Last week, Microsoft began rolling out the Windows 10 Creators Update for PCs, having announced plans to release the Windows 10 Mobile version on April 25. However, last week, it emerged that the update might not be made available to all handsets currently supported by the OS - and today, Microsoft confirmed that that will be the case.
The Windows 10 Creators Update will only be made available to these 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
Microsoft added:
Devices not on this list will not officially receive the Windows 10 Creators Update nor will they receive any future builds from our Development Branch that we release as part of the Windows Insider Program. However, Windows Insiders who have devices not on this list can still keep these devices on the Windows 10 Creators Update at their own risk knowing that it’s unsupported.
That means that quite a few devices - including the former flagships, the Lumia 930 and 1520 - will be left behind. Many other handsets that were able to upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile from Windows Phone 8.1 last year have also been excluded from the list. It"s also odd that devices like the Lumia 735 and 830 are being left out, given that their specs are broadly similar to those of the Lumia 640 and 640 XL, which are officially supported.
Alongside that announcement, Microsoft also released Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview build 15204 - from the new Redstone 3 Development Branch - to the Fast ring. Notably, its build number is far lower than that of the latest PC preview, build 16176, which was also released today. Microsoft said:
As we release new builds from our Development Branch for PC, we will also be doing the same for Windows 10 Mobile just like we have been in the past. However, Windows Insiders will likely notice some minor differences. The biggest difference being that the build number and branch won’t match the builds we will be releasing for PC. This is a result of more work we’re doing to converge code into OneCore – the heart of Windows across PC, tablet, phone, IoT, HoloLens, Xbox and more as we continue to develop new improvements for Windows 10 Mobile and our enterprise customers.
Unlike the new PC build, there are no new user-facing features in the latest Mobile release.