After a long beta period for ‘Windows Insiders’, Microsoft has finally given the green-light for the release of Windows 10 for older phones, rather than just newly launched ones.
The first devices to be granted access to the official rollout update are the Windows 8.1 based devices, though Microsoft didn’t make a list available directly.
Instead, the best way to see if your phone can run Windows 10 for phones is by using the Upgrade Advisor route.
What that ultimately means is that not all existing Windows handsets are going to be able to run the new OS, Microsoft says:
“As Windows 10 delivers significant new innovations, many older devices are not able to successfully upgrade without an impact on the customer experience. Our goal is to only offer the Windows 10 upgrade to devices that we are confident can continue to deliver a good customer experience.”
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It also doesn’t include some (unspecified) devices that are already running Windows 10 via the Insider program.
It’s great news for owners of older Lumia devices – not everyone wants, or knows, to use the Insider program for early access, and it will increase the size of the total Windows 10 user base.
Naturally, if you do decide to go ahead with the update, you should probably do a backup first.
➤ Windows 10 Upgrade Advisor [Microsoft]
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