Windows 10 Mobile: 5 Questions We Want Answered
Microsoft has given Windows 10 for desktop its share of attention. What can we expect from Windows 10 Mobile?
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With Memorial Day Weekend finally here, summer is top of mind. And with summer comes beach trips, barbecues, sunny vacations, and, of course, Windows 10.
Microsoft has dedicated plenty of blog posts and keynote time to covering the many features that will appear on desktops running its much-hyped new OS. Most recent updates include the availability of Windows 10 editions and how Azure Active Directory will work.
Windows Insiders running the OS desktop preview have tested multiple versions of Windows 10, playing with its new features and providing Microsoft with feedback to inform development of the layout and functionality of its new system. If the builds are any indication of what's to come, it looks like Windows 10 has a lot of potential.
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While the desktop preview seems more well-rounded now than it did back in January, its mobile counterpart appears to be lagging in comparison. Windows 10 Mobile has not received the same extent of feature updates in each Insider Preview build, and each build has been pretty buggy.
The desktop version of Windows 10 must be taking up most of Microsoft's resources. That makes sense since Windows software runs on the lion's share of PCs around the world, while Windows Phone takes up a small percentage of the smartphone market.
In March, we learned that Windows 10 will land on computers sometime this summer; in April, that window was narrowed down to July. We don't have such a specific timeframe for Windows 10 Mobile just yet, which leads to one of many questions we have about Microsoft's new mobile OS.
Read on to learn more about what we'd like to learn about Windows 10 Mobile over the next few months. If you have any insight or additional questions of your own, feel free to share them in the comments.
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Microsoft has long dominated the PC space with its Windows platform but has struggled to keep up in the mobile market. Windows Phone now accounts for 10.1% of the mobile phone markets in the UK, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy; it's at about 4.8% in the US.
Most of the world has embraced either Android or iOS as their smartphone platform, and Windows 10 Mobile will have to be pretty appealing if Microsoft is going to convince customers to change their minds.
Granted, it seems like Windows 10 Mobile has some pretty cool changes so far. Smartphones running the new OS will have the Microsoft Edge browser, Universal Office apps, new Windows Store, new apps for Mail, Calendar and Messaging, and the Continuum feature that projects smartphone screens onto larger devices like laptops and desktops. No doubt Windows 10 Mobile will be powerful -- and Microsoft has promised us a flagship device later this year -- but can it convince the masses to turn away from iOS and Android?
At this year's Build 2015 conference, Microsoft officials announced that iOS and Android apps will be supported on Windows 10. The goal is, seemingly, to broaden the offerings in the Windows Store. The app selection of Windows Store is sparse compared to those found in competitors Apple App Store and Google Play. Developers prioritize building apps for Android and iOS phones, and usually take months to create programs for Windows Phone -- if they ever do.
In order to make Windows Store more competitive, Microsoft is drastically simplifying the process of making iOS and Android apps available on Windows. Developers won't have to build the apps from scratch and can undergo the painless process of pushing them to Windows Store. Android apps will be able to run on Windows 10 without additional changes from developers, who can make alterations if they desire but are not required to do so.
This seems like a winning strategy for both Microsoft and the developer community, but will it work? Customers care about the number of apps in their respective app store, even if they can't download everything available. A simpler process for porting apps should broaden Windows Store offerings but may inconvenience users. An app designed to work on iOS may look great on an iPhone, for example, but awkward on Windows Phone. Will developers and customers take the bait when Windows 10 Mobile debuts? And what will their experience be like?
Windows dominates the enterprise operating system market, which means plenty of businesses will begin planning be make the upgrade to Windows 10 come launch. Microsoft is investing plenty of time and effort into developing new products for the enterprise, including the upcoming Office 2016 and collaborative tool Surface Hub. The new Continuum feature will let business customers project presentations and spreadsheets from their phones onto larger screens, making Windows 10 devices very handy portable tools. Microsoft's new HoloLens headset also carries potential for businesses, although it won't be available until long after Windows 10 Mobile hits the market.
As previously mentioned, the OS will be available in a series of editions, three of which cater to enterprise customers. Windows 10 Pro will have additional features to help small businesses better manage cloud tech, protect sensitive data, and work remotely. Windows 10 Enterprise has advanced security for medium and large organizations. Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise builds upon the productivity, security, and MDM capabilities in Windows 10 Mobile to deliver more flexibility in managing updates and bringing new features as they are released.
To say that enterprise customers disliked Windows 8 is an understatement. In addition to appealing to its consumer audience, Microsoft has to ensure that Windows 10 is compatible with business needs. Will its new OS inspire enterprise users to upgrade from Windows 7? And when they download, will they like what they see?
Microsoft has emphasized that Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade to Windows Pro, Mobile and Home customers running Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. The free upgrade is available for one year after the OS launches.
While Microsoft has also been clear about how the update process will work for PCs running Windows 10, there's still some question around how mobile updates will work. Microsoft had previously claimed it would handle Windows 10 mobile updates and determine when new features would arrive on smartphones running Windows 10. Carriers manage updates in its current model. However, it turns out that carriers are not completely out of the Windows 10 picture.
A Microsoft spokesperson recently claimed that "Microsoft will continue to work closely with mobile operators on testing to meet and exceed quality bars," reported WinBeta. "The input of mobile operators is invaluable to the testing process. Microsoft will use their input, as well as input from the millions of Windows Insiders, to decide when to send out mobile updates to Windows 10 devices."
It's still unclear how much power carriers will have in providing "input" to Microsoft, and it's unlikely we'll have a definite answer until Windows 10 Mobile hits the market.
Windows 10 will arrive on PCs later this summer, but we won't see it on smartphones at the same time. Desktops have taken priority, so it's likely that Windows 10 Mobile will get Microsoft's full focus after the team is done prepping the PC version for launch.
"Our phone builds have not been as far along as our PC builds," said Microsoft's Joe Belfiore at a media event during the Build 2015 conference, reported The Verge. "We're adapting the phone experiences later than we're adding the PC experiences."
Windows Phone users should note that even when the new OS arrives on smartphones, it won't be complete. Belfiore explained that some features will not be available upon release; rather, launch features and app updates will increase over time. This is all part of the new Windows-as-a-Service model that Microsoft is adopting.
Microsoft hasn't given any hint as to when we'll see Windows 10 Mobile. My guess is sometime during the fall, depending on when the desktop version is actually released.
Windows 10 will arrive on PCs later this summer, but we won't see it on smartphones at the same time. Desktops have taken priority, so it's likely that Windows 10 Mobile will get Microsoft's full focus after the team is done prepping the PC version for launch.
"Our phone builds have not been as far along as our PC builds," said Microsoft's Joe Belfiore at a media event during the Build 2015 conference, reported The Verge. "We're adapting the phone experiences later than we're adding the PC experiences."
Windows Phone users should note that even when the new OS arrives on smartphones, it won't be complete. Belfiore explained that some features will not be available upon release; rather, launch features and app updates will increase over time. This is all part of the new Windows-as-a-Service model that Microsoft is adopting.
Microsoft hasn't given any hint as to when we'll see Windows 10 Mobile. My guess is sometime during the fall, depending on when the desktop version is actually released.
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