Earlier this week, Microsoft released the much-awaited Windows 10 Creators Update for PCs (includes desktops, laptops, and hybrids among other devices). As for Window Mobile devices, the Creators Update is scheduled to drop on April 25. But, we hadn’t been made aware of what devices will receive this update until today.
Alongside the release of a new preview build for Fast Ring Insiders, the Redmond giant has finally confirmed that only a subset of the Windows phones available in the market will get the Creators Update. This is nothing surprising, but will definitely come as a massive disappointment to some older Windows phone owners.
But, this is being done to provide you, Windows device owners, with the best possible mobile experience. Microsoft doesn’t want to render your devices useless by pushing an update which may bog down on your memory and processing power. Further, describing the reason behind cutting support for other devices, Windows Insider program lead Dona Sarkar said,
We recognize that many Insiders will be disappointed to see their device is no longer supported. We looked at feedback from our Windows Insiders and realized that we were not providing the best possible experience for our customers on many older devices. That helped us determine which devices we support for the Windows 10 Creators Update.
As announced in an official blog post, the supported devices have been narrowed to just thirteen. All Windows Mobile devices listed below will be supported to receive the complete Creators Update, as well as support the Windows 10 Insider program from this point forward. Here’s the list of supported Window 10 Mobile devices:
- HP Elite x3
- Microsoft Lumia 550
- Microsoft Lumia 640/640XL
- Microsoft Lumia 650
- Microsoft Lumia 950/950 XL
- Alcatel IDOL 4S
- Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL
- SoftBank 503LV
- VAIO Phone Biz
- MouseComputer MADOSMA Q601
- Trinity NuAns NEO
This means your existing Lumia devices, if not listed above, will no longer receive the Windows 10 Creators Update but will also not receive any future preview builds as part of the Insider program. But, you can continue to use preview builds you have installed from the ongoing Insider program for Windows Mobile devices. You will receive the preview build closest to the final release, so you might be able to enjoy the perks of the Creators Update — but at the cost of an intuitive and smooth experience. No more support from here on out!
According to a recently released Gartner report, the world’s smartphone ecosystem, as expected, is mostly made up of Android and iOS devices. They account for around 99.6 percent of all smartphone sales in the fourth quarter of 2016, which means Windows 10 Mobile and BlackBerry OS (whose market share is almost zero) are on the very verge of extinction. The total number of phones sold this quarter were 432 million, where 352 million ran Android (81.7 percent) and 77 million ran iOS (17.9 percent). Windows Phone accounted only for 0.3 percent (~1 million devices worldwide) of the market, a number which is flailing with each passing day.
