If you're planning to purchase a Windows 10 Mobile smartphone or thinking of upgrading your existing Windows Phone handset to the new software version, you should know that Microsoft has committed to support the operating system until 2018.
Over at its product lifecycle page, the company has made available the date till which it plans to offer upgrades and security patches to its mobile operating system. As per which, Windows 10 Mobile for Business, Windows 10 Mobile for Consumer users are covered till January 9, 2018.
For years, Microsoft sold Windows operating system as a product. Windows 10, which it released earlier this year, is a service, however. The company has previously noted that Windows 10 will be the last version of Windows. It will be interesting to see how it goes about Windows 10 Mobile.
"Microsoft will make updates available for the Operating System, including security updates, for a minimum of 24 months after the lifecycle start date. These updates will be incremental, with each update built on the update that preceded it. Customers need to install each update in order to remain supported," the description reads.
"The distribution of these incremental updates may be controlled by the mobile operator or the phone manufacturer from which you purchased your phone, and installation will require that your phone have any prior updates. Update availability will also vary by country, region, and hardware capabilities."
As for other versions, Windows Phone 8.1, which the company rolled out last year will be supported till June 24, 2014. Mainstream support for Windows Phone 7.8 ended last year. All Windows Phone 8 handsets are eligible to get Windows Phone 8.1 firmware update. Windows Phone 8.1 handsets with at least 8GB of internal storage will support Windows 10 Mobile.
Media reports this week mentioned January 8, 2019 as the end of support date for Windows 10 Mobile. However, the official page now states it as January 9, 2018, essentially reducing the lifecycle from 36 months to 24 months. It is not known why Microsoft has updated the page.
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