to wait (on the mobile side) for convergence. Especially since they haven't even perfected it on the desktop version yet. Meanwhile, Android may beat them to it with the new Samsung phone docking station.

      --
      Help! I'm a slashdot refugee.
    4. Re:To be fair... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are WP-like launchers for Android. I tried one once, and was baffled by the idea that anyone could have liked it. But hey, whatever floats your boat, man.

  12. So two people will get update? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Face it Windows phone fans, this ship has sailed. Most likely out of obligation Microsoft is updating what few recent devices that deserve support. Probably the last time Microsoft will do this. I do not see Microsoft re incarnating Windows phones. They most likely will focus on implementing their services and apps to IOS and Android.

  13. No love for Verizon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have a Lumia 735 whose specs are as good or better than some of those on the list. Like the 640, it shipped with 8.1. Verizon is the only carrier in our area with decent coverage, so this is pretty much the best Windows phone available on their network.

    RRK

  14. Only a handful? by JustNiz · · Score: 1

    so that would be all the ones still in use then?

    1. Re: Only a handful? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you used a 950 or other top win10 phone for more than week, you'd see we make Amiga users look tepid. This phone is literally my office six months a year and it lets me do everything (except game) at roughly the speed I do from a desk. And if I need to crosscheck fugly excel macro spaghetti logic, I can plug in a hub, mouse, keyboard and monitor. Dual displays actually I think, but I haven't had to try that.

  15. People who start the comment in the subject box ar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    e retards.

  16. Wifi calling fixed yet? by SinShiva · · Score: 1

    Left Windows phones (Lumia 640) for an iPhone when neither microsoft nor t-mobile would get together and sort out the wifi calling mess that left us stuck on Windows Phone 8. Can those users upgrade to 10 yet?

    1. Re:Wifi calling fixed yet? by SinShiva · · Score: 1

      forgive me t-mobile, i'd forgotten the details of the problem; the above should read: when microsoft never released a driver update for wifi calling. - the ball was totally in microsoft's court.

  17. This is unfortunate. by grimfate · · Score: 1

    This will only accelerate my purchase of a new phone, and it won't be Windows this time.