It’s been one crazy week with Windows 10 related news. Let’s take this time to look back at last week’s hot stories in a feature we like to call “Windows 10 for phones recap.”
One of the first big announcements during Build 2015 involved paying for apps. Users are familiar with carrier billing which is convenient for users who don’t have credit or debit cards. Now the entire Windows Store in Windows 10 will allow users to buy apps via carrier billing. Carrier billing is great for users who don’t have a bank account, but have a cell phone plan. This announcement begins to bring what a unified store would look like. Since apps can be purchased once and installed to all devices, it makes sense that carrier billing would work across devices as well.
During Build 2015, Microsoft showcased Windows 10 on a small screen tablet. The Start Screen now hides the Apps List in a hamburger menu, instead of permanently displaying them. This allows live tiles more room and users to better customize the Start Screen. The taskbar is still apparent at the bottom of the screen, however it’s mostly there for the Start Button. Microsoft is making a number of different changes to Windows 10 just before RTM in a couple months, and these new changes should be pushed to Insiders in an upcoming build.
Microsoft also showcased Continuum on Windows 10 for phones. Requiring new hardware, this feature will allow you to transform your Windows 10 phone into a full PC. By simply docking your phone, any screen can be your PC. A the same time, you’ll still be able to use your phone as normal, which is amazing. Continuum helps with the transition, which we’ve only previously seen running between Desktop and tablets.
Microsoft also took the time to explain the reasoning behind the hamburger menu. If you have yet to read it, we recommend checking it out.
We learned this past week that Interactive Live Tiles are still being worked on for future implementation in Windows 10. This feature would allow you to interact with tiles without having to open them — you can reply to emails, scroll through a website news feed, etc. All we know right now is that it is being “worked on.”
We also learned this past week that the upcoming Windows 10 for phones build will have Lumia 930 and Lumia Icon support. No exact word when that new build will drop. We do know that Windows 10 for phones will be officially released after Windows 10 for PCs is released this summer.
If you’re a developer running the latest version of Visual Studio, you have access to build 10069 of Windows 10 for phones to play with in the emulator. Build 10069 includes a few changes, including the improved Start Screen with tiles which are far closer together. The build also includes a few new built in apps like Contact Support and Get Started. There’s also a couple new settings such as transparency adjustment. Check it out below: