One of the biggest and best pieces of news for Windows 10 Mobile came out at the end of last week and the implications are huge. Microsoft stated in an article on ZDNet that they will be controlling all update to Windows 10 including those of Windows 10 Mobile. This not only includes businesses running Windows 10 Mobile but consumers like you and me. This is fantastic news as it takes the carriers out of the equation which, in theory, means that we should see updates to Windows 10 Mobile far faster than we ever have under Windows Phone 7, 8, or 8.1.
I wrote about this very subject back in February where I outlined how Microsoft could bypass the carriers on updates to Windows 10 Mobile via a Windows Insider style mechanism. While in the article from Mr. Bott clearly states that carriers will still be in the mix, it will be at a far lower level and Microsoft ultimately is the one that determines when the upgrade button is pushed on devices.
All of this should be welcome news to Windows Phone users. The Lumia Cyan and Lumia Denim updates have been nothing short of a mess for many as carriers have delayed or failed to release these updates for the devices on their network. A good example is the Lumia Denim release for the Lumia 1520 on the AT&T network coming out a full six months after it was released. That’s unacceptable, particularly on a flagship device.
The lack of updates from carriers has produced unnecessary consumer frustration and while they will still control when a device on their network gets upgraded from Windows Phone 8.1 to Windows 10 Mobile, going forward from that point all updates will come from Microsoft.
My suggestions to all readers if you can afford to do it is to get your Windows Phone from Microsoft or Amazon off contract or even better unlocked. I have an unlocked Lumia 1320 which received the Lumia Denim update back in January. My AT&T locked Lumia 635 is still waiting.
