Next Windows 10 for phones build will expand to a massive number of devices

In a new blog post from Microsoft this evening, the company says the next build of the Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones will hit a lot more devices.

In addition to a massively expanded list of supported devices, the blog post notes that Microsoft is looking to increase the frequency at which Windows 10 builds will be released for phones.

The increase in frequency for Windows 10 releases for phones follows a similar path that Microsoft recently laid out for desktop builds. On the topic of the rollout to more phones, the blog post reiterates that the previous limited rollout was due to a partition size issue:

"As I wrote in the accompanying blog post, the reason for this is that we had to select from the set of phones that had sufficient system partition sizes configured by the manufacturer. This was necessary for us to be able to in-place upgrade the phones. I also talked about a feature we were working on called "partition stitching" that would allow us to re-size the system partition dynamically, allowing us to do the upgrade on a larger set of phones."

And Microsoft isn't joking about that larger number of phones. Without further ado, here's the full list of phones that are expected to be eligible for the next build of the Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones:

• Lumia 1020
• Lumia 1320
• Lumia 1520
• Lumia 520
• Lumia 525
• Lumia 526
• Lumia 530
• Lumia 530 Dual Sim
• Lumia 535
• Lumia 620
• Lumia 625
• Lumia 630
• Lumia 630 Dual Sim
• Lumia 635
• Lumia 636
• Lumia 638
• Lumia 720
• Lumia 730
• Lumia 730 Dual SIM
• Lumia 735
• Lumia 810
• Lumia 820
• Lumia 822
• Lumia 830
• Lumia 920
• Lumia 925
• Lumia 928
• Lumia ICON
• Microsoft Lumia 430
• Microsoft Lumia 435
• Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM
• Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM DTV
• Microsoft Lumia 532
• Microsoft Lumia 532 Dual SIM
• Microsoft Lumia 640 Dual SIM
• Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM

The blog post doesn't detail when the build will be available, but it does note that Microsoft likely has at least one more week of testing to go. In any event, this is great news for those that have been patiently awaiting another build, let alone the massive increase in supported devices.

Update: For those wondering why the Lumia 930 is not yet on the list, there is a bug causing the "wrong scaling factor is applied to UX, causing everything to be teeeeeeny tiny" according Microsoft's Gabriel Aul. The bug may be fixed by the time the next release is out, but for now, that is why it is missing.

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More Lumia Denim updates reported in Australia, the Philippines and more

Microsoft continues to roll out the Lumia Denim over-the-air update worldwide. We have received reports from a number of Windows Central readers that Denim has made its way to more Lumia smartphones in Australia, the Philippines and other countries.

Specifically, we have received many tips in the past couple of days from the Philippines that theirLumia 1520 smartphones can now download Denim. The Lumia 1320 on Vodafone in Australia is also apparently getting the same update, as is the Lumia 830 RM-985 in parts of Latin America.

However, Microsoft's Windows Phone software update support page does not list these phones as receiving the Denim update yet. Based on the number of tips we have received from our readers, it's more than possible that Microsoft simply has not updated the page to reflect the over-the-air download.

We will continue to keep an eye out on Denim's continued rollout, especially in the US and Canada, where only a handful of Lumia smartphones have received the update.

Do you need some assistance in getting your Windows Phone OS updated? If so, we got you covered with our how-to article on that very subject.

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Photos taken with Lumia 930 beat iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy Note 4 in blind test

A recent blind test of photos taken by various recent smartphones has resulted in a win for theLumia 930 and its 20MP PureView camera beating out images taken by the iPhone 6 Plus and theSamsung Galaxy Note 4, among others.

The Phone Arena site took images of a number of locations in different lighting conditions with six smartphones that at the time were unidentified and asked its readership to vote on which photos were the best. The Lumia 930 was the overall winner with 6032 votes, beating out the Galaxy Note 4 by less than 100 votes. Considering that the Lumia 930 is basically the same smartphone as theLumia Icon that Verizon released over a year ago, that's a pretty good achievement over a smartphone that's been out for less than half of that time.

