Microsoft has released Build 10080 to windows phone users who have signed up for the Fast ring of Windows 10 Technical Preview insiders for phones. Users of devices such as Lumia 930, Icon and 640XL who felt left out of the party can now join in. Also the HTC One(M8) device have the clear to install the preview.
A list of the new features included in this build are;
New universal Windows Store Beta for phones
Universal Office apps
The Xbox app for Windows 10
Music Preview app
Video Preview app
New Camera app ( Note that high-end Lumia devices (1520, 1020, 930, 830, 640, and 640XL) have some features not supported by the new Camera app. For these devices, the new app will work but to get the full functionality from your device you will need to use the Lumia Camera app. In coming weeks we’ll have updated versions of Camera apps with the super set of all features. Here are a few things to try: try out HDR (click the magic wand button), video stabilization for video and look for faces getting recognized (not identified) in the camera preview window (will help with auto focus).
In as much as Microsoft will want everyone to join in on building the best experience you should know that it has complications. You shouldn’t install the preview if the device is your one and only working phone. That’s because it still includes bugs. But if you still don’t want to miss out on the experience you can subscribe to the slow ring update; you have a much richer and better experience with little or no bugs. Or get a second budget friendly device and run the preview on it.
The guys over at windowscentral.com have a hands-on on the new features, check it below.
Give the new build a try and let me know what you think.
Microsoft has detailed out the versions/editions Windows 10 will be made available in when finally released later this year. They are Windows 10 Home, Mobile, Pro, Enterprise, Education, Mobile Enterprise and Internet of Things (ioT). Most PC users will use either the Windows 10 Home or Pro; the home version will mostly come pre-installed on budget pc’s whilst the pro on the more expensive devices.
“Windows 10 will power an incredibly broad range of devices – everything from PCs, tablets, phones, Xbox One, Microsoft HoloLens and Surface Hub. It will also power the world around us, core to devices making up the Internet of Things, everything from elevators to ATMs to heart rate monitors to wearables. No matter which Windows 10 device our customers use, the experience will feel comfortable, and there will be a single, universal Windows Store where they can find, try and buy Universal Windows apps.”
Here is a summary of the Windows 10 editions and what they affect in real life;
Windows 10 Home is the consumer-focused desktop edition. It offers a familiar and personal experience for PCs, tablets and 2-in-1s. Windows 10 Home will help people do great things, both big and small. With it, they will be more productive and have more fun thanks to a long list of new innovations: Cortana, the world’s most personal digital assistant; the new Microsoft Edge web browser; Continuum tablet mode for touch-capable devices; Windows Hello face-recognition, iris and fingerprint login; and right out of the box, a broad range of universal Windows apps like Photos, Maps, Mail, Calendar, Music and Video
We are also bringing the Xbox gaming experience to Windows 10, giving games and gamers access to the Xbox Live gaming community, enabling the capture and share of gameplay and giving Xbox One owners the ability to play their Xbox One games from any Windows 10 PC in their home.
Windows 10 Mobile is designed to deliver the best user experience on smaller, mobile, touch-centric devices like smartphones and small tablets. It boasts the same, new universal Windows apps that are included in Windows 10 Home, as well as the new touch-optimized version of Office. Windows 10 Mobile offers great productivity, security and management capabilities for customers who use their personal devices at work. In addition, Windows 10 Mobile will enable some new devices to take advantage of Continuum for phone, so people can use their phone like a PC when connected to a larger screen.
Windows 10 Pro is a desktop edition for PCs, tablets and 2-in-1s. Building upon both the familiar and innovative features of Windows 10 Home, it has many extra features to meet the diverse needs of small businesses. Windows 10 Pro helps to effectively and efficiently manage their devices and apps, protect their sensitive business data, support remote and mobile productivity scenarios and take advantage of cloud technologies. Windows 10 Pro devices are a great choice for organizations supporting Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) programs and prosumer customers. Windows 10 Pro also lets customers take advantage of the new Windows Update for Business, which will reduce management costs, provide controls over update deployment, offer quicker access to security updates and provide access to the latest innovation from Microsoft on an ongoing basis.
