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Windows 10 Mobile

File:Windows 10 (mobile).jpgScreenshot of Windows 10 Mobile on smartphones
Developer	Microsoft
Update method	Firmware over the air
Platforms	ARMv7
Kernel type	Hybrid
Preceded by	Windows Phone 8.1 (2014) Windows RT
Official website	microsoft.com/mobile/windows10

Windows 10 Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, succeeding Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows RT. It will primarily aim to bring tighter integration and unification with its PC counterpart Windows 10, and provide a platform for both smartphones, and small tablets under 8 inches in screen size with ARM system-on-chips. Due to this convergence, Microsoft promotes Windows 10 for phones and small tablets as being an edition of its PC counterpart, and has downplayed specific references to the Windows Phone brand in relation to it.

Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones can be upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile, pursuant to hardware compatibility, manufacturer support, and carrier support.

Development

In July 2014, Microsoft's then-new CEO Satya Nadella explained that the company was planning to "streamline the next version of Windows from three operating systems into one single converged operating system for screens of all sizes," unifying Windows, Windows Phone, and Windows Embedded around a common architecture and a unified application ecosystem. However, Nadella stated that these internal changes would not have any effect on how the operating systems are marketed and sold.

Microsoft had already begun the process of unifying the Windows platform in 2012; Windows Phone 8 dropped the Windows CE-based architecture of its predecessor Windows Phone 7 for a platform built upon the NT kernel, which shared much of the same architecture with its PC counterpart Windows 8. At Build 2013, which was held a few months prior to Nadella's announcement, Microsoft also unveiled the concept of a "universal Windows app," allowing Windows Runtime apps to be ported to Windows Phone and Xbox One while sharing a common codebase, and allowing user data and licenses for an app to be shared between multiple platforms.

On September 30, 2014, Microsoft unveiled Windows 10; Terry Myerson explained that Windows 10 would be Microsoft's "most comprehensive platform ever," promoting plans to provide a "unified" platform for desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and all-in-one devices. Windows 10 on phones was publicly unveiled during the Windows 10: The Next Chapter press event on January 21, 2015; unlike previous Windows Phone versions, Windows 10 will also expand the platform's focus to small, ARM-based tablets, thus making it a de facto successor to Microsoft's commercially unsuccessful Windows RT platform (which was based upon the PC version of Windows 8). Windows RT devices will receive a different update with some of the features of Windows 10 for PC.

Naming

In accordance with Microsoft's unification strategy, this version of Windows Phone will be branded primarily as "Windows 10" without any disambiguation, rather than "Windows Phone 10", although it was also referred to as "Windows 10 for phones and small tablets" during the event, and leaked screenshots from a Technical Preview build identified the operating system as "Windows 10 Mobile". Microsoft had begun to phase out specific references to the Windows Phone brand in its advertising in mid-2014. However, critics have still considered the operating system to be an iteration and continuation of Windows Phone due to its lineage and similar overall functionality.

Release

Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones can be upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile, pursuant to hardware compatibility and manufacturer support. In November 2014, a post by a Microsoft Twitter account stated that all Nokia and Microsoft Lumia smartphones running Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 would receive updates to 10, but following the official unveiling, Microsoft reiterated and stated that they were targeting the "majority" of Lumia phones, and that not all phones would receive the update or support all of its features. In February 2015, Joe Belfiore stated that Microsoft was "working on" a version of 10 for low-end devices with 512 MB of RAM, including the Nokia Lumia 520—a model which represents 23.8% of all Windows Phone devices sold.

An "Insider" program, similarly to one adopted for the PC version of Windows 10, will be used to provide a public beta version of Windows 10 Mobile for selected devices.

Features

A major aspect of the operating system is a focus on harmonizing user experiences and functionality between different classes of devices; particularly, devices running the PC-oriented version of Windows 10, and smartphones. Under the "universal app" concept, Windows Runtime apps for Windows 10 on PC can be ported to other Windows platforms, such as Windows 10 Mobile, and share nearly the same codebase, but with adaptations for the specific device class. Windows 10 Mobile will also, where applicable, share user interface elements with its PC counterpart. During its initial unveiling, Microsoft presented several examples of "universal" apps that would have similar functionality and user interfaces between Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile, including updated Photos and Maps apps, and new Microsoft Office apps.

Notifications can be synced between devices; dismissing notification on, for example, a tablet, will also dismiss it from a phone. Certain types of notifications now allow inline replies. The start screen now has the option to display wallpapers as a background of the screen rather than within the tiles; tiles are also slightly translucent. The messaging app adds support for internet-based Skype messaging alongside SMS, similarly to iMessage. The camera app has been updated to match the "Lumia Camera" app previously exclusive to Lumia products, and a new Photos app aggregates content from local storage and OneDrive, and will be able to perform automatic enhancements to photos. The on-screen keyboard now contains a virtual pointing stick for manipulating the text editing cursor, a dedicated voice input button, and can be dragged around the screen.

A new iteration of the Office Mobile suite, Office for Windows 10, will also be included with the operating system. Based upon the Android and iOS versions of Office Mobile, they introduce a new user interface with a variation of the ribbon toolbar used by the desktop version, and a new mobile version of Outlook. Outlook utilizes the same rendering engine as the Windows desktop version of Microsoft Word. The "Spartan" web browser will replace Internet Explorer Mobile.

Version history

References

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• Windows 10
• Windows Phone
• Smartphones
• Mobile operating systems
• ARM operating systems