The iPhone 6 Plus was a distant third in this smartphone camera battle with 4344 votes, with Google's Nexus 6 in fourth place, the Galaxy S5 in fifth place and the newly announced HTC One M9 in sixth place, even with its own 20MP rear camera.

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Microsoft Band online shipments vary by retailer, some stores have them back in stock

The small and medium models of the Microsoft Band are currently showing long waits for shipments for some online retailers. _Again._The Microsoft Store site shows that if you order the small or medium version of the fitness band, you will have to wait until May 6 to receive them

People who want to buy the large version of the Microsoft Band on the company's site won't have to wait nearly that long. The store shows shipments going out on April 1 for orders made today. Microsoft is still restricting online order to one Microsoft Band per customer, which shows that there is still a fairly limited amount of the devices to go around.

Thankfully, Best Buy and Amazon's websites show they have all three versions of the Microsoft Band on sale for shipment April 1 (Best Buy) or even immediately (Amazon). Sadly, Target's website currently shows the Band as "out of stock" just a few days after it started selling the device.

We have received tips from a couple of Windows Central readers that some Microsoft Store retail locations have also received new shipments of the Microsoft Band. If you live near one in the US and Canada, you might want to see if you can stop by and get one immediately.

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Windows 10 for phone to support NFC payments similar to Apple Pay

Microsoft wants owners of Windows 10 for phones to pay for goods and services similar to howApple Pay works for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. It detailed those plans last week at a presentation at its WinHEC 2015 hardware conference in China.

You may remember that Softcard released NFC-based "Tap to Pay" apps for Windows Phone in November for Verizon and T-Mobile, and then a few months later announced those apps would be shut down on March 31, due to Google acquiring their technology for use in Google Wallet.

During WinHEC 2015 Microsoft revealed that Windows 10 for phones will support Host Card Emulation (HCE). HCE will allow any smartphone with Windows 10 and NFC hardware to transmit payments from the device to an NFC terminal designed to receive that money but without needing a special secure app like Softcard. It also won't require any secure SIMs from wireless carriers. The slide shows that VISA, MasterCard and American Express are supporting this feature.

HCI is already supported in Google's Android since Android 4.4.

Another slide shows that Windows 10 will also support "Tap to pair" for NFC hardware so it can pair with a Wi-Fi Direct device via Wi-Fi Protected Setup. It will also support tapping to a Miracast dongle, presumably so that the screen for a Windows 10 smartphone can be mirrored to a larger screen that has such a dongle installed.

It's possible that not every Windows 10 smartphone will have NFC support but those devices that do contain the hardware should be able to pay for things at the grocery store, restaurants or other locations that have an NFC payment solution. We should learn a lot more about Microsoft's plans for this part of Windows 10 in late April as part of its Build 2015 developer conference.

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Latest Analog Clock Tile update adds multiple tile and custom background support

Analog Clock Tile is a popular app for Windows Phones that puts an analog clock on your start screen. The app has been bumped to version 3, bringing multiple tile and custom backgrounds support. It's quite the update and one we're sure fans of the app will welcome with unlocked lockscreens.

If you're not familiar with Analog Clock Tile, the app takes advantage of changes in Windows Phone 8.1 where Microsoft allows developers to update live tiles every minute, making a clock tile actually viable. This also means 8.1 is required to be able to use this app. Here's what is new in version 3:

• Multiple tiles support
• Custom background colors
• Time zones support
• Memory and bandwidth optimizations for low-spec phones

Now you can pin numerous clocks to your start screen. memory and bandwidth optimizations could prove to be a massive improvement alone for those rocking low-end hardware. Interested in trying out Analog Clock Tile? It's available for free on the store.

Download Analog Clock Title for Windows Phone (free)

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Microsoft will let you upgrade to Windows 10 for free, even if you're running a pirated version

In what may turn out to be an historic move in the battle against piracy, Microsoft's Terry Myerson has announced that the software vendor will allow all customers — whether they're running genuine Windows software or a pirated version — to upgrade to Windows 10 for free.

The move is clearly targeted at the Chinese market, where two-thirds of all PCs run pirated versions of Windows. Speaking to Reuters, Myerson said:

"We are upgrading all qualified PCs, genuine and non-genuine, to Windows 10," he said in a telephone interview with Reuters. The plan is to "re-engage" with the hundreds of millions of users of Windows in China, he said, without elaboration.