Windows 10 Enterprise builds on Windows 10 Pro, adding advanced features designed to meet the demands of medium and large sized organizations. It provides advanced capabilities to help protect against the ever-growing range of modern security threats targeted at devices, identities, applications and sensitive company information. Windows 10 Enterprise also supports the broadest range of options for operating system deployment and comprehensive device and app management. It will be available to our Volume Licensing customers, so they can take advantage of the latest innovation and security updates on an ongoing basis. At the same time, they will be able to choose the pace at which they adopt new technology, including the option to use the new Windows Update for Business. With Windows 10, Enterprise customers will also have access to the Long Term Servicing Branch as a deployment option for their mission critical devices and environments. And as with prior versions of Windows, Active Software Assurance customers in Volume Licensing can upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise as part of their existing Software Assurance benefits.
Windows 10 Education builds on Windows 10 Enterprise, and is designed to meet the needs of schools – staff, administrators, teachers and students. This edition will be available through academic Volume Licensing, and there will be paths for schools and students using Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro devices to upgrade to Windows 10 Education.
Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise is designed to deliver the best customer experience to business customers on smartphones and small tablets. It will be available to our Volume Licensing customers. It offers the great productivity, security and mobile device management capabilities that Windows 10 Mobile provides, and adds flexible ways for businesses to manage updates. In addition, Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise will incorporate the latest security and innovation features as soon as they are available.
There will also be versions of Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise for industry devices like ATMs, retail point of sale, handheld terminals and industrial robotics and Windows 10 IoT Core for small footprint, low cost devices like gateways.
“As we announced earlier this year, for the first time ever, we are offering the full versions of Windows 10 Home, Mobile and Pro as a free and easy upgrade for qualifying Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices that upgrade in the first year after launch. Once you upgrade, you have Windows 10 for free on that device.”
These are all the details and all you must know on the editions and version.
Microsoft’s mobile devices have been gaining a lot of love and attention in Africa, Europe, South America and India and this shouldn’t come as a surprise as Microsoft is building device at all levels.
The introduction of the mid range level budget friendly and low cost devices like the Lumia 520, 530, 535, 630 and 635 have seen significant rise in usage of smartphones by consumers. The mid range devices such as the Lumia 730, 830 and 1320 also give flexibity in pricing to it’s targeted audience. The mobile penetration in Africa is on the rise and as more people seek to connect and share they find the Lumia brand attractive and within their budget range.
Microsoft Ghana’s mobile device business manager Mr. Kola Osinowo said recently in his expression of gratitude to Ghanaians that Ghana is among the top most 20 user countries of the Lumia devices in the world.
I believe recent campaigns and promotions such as the #Makeithappen promo increased awareness on the productivity and range of the Lumia handsets.
Microsoft mobile devices group business head, Mr. Kola Osinowo has in a press release to Ghana News Agency revealed that the group will begin a nationwide campaign of Windows 10 mobile devices. The aim is to help consumers achieve more, enhance their technological needs and help provide solutions. The campaign is expected to begin in Kumasi and spread to the other parts of the country. This will be during the release of the recently announced Lumia 640 and 640 XL in the country.
Mr kola Osinowo also said the Microsoft Mobile Devices Group would educate people on how to access the devices and make the best out of the Lumia, especially when it comes to similar applications found in computers.
As part of the campaign power banks will be bundled with the sale of the phones.
He said “Considering local realities, we understand that power outage is a current problem in the country and that is why we would be bundling the devices, including Lumia 535, 640 with variety of freebies such as power banks”.
Other freebies that will be available with the purchase of a device are Office 365 for 12 months, one terabyte of One Drive storage space and a license that will allow the user to continue or transfer programmes onto a device tablet or a computer.
All existing Lumia devices that meet the requirement will be upgradeable to windows 10 later in the simmer when it’s released to the public.
Compu-Ghana on the 12th of April will have their first sales promotion of the year. This is a one day offer only and whilst stock last. Probably a good time to buy one if you’ve been waiting on a discount.
The Lumia Phones up for discount are;
Lumia 530 – GHS 269 (dual SIM)
Lumia 520 – GHS 319
Lumia 435- GHS 319 (dual SIM)
Lumia 535 – GHS 489 (dual SIM)
Lumia 625 – GHS 549
Lumia 630 – GHS 489 (dual SIM)
Lumia 730 – GHS 849 (dual SIM)
Lumia 830 – GHS 1249
Lumia 930 – GHS 1499
Lumia 1520 – GHS 1599
Also get free Astrum earphones, 8GB micro SD cards and 2500mah power banks when you make a purchase.
With the next batch of devices being rolled on to the technical preview of windows 10 for phones, you can pick one up as a trial device.
