Windows 10 Mobile [Review]: The Perfect Successor to 8.1

Last updated on August 22nd, 2017

Microsoft is on Fire these days. After a huge applause for the release of Windows 10 for Desktop & Tablets now it’s time to port the same on the Windows Mobile Phone. However, the preview builds that have been released so far are dramatically unstable and full of bugs. Well, no doubt Microsoft is working hard to fix it to finally release a stable build.

How to get the update?

insiderWe thought to give you a peep inside the Windows 10 Mobile. So far so good the update was easy to install. All you have to do is grab the “Windows Insider” app from the Windows Store. After that, just sign in with your Microsoft Account and follow the steps accepting the terms and conditions, which includes – “While using Preview For Developers, You CANNOT REVERT to a prior OS version once you have taken an update via this program and several features on the device might not work properly.” You’ll be prompted to choose either Insider Slow or Insider Fast. As per your desire, chose the build.

insider

Note: The “Insider Slow” is for those who want to get the Preview builds when they are made stable. While the users, who opted for “Insider Fast” will get the updates as soon as they hit the air. We recommend you the “Insider Slow” as it is stable and you can find comparatively lesser bugs than “Insider Fast”.

update

Windows 10 Mobile at a Glance

If you are using Windows 10 for desktop, you might find a lot of similarities. The notification bar has got the similar icons for example, the Wi-Fi icon, battery indicator and the notification indicator is the same. The first appearance of Windows 10 mobile will amaze you. Microsoft has done a great job making the Windows 10 and Window 10 Mobile a lot similar to each other, which gives a great consistency to both the variant of Windows. Well, it’s like Microsoft is finally learning from Apple to give consistency.

Tile_Screen

The Action Center:
Formerly the Notification bar is now called the Action center in Windows 10. And to your surprise you’ll find a lot of action in there  :-). For instance, you are now equipped with 16 toggles instead of 4 toggles. These toggles are now called as Action Buttons. New notification comes in an eye-catchy way now.

Action_Center

 

The Tiles:
Previously the Background to the Tiles was by default White or Black depending on the theme you have chosen. But now on Windows 10 Mobile, you get a full-screen wallpaper on which the tiles are embedded. You can now set different colors to the tile and can manage the transparency of the color. Which blends with the background to have a decent appearance.

w10-680x350

 

The App Drawer:
Unlike before, when there was either black or white background depending on the theme, now there is a picture background which is the same as your Tile Bar, but the background is a little faded and tinted to give a catchy appearance without losing the visibility of the App Icons and Tiles in the App Drawer.

App Drawer

 

You May Also Like: Arrow Launcher For Android

The Settings:
Those who are using Windows 10 for desktop have noticed that the settings menu has been completely redefined, likewise, for Windows 10 Mobile the settings menu has been redefined. The most incredible thing is either for PC or for the Windows 10 Mobile, the settings menu appears the same adding more consistency to the Windows 10 variants.

settings

 

Keyboard:
One of the most criticized flaws with the Windows Phone was the navigation of the cursor while typing texts. After a lot of efforts, Microsoft finally added a navigation bar which is precisely embedded in the same old keyboard. Long tap on it and slide to the left and right to navigate through the text. It was the most awaited and vital feature to the keyboard.

navigation_keyboard

 

Cortana:
Now when you click on search button Cortana will pop-up to assist you. Like Windows 10 Desktop, Cortana looks the same and the only limitation is, it is not yet available for major Geographical Regions.  You have to choose your Country/Region to the United States if you like to be assisted by Cortana.

cortana-mail-450x800

 

Edge browser:
Now access the internet using the Edge Browser to get a seamless experience. It’s really fast and user-friendly, loads the page quickly and supports HTML5 without any lag. In addition to that, Edge Browser is light and it does not affect the application running in the background. To that, we’ll say nice replacement and thanks to Project Spartan.

edge-browser

 

Dial Pad:
Dial pad on Windows 10 mobile has been redesigned as well. Rather than square template they’ve now used the circular template to show the image of the contact. If there is no image attached to a particular contact then the first letter of their first and last name is shown. Similarly, the keypad has been redesigned now. Slide from the bottom to open the dial-pad.

key_pad

call_log

 

 

Calculator:
It is identical to the Windows 10 desktop calculator and gives a clean look thanks to the re-designed interface.

Calculator

 

Camera:
This is where it beats rest of the opponents. Camera and video interface has been fully redesigned. Instead of continuous focus while recording videos in Windows Cyan, now you can touch anywhere on the screen to adjust desired focus. This sounds like a great improvement and the feature is offered by several high-end devices. With this on-board, go on shooting the videos and explore the world like a Pro. Again in camera quality and functionality, no other OS beats the Windows 10 Mobile.

video_recording_touch_to_focusCamera

What’s More?
Almost every app is redesigned to acquire better consistency over the Desktop and Mobile.

Albums:
Now see your albums in a fully revamped look while the timeline view is still there.

gallery

Store:
Now download apps from the store with ease. Now get the user info from the top left which looks a lot similar like the Android Play Store. However, new changes are appreciated as they give much better-arranged appearance 
storeTask Manager:
Little changes have been made to the animation while closing an app using the task manager.task_managerMessage:
While messaging, instead of getting the name or number of the user in old boring style, now you get the small circular Contact icon right to which is the contact details. Which again seems a bit inspired by the Android messaging App.
Message
Voice Recorder:
Now the voice recorder app comes pre-installed with Windows 10 Mobile.
voice_recorder

Bugs:

Windows Homescreen takes a while to open, several apps crashes and the biggest problem you’ll face with the Groove Music. It is playing a single song even when you are playing a playlist.
Groove_Music
When will you get the final build of Windows 10 Mobile?

The launch was set to December on the calendar and it will roll out in phases. Those who are using Windows Phone 8.1 will get the free upgrades. But Microsoft is keeping quiet on the exact device list which will not get the update. However, it is expected a limited list of Microsoft/Nokia Windows Phones will get the upgrade to the OS:
Lumia 430, 435, 532, 535, 540, 640, 640 XL, 735, 830 and 930.

While there is no confirmed news about the Lumia 520, 530, 625, 630, 635, 925, 1020, 1320 and 1520. However, these devices are getting the Windows 10 Mobile preview build and it is expected that some of these devices will get the updates long after the release of the final build of Windows 10 Mobile.

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