By giving away Windows 10 for free, at least for the first year, Microsoft is deviating from its regular sales model for the first time. The software maker announced earlier today that Windows 10 will be launching this summer in 190 countries, with the vendor focusing its attention on China.

Lenovo has committed to rolling out the Windows 10 upgrade to its customers as soon as it becomes available, as well as stating that it would launch its first Windows Phone over the summer.

The Redmond giant also inked a deal with Chinese internet portal Tencent in bringing popular games such as League of Legends to the Windows 10 store. Tencent has stated that it will also be working to roll out the Windows 10 update as soon as possible.

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Microsoft to replace the traditional Control Panel with the Windows 10 Settings app

Microsoft plans to replace the traditional Control Panel with the Windows 10 Settings app, bundling functionality and tools into the latter option.

Windows 10 (as well as Windows 8) provides users with two ways to access settings, the traditional Control Panel with access to various functions and tools, as well as the new Modern UI Settings app. The former is the more advanced option, but Microsoft is moving away from the familiar Control Panel in favor of the Settings app.

According to Microsoft's Gabriel Aul, the company plans to replace the Control Panel with the Settings app "in time", slowly migrating across the numerous tools.

Unfortunately, should you be a fan of the Control Panel after all these years, the Settings app will become the new portal to manage your Windows PC. It isn't known just how long it will take Microsoft to make the Control Panel entirely redundant. Have you grown attached to the Control Panel, or are you backing said change?

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Windows 10 will include new touch gestures for precision touchpads and touchscreens

Microsoft will include new gestures for controlling Windows 10 for owners of laptops that have precision touchpads. It will also offer some new actions for gestures made on touchscreens.

In a session at today's WinHEC conference titled, "Designing Great Hardware for the Windows 10 UI" Microsoft showed slides that illustrated the gestures that will be enabled for precision touchpads. Microsoft also stated that the cost for including such touchpads, which were first supported by Windows 8.1, have been "significantly reduced" since they were first launched. Hopefully, that means we will see more of them installed in new Windows 10 laptops.

As the slide shows, the edge gestures that are a part of Windows 8.1 have been replaced with multi-touch gestures on Window 10 for precision touchpads. Some of them are similar to touchscreen gestures, such as pichcing and zooming with two fingers and tapping and sliding with just one finger. Another slide showed how these gestures will work with specific Windows 10 commands.

The presentation also indicated that Microsoft has "relaxed the requirements on how the digitizer should perform around screen edges" for touchscreens, which means that Window 10 devices that support edge gestures should be available for a broader number of devices. In Windows 10, swiping on the left edge will bring up the Task View of the most recently used apps, while doing the same on the right edge brings up the new Action Center. Swiping from the top edge can bring up a hidden title bar on an app in desktop mode or the ability to snap or close an app while in tablet mode. Finally, swiping from the bottom edge reveals the desktop taskbar when an app is in full screen mode

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Windows 10 looks like it's getting a super easy uninstall option

While Microsoft no doubt wants each and every one of us to upgrade to Windows 10 and stay there, in practice we all need a way back. We do of course have that, but at the WinHEC conference out in Shenzhen, China, Microsoft has shown off a super easy way to uninstall Windows 10 and roll back to whatever you had before.

Thousands of unique faces have been tested for Windows 10's facial authentication

The facial authentication features that will be a part of Windows 10 have already been tested extensively by Microsoft. The company says that over 13,000 unique faces have been captured so far by the "Windows Hello" system.

Microsoft wants to see speedier updates for Windows 10 phones with 'Project Milkyway'

Microsoft outlined a plan it calls "Project Milkyway" today that has the goal of updating Windows 10-based smartphones with the latest version "within 4-6 weeks" of its release.

As many current Windows Phone owners can confirm, it can sometimes take months for their devices to receive the latest OS version from Microsoft via over-the-air updates. In today's WinHEC conference session titled, "Upgrading to Windows 10", Microsoft says they hope to 'delight users" with this faster update time frame.

