As the rest of the smartphone world waits for the new Android and iOS devices expected in Q3 2017 along with the increased dominance that the new versions of iOS and Android will herald, Microsoft has quietly updated the latest developer build of Windows 10 for mobile devices.
Members of the Windows Insider program who have access to early builds of Microsoft’s operating systems have noted the next build of Windows 10 for mobile is available on the ‘Fast ring’ of the program (reports Brian Fagioli for Betanews).
The change log for the new build can be found on the Windows blog:
This build also includes all the improvements from KB4022725.
We fixed an issue for Windows Insiders where some binaries stopped working when transitioning from Insider Preview builds to officially released builds.
We fixed an issue where some apps could not subscribe to SMS receive notifications.
We fixed an audio issue with Bluetooth headphones after Cortana reads an incoming SMS message to the user.
Why is Microsoft continuing with Windows 10 for mobile? It’s true that in the consumer-facing world, Microsoft is placing more emphasis on adapted to the software that runs on Android and iOS devices, it places more emphasis on bringing new users into Microsoft’s cloud-based services and there is still a huge amount of love and respect for the Xbox-based gaming community.
Windows 10 on mobile may not be one of the leading technologies in Redmond’s repertoire, but it’s not dead, as this update shows.
It may not be showing up in the market share numbers, but there is a strong and loyal base that relies on Windows 10 mobile devices. Microsoft is not abandoning those customers. In a world where web services have been shut with very little notice leaving users high and dry, the continued support of Windows 10 mobile by Microsoft should be welcomed by all.
