Many of Windows fans were left heartbroken this past week when Microsoft confirmed that there will be no second wave of Windows 10 Mobile. All the devices that are part of the current list of supported devices are the only devices that will ever (we do expect reconsiderations for some devices) be upgraded to Windows 10. Company's officials said that the decision has been made based on the feedback received from the Insiders.
- "You are all gonna FREAK OUT" when you see the new Windows 10 features
Over 50% of all active Windows Phones are eligible for upgrade
Many thought that Microsoft is breaking its earlier promise of getting all the older devices to the new Windows 10 Mobile operating system. While the decision may come as a bad news to many, latest stats reveal that the situation is not that gloomy after all. New data from AdDuplex has shared several different aspects on the adoption rate of Windows 10 Mobile. It confirms that even after this decision of leaving several devices behind, over 50% of all the active Windows Phone devices could update to Windows 10 Mobile, at least in theory.
The numbers reveal that 15.2 percent of all the existing Windows Phone devices eligible for the upgrade, have already upgraded to the newly released operating system version. Over 35% of devices are capable of upgrading to Windows 10 Mobile, however, are yet to receive the update through their carriers.
The number of devices that is theoretically being left behind by Microsoft, comes at 49.6 percent of all the active Windows Phones. Remember, many of these devices have only 512MB of RAM or Qualcomm S7 chips, both of which are no longer supported by the latest OS after negative feedback received by the Insiders.
Compared to Android Marshmallow's 2.3 percent install base and 79 percent adoption rate of iOS 9, Microsoft's latest mobile operating system falls somewhere in between the two leading operating systems. Android has traditionally suffered the most thanks to a vast base of devices that are released every year, along with carrier and regional delays. Microsoft intended to follow a software update process that is more in line with Apple's strategy.
However, Windows 10 Mobile release made it clear that the upgrade process won't be as easy and fast as iOS. The manufacturers and carriers still appear to have a say in the update process, as we received news that HTC is passing the current upgrade for its One M8 due to small install base.
We also have to consider the fact that the latest software upgrades from Apple have often been called out for deliberately slowing down the older devices. While Microsoft has made a tough decision to leave even some of the not-so-old devices behind, it is better for the users to experience an older, but stable firmware than a newer software update that significantly slows down the smartphone.
At the end, it all comes down to the company's communication with its users. From words of delivering Windows 10 Mobile in December, 2015 and failing to do so for the next three months to bragging about releasing the new OS to all the Windows Phones, promises have been aplenty. Let's hope the company learns its lessons from the latest release to say only what it can actually deliver.
For those who feel upset by Microsoft's decision, you can experience the new operating system through Windows Insider Program. You will be able to test all the builds that the eligible devices will officially receive until the Redstone updates hit the devices, later in the year.