Xbox Music MP3 tracks can now be added to OneDrive accounts

Microsoft will now allow Xbox Music users to store their local MP3 tracks to their OneDrive cloud storage account. This will allow users to play their music on the Xbox Music app for Windows 8.1and Windows Phone 8.1, along with the Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles and on the Xbox Music website.

In addition to MP3 tracks, this new service also supports audio files in M4A (AAC), and WMA formats. Microsoft says that this service is for any Xbox Music user and not just ones that have an Xbox Music Pass subscription. However, Microsoft says those subscribers will get something extra with this new feature: "100 GB of additional storage in OneDrive to save all the music you love."

This service is available in the US, along with Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. There is an upper limit of 50,000 songs that can be stored. iOS and Android Xbox Music app users won't be able to play songs stored on OneDrive.

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MixRadio announces iOS, Android beta apps after separating from Microsoft

MixRadio has broken away from Microsoft after the Line acquisition completed, and is running a limited beta program for both iOS and Android.

MixRadio today announced on its official Twitter account that this very day marks the transition to a limited company. While the company is working on both iOS and Android apps, they have reiterated their commitment to Windows Phone.

Interested in either of the new beta programs? Check out the MixRadio website for more details on how to join them.

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Windows Hello will let you sign into Windows 10 with your face, eyes, or fingerprint

Microsoft announced a couple of new features for Windows 10 relating to authentication. One of them is called Windows Hello, which will allow users to sign into the OS with their face, their iris or their fingerprints, if their hardware device has the right requirements.

MixRadio for Windows 8.1 has gone, but it will be back

A few folks have been noticing that the MixRadio app for Windows 8.1 appears to have been removed from the Windows Store. This is absolutely the case, but before any "sky is falling" reactions have chance to manifest, it's not permanent. The app will return, and it's down to payments and accounts that it had to be removed at all.

"@Ricker666 afraid so, it uses Nokia account and payment services that are being closed next month. We'll be back later in the year."

It's not at all surprising, since the mobile app has also had to start going through some changes with regards payments and the premium service. After we met with the MixRadio team at Mobile World Congress we were able to confirm continued development for Windows and Windows Phone with an exciting future for the company under its new owners.

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Chase Bank now says their Windows Phone app can be used 'until further notice'

The Chase Support Twitter account is now telling customers that its Windows Phone app, which was removed from the Windows Phone Store in January, will continue to work for anyone who still uses it "until further notice."

Previously, Chase Bank indicated that the Windows Phone app would stop working on March 22. However, the Chase Support Twitter page has now been telling customers that they can keep using the app. We got the same message when we asked Chase Support if the Windows Phone app would continue to work for its customers past its previously announced shutdown date. Its response? "At this time, you may continue using the Windows Phone app until further notice."This would appear to be a small change but a welcome one for Windows Phone owners who have kept the now discontinued Chase Mobile app installed on their smartphones. We will continue to monitor this situation and will report if Chase does in fact decide to cease support of the app.

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Bank of America ends support for its Windows Phone and Windows apps

Bank of America has followed through with the removal of their app from the Windows Phone and Windows Stores. In addition, the app itself no longer functions, which is a departure from the route Chase Bank is taking.

Bank of America announced at the end of January that they were discontinuing support for their Windows and Windows Phone apps due to low market penetration. As an alternative, the company has told customers that they can use the online web version on their mobile site.

Here is what Cortana's new Showtimes + Trailers feature looks like (Update)

At the end of February, we reported that Cortana had picked up a few more Interests for users to select optionally. One of those was Showtimes + Trailers, which as the name implies has to do with movies playing nearby.

When we wrote that article, the feature itself was not live, but today we noticed that information had finally started to percolate into our Cortana feed.

The feature is self-evident, giving you movie recommendations and even some showtimes plus locations. The movies suggested change when Cortana refreshes its feed, so they are not always the same.

VLC for Windows Phone sheds the beta tag in latest update

VLC picked up an update that sees the media player shedding the beta tag. The app is now just called VLC for Windows Phone. The update also brings minor UI changes.

The app has seen significant improvements since it launched as a beta on the platform late last year. VLC is now a universal app, with developer Thomas Nigro stating that most of the code is shared between the Windows Phone and Windows versions.

