Windows 10 technical review was released by Microsoft at January’s technology event, the CES 2015.
It is possible for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users to upgrade to the latest Windows 10 directly using Windows Update.
Just this month, Microsoft released the technical preview of the new Windows 10 for Phones. One thing that seems to be obvious about this Windows 10 for Phones is that Microsoft is aiming to unite all of its devices under a single operating system. What this technically means is that a few versions will be rolled out initially, just to take care of the common bugs associated with the new software, and later on we should be able to see a Windows 10 that works on all devices, be it a mobile phone, a tablet or a PC.
From the company’s point of view, this will be a huge success and it is expected that this great achievement will be a catalyst towards attracting more and more people into buying Microsoft’s new Lumia phones that are based on Windows OS.
At the moment, the users of specific models of Windows Phone can download and install the new technical preview version of Windows 10 for Phones so that they can test it on their devices. This operating system has numerous features that many users can’t wait to have on their Windows-based smartphones. However, before you can use this operating system from Microsoft on your device, you must first of all know how you can get it on your phone.
Windows 10 for Phones: Supported models
As noted above, the new Windows 10 Technical Preview version for Phones can only be downloaded and installed on a select number of devices. Mostly, these are the Windows Phone devices with extremely large screens and are relatively newer in the smartphone market. These phones include Lumia 830, Lumia 730, Lumia 638, Lumia 636, Lumia 635 and Lumia 630.
It is believed Microsoft is limiting the number of devices that can be installed with the new Windows 10 for Phones so that the troubleshooting process remains a little easier. This will give them ample time to complete the testing phase and take care of any potential issues in the technical preview version before going ahead with the release of the OS onto other devices that include the older Lumia smartphones.
However, if you have any of the above listed smartphones, you are eligible to try out the new Windows 10 Technical Preview version for Phones. Another thing you ought to make sure is that your phone has enough memory storage to accommodate the update, which is at least 8GB and it should be running on the latest Windows Phone 8.1.
Windows 10 for Phones: Features
Described below are some of the Windows 10 for Phones features that you should expect to see on your device:
- Full size background image – a mobile phone is a personal gadget and as such, personalization should be what drives it. This is what you get with the new Windows 10 for Phones’ full size background image feature which is very useful as far as customization of the start screen is concerned.
- Quicker Action Center – There are more quick actions that have been introduced in the new Windows 10 for the Phones Action Center. While Windows Phone 8.1 users have access to four quick actions that are also programmable, the new operating system from Microsoft also adds to the expanded view that includes up to three rows, as opposed to only one row in the former OS.
- Interactive alerts/notifications – The new Windows 10 for Phones is the most interactive Windows-based mobile operating system ever. The notifications are more interactive, allowing users to directly take actions like seeing images for maps or dismissing an alarm. A suitable example is the case of a text message, where you can quickly send a response to the sender of the message by using inline text or voice message.
- Enhanced speech to text feature – It is now possible for users to interact with literally any data field of their choice. You’ll be able to see your spoken words immediately you speak them out, including the appropriate punctuations. This feature is so smart such that there are no chances of making common mistakes, for instance, the use of ‘two’ instead of ‘too’.
- Powerful photo app – On first launch, Windows 10 for Phones will immediately show an aggregated set of all the photos you have in your photo album as well as those in OneDrive.
How to install Windows 10 Technical Preview version for Phones
First and foremost, you’ll have to join the Windows Insider Program in order to access this Technical Preview of Windows 10 for Phones. If you are already in the program, skip this step and just keep using your current Microsoft account that is affiliated with this program.
Go ahead and download the Windows Insider App onto your Windows Phone device. After you sign into the downloaded application using your Microsoft ID, follow the provided instructions and download the latest version of Windows 10 for Phones. The update will automatically install itself once the download is complete.
Note that this is not a full version of the new Windows 10 for Phones, it is still a trial version and as such, it is not stable. Installing this update might lead to unstable performances from your Windows Phone device; thus, it is recommended that you wait for the full and stable version to be availed.
What are your thoughts on the new Windows 10 for Phones?
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