With a new build for mobile today, Microsoft has confirmed a rumour which was doing rounds, the Windows 10 Creators Update is not coming to all phones.
Last week, ZDNet reported that the Windows 10 Creators Update will only come to selected devices. Lots of long time fans and users of Windows Phone were pretty dissed with this but some calmed themselves, saying that this all was a rumour and their trusty phones would receive the update just fine. The blog post, just killed the hopes of them today. Microsoft has clearly mentioned that out of the entire portfolio, only the following devices will receive the Creators Update,
- 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
Not only is this a bad move, but also one which angered long-time fans of the dying platform. The reddit and other tech forums are abuzz with discussions and none of them seem to be a pleasant one. Insiders were able to test the Creators Update builds for months on their phones and reported it to perform better than the Anniversary Update.
To make matters more surprising, Microsoft’s very own site tells that the Snapdragon 200, 400 and 800 chipsets are supported by the Creators Update. The phones discontinued has the above mentioned SoC’s. Also the Lumia 640/640XL uses the Snapdragon 400 chipset and so does the 730 & 830. Not providing the updates on these devices just doesn’t make sense. Microsoft, however has chose to justify their decision with the following statement,
“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. We are continually listening to your feedback to provide the best experience for ALL of our customers.”
Whatever Microsoft says, their decision was just another blow for the ever shrinking Windows Phone fans. With no more updates, the Insiders who are on the Creators Update branch can choose to be on that branch and remain unsupported or get a new phone. As no new devices are available to choose from, it seems Microsoft is indirectly asking the users to move to other platforms, the ‘Microsoft edition’ Samsung Galaxy S8 for example.
