Earlier today Microsoft released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16237 for PC, but it also confirmed via Twitter that Windows 10 Mobile won’t be getting any new builds for now.
We know that Microsoft has already de-prioritized new builds for Windows 10 Mobile, but this is an all-time low when the official word is “grounded.” The tweet only says “Not today, folks. We’re grounded on that one.” Does that mean a temporary thing, or is there something going on behind the scenes?
Not today, folks. We’re grounded on that one.
— Dona Sarkar (@donasarkar) 7 July 2017
Windows 10 Mobile has already been parked in the Feature2 branch of Windows 10 builds. The only updates are bug fixes and inconsequential things. Until now Microsoft has been keeping up the appearance of W10M actually meaning something to them. The latest update is amply clear, though not explicit: don’t expect anything for Windows 10 Mobile for now.
Microsoft’s mobile ambitions are in transition at the moment, and Windows 10 Mobile is one of the casualties of war. With efforts on to bring Windows 10 on ARM to the market on mobile devices later this year, and other projects like CShell and a new avatar of Windows 10 Mobile underway, it’s no surprise that the current Windows 10 Mobile is getting no love at all from Microsoft.
If you’re got a W10M device on one of the Insider Preview builds, there’s no guarantee of a fully supported update to the next public version of Windows 10. The lights are getting dimmer, and there’s no telling when the real Surface Phone will actually be released. But even if that happens, it won’t help the case for Windows 10 Mobile. On the contrary, Microsoft will no longer have any use for it.
Naturally, the company will want current Windows 10 Mobile users to upgrade to Surface Phone and other Surface mobile devices running the full Windows 10 version, and this is their way of not-so-gently nudging users towards that goal.
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