Whatever hype Microsoft managed to generate over Windows 10 Mobile after first announcing it has long since died off, and now the belated release of the operating system has been met with little more than mild interest. Microsoft finally announced the long-awaited rollout of Windows 10 Mobile on Thursday, and there are 18 smartphones that qualify for the free upgrade, but considering how this is more than a year later than was originally expected, it’s doubtful that this will do anything to save Microsoft’s dying mobile business. For the very, very few of you who actually own a Windows Phone, you can check to see if your smartphone qualifies for the Windows 10 update here.
With minimal fanfare, Microsoft began rolling out Windows 10 Mobile as a free upgrade for older phones on Thursday, fulfilling a promise the company began making more than a year ago. However, not every Lumia or third-party phone will be eligible for the upgrade from Windows Phone 8.1 to Windows 10 Mobile. There are 18 handsets on the list of supported phones, including the Lumia 1520, 930, 640, 640XL, 730, 735, 830, 532, 535, 540, 635 1GB, 636 1GB, 638 1GB, 430, and 435; plus third-party phones such as the BLU Win HD w510u, BLU Win HD LTE x150q, and the MCJ Madosma Q501. Last summer, Microsoft published a list of 10 Lumia phones that would be eligible for upgrades, all of which made the final cut. Noteworthy omissions include the beloved Lumia 1020 as well as the HTC One M8, Microsoft’s failed attempt at convincing third-party hardware makers to sell their own handsets powered by Windows Phone. Microsoft did not say whether it would be adding additional phones to the list. Microsoft just needed to get Windows 10 Mobile out to its customers, given the company’s original promise that “broad availability of Windows 10 on other devices, including mobile phones, will begin rolling out in December”—and it’s now March. It’s a shame that some of the older devices aren’t eligible for the upgrade, but it seems to be predicated on the availability of the Lumia Denim upgrade, anyway.
