Despite Windows phones no longer a focus for the company

Oct 30, 2017 08:58 GMT  ·  By
Lumia 950 XL is one of the devices supported for the next Windows 10 Mobile version
   Lumia 950 XL is one of the devices supported for the next Windows 10 Mobile version

Microsoft has already confirmed that Windows 10 Mobile won’t be getting new features or hardware anytime soon, but despite this, the company doesn’t see this as reason enough to abandon the Windows Insider program for phones.

As a result, the firm will continue rolling out new Windows 10 Mobile builds even after the release of the Fall Creators Update, which according to all the speculation should happen very soon.

Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc confirmed on Twitter earlier this month that “we plan to keep releasing new builds for Mobile,” while Joe Belfiore added that “we’ll continue to support the platform, bug fixes, security updates etc. But building new features and hardware aren’t the focus.”

New builds, but no new features

In other words, yes, Windows 10 Mobile builds will continue to be shipped to devices enrolled in the program, but they won’t be bringing anything too exciting, other than bug fixes and improvements here and there. New features will rarely be provided, and when they are, the focus will be on enterprises, which makes Windows 10 Mobile less of a choice for consumers.

In the meantime, it’s being speculated that Microsoft is working on a new mobile device, though this won’t be a smartphone per se, but more of a digital journey similar to the original Courier project.

Previously, it was believed that Microsoft was developing a Surface Phone that would innovate in terms of features and form factor, but with the focus on Windows 10 Mobile being dramatically reduced, the future when it comes to mobile appears to be entirely built around Windows 10 on ARM.

As for the new builds coming to Windows 10 Mobile devices, expect them to start shipping shortly after the launch of the Fall Creators Update sometime soon.

Only a few devices will continue to be supported for the next version of Windows 10 Mobile, and these include the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, which are the company’s latest flagships.