Welcome back to our weekly “Windows 10 Mobile news recap” series where we go over the top stories of the past week in the world of Microsoft’s mobile operating system. Let’s get started.
At the start of the week, we learned that Mozo (a company known for their custom back plates for Lumia devices) is planning on making colored polycarbonate backs for the Lumia 950. But for its 5th generation of Lumias, which is currently limited to the premium 950 and 950XL and the cheaper 550, Microsoft oddly chose to sell those models with just black and white polycarbonate shells. Soon you will be able to give them a colorful kick. Speaking of which, if you missed it, check out our Mozo back cover videos and photos here.
Microsoft has added a new “Production” option in the Windows Insider app for Windows 10 Mobile, allowing you to point your device back to the production update servers so you can download any available firmware updates for your Lumia device. You can read more about that here.
Microsoft revealed this past week that owners of the Lumia 550, Lumia 950, and Lumia 950 XL were be on some sort of “super fast ring” allowing priority Windows 10 Redstone builds to be downloaded and installed as they become available. Read that story here.
During Microsoft’s FY16 Q2 earnings report, we learned that Windows Phone revenue dropped 49% in “constant currency” reflecting Microsoft’s strategy change back in July 2015. As a result, reports about Windows Phone’s death have begun to appear all over the internet. Whether or not you believe Windows Phone is dead, one thing is for certain, Microsoft is doing plenty of other things to keep themselves happy.
Our very own Oliver Fuh wrote a piece asking Microsoft to bring double-tap-to-wake feature to the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. If you used that feature on older Lumia handsets and want it back, head over here and read Oliver’s editorial on the matter.
Windows 10 Mobile received a “Configuration update” for those of you on the Windows Insider program. This particular update was rolled out to the fast ring and it simply prepares your device to receive the next cumulative update as well as offers improvements to the client-side update experience.
Most Windows 10 Mobile users should be familiar with the redundantly named Windows Feedback app, which functions as Microsoft’s primary ear for listening to user comments on its new Windows 10 family of operating systems. As it turns out, Cortana also has her own separate feedback facilities that function in an entirely unique way. Watch us go hands-on below.
Windows 10 Mobile’s Action Center is a massive improvement over its Windows Phone 8 counterpart. In addition to having access to more than one row of quick action buttons, it also features a touch gesture to access the more advanced settings behind each function. Watch us go hands-on below.
Stay tuned for yet another exciting week of Windows 10 Mobile news!