Any day now Microsoft is expected to release Windows 10 for Phone to Windows Insiders. The update will allow you to run Windows 10 on most existing Windows Phones running Windows Phone 8.1. The release is highly anticipated and based on leaks, screenshots and what Microsoft showed at the Windows 10 event last month, it should be impressive.
But should you install it?
It is a question ultimately you have to answer for yourself but there are a few things to consider. First and foremost, keep in mind that whatever is released this month for your Windows Phone, it will be in beta.
Windows 10 – regardless of the device you install it on – is still very much in beta. As I put in my Remember Windows 10 is Still Beta post last week, you can expect to see the odd behavior, apps that don’t work and perhaps even degraded performance during beta testing. Windows 10 for Phone will be no different. There will be some things on your Lumia that act strange or simply don’t function. While there is no reason to believe that Microsoft is going to release a buggy build, until software is out in the hands of beta testers and their devices, bugs often remain an unknown. I see this regularly on beta testing I do for this site as well as work I do in my day job.
If you want to install Windows 10 for Phone, I recommend installing it on a Lumia device you do not use as your “daily driver”. In my case, my Lumia 1320 is my every day phone while my Lumia 635 is my beta device. Windows 10 for Phone will be installed on my 635 but not on my 1320 until Windows 10 for Phone is generally available later in the year. This is the same thing I did on my PCs.
Secondly, on your Lumia running Windows 10, be sure to report any and all bugs through the Windows Insider program. The only way that bugs will be fixed and the platform improved is through feedback – good and bad – from users. If you don’t have the time or unwilling to do this, don’t install it. And for the love of all things good, do not go to Twitter moaning about something not working. It is beta. Things will not work. Use the Insider program to get those bugs reported.
Finally, be patient. Microsoft has been and will continue to regularly update Windows 10 and Windows 10 for Phone will be no exception. If you report a bug, it is highly unlikely it will be fixed overnight. You may have to wait several weeks or even months for something to be fixed. Be patient. That’s the name of the game in beta testing software.
