Microsoft releases Technical Preview of Windows 10 for smartphones

Microsoft has released a first version of the Windows 10 Technical Preview for smartphones. Users who participate in the Insiders program can install the software on their devices. The test version for the desktop has been out for some time.

Anyone who participates in Microsoft’s Insiders program and has registered their smartphone will receive the new operating system automatically via an over-the-air update, according to Microsoft’s blog post about the test version. Future updates will also appear automatically.

Microsoft asks its users to provide feedback on the software. It also remains possible for participants to go back to a previous installation. This may be necessary because the software does not yet work properly: according to Microsoft, it is an early version, with several ‘rough edges’ still to be worked out. On its blog, the Redmond-based company has published a list of known bugs.

For now, the Windows 10 technical preview only works on the Lumia 630, 635, 636, 638, 730 and 830. Support for high-end devices such as the Lumia 930 and 1520 is missing in this first version. These smartphones were chosen because by default they have enough space on the partition where the OS is installed. In time, more smartphones must be made suitable for the new operating system by dynamically adjusting the OS partition.

The preview for the desktop has been available for some time. Last month, Microsoft released a new version. The final version of Windows 10 should be released in the fall.