HD video playback issues were cited by several users after the last update, and that seems to have been fixed. We at least did not encounter any issues when playing back HD videos through VLC.

Download VLC for Windows Phone

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Start menu transparency revealed in latest Windows 10 build leak

Screenshots of Windows 10 build 10031 have leaked online today, revealing a transparency effect that has been applied to the Start Menu. Microsoft previously said that transparency would not only be hitting Windows 10, but Windows 10 for the phone too.

Looking at the screenshot, it's clear to see a rather subtle effect on the menu itself, though no other part of the OS appears to be altered as-of-yet. Microsoft is expected to release a new build of the Windows Phone technical preview soon, which should contain Project Spartan.

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Microsoft's Spartan browser set to arrive in the next Windows 10 preview

The next version of Microsoft's web browser, Project Spartan is expected to hit the next Windows 10preview release. Microsoft's Kevin Gallo, the technical lead for Windows universal apps, confirmed the news today at Mobile World Congress, though an accurate date of release has yet to be provided.

Microsoft has made some major changes in Project Spartan, creating a brand new render engine called Edge. Gallo demonstrated numerous universal apps today using an unreleased version of the Windows 10 preview.

We'll likely have more details on the next release for testers, and if Spartan is indeed included in the next update, soon enough. What are you most looking forward to in Microsoft's new web browser?

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Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 will add support for Bluetooth keyboards

Microsoft has confirmed, via a product page on its newly revealed Universal Foldable Keyboard, thatWindows Phone 8.1 Update 2 will add support for Bluetooth keyboards.

This has been a long awaited, and much requested, feature for Windows Phone owners. Today's reveal of Microsoft's Universal Foldable Keyboard seems to confirm that those Windows Phone users will finally be able to use that accessory and other Bluetooth-enabled keyboards in the near future.

Microsoft has yet to announce much in the way of details for Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2, including when it will be made available for download. Bluetooth keyboard support is also planned for theupcoming phone version of Windows 10.

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Intel's upcoming Atom x3 processor could be used inside Windows 10-based phones

Intel has announced a new mobile processor family, the Atom x3, that could be used inside smartphones running on Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system.

Intel says:

"Combining 64-bit multi-core Intel Atom processors together with 3G or 4G LTE connectivity, the integrated communications SoC combines the applications processor, image sensor processor, graphics, audio, connectivity and power management components in a single system chipset. This integration allows device manufacturers to deliver full-featured tablets, phablets and smartphones at affordable price points for the rapidly growing entry and value market segments."

Intel says 20 OEMs, including Asus, have plans to launch smartphones with the Atom x3 chip inside. While many, if not most, of those smartphones will likely use Android as its OS, PC World reports that Intel has its eyes set on supporting Windows 10 for phones as well with this chipset. Aicha Evans, the vice president and general manager of Intel's Communication and Devices Group, believes the adoption of Windows 10 for mobile will increase, adding, "We consider that very important,"

All of the smartphones that currently use Windows Phone have processors made by Qualcomm. We will point out that neither Microsoft nor Intel have officially announced plans for any smartphones that will run Windows 10 and use the Atom x3 processor. It's also true that Intel has not had much luck in releasing chips made for the smartphone market in general, as chips with ARM-based architecture dominate that space

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Netflix updated for Windows Phone, likely address recent playback issues

Netflix has updated its Windows Phone app today, but the new version, unfortunately, doesn't come with a change log (the one listed is actually an older one). This would suggest this download is a minor patch for bug fixes only.

The new version number for the Netflix app is 4.1.0.16 and it's an 8MB download.

A number of Windows Phone users have been reporting that the app has had some video playback issues lately, so perhaps this update is going to fix those problems. Let us know if you see any improvements in the app after you download and install the update in the comments.

Download Netflix from the Windows Phone Store

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Microsoft announces preview program for Xbox 360

The Xbox One is getting all the attention these days, but that doesn't mean that Microsoft is neglecting Xbox 360 owners. The Redmond giant has today announced that it is starting a preview program for the console, with selected customers getting access to test new features before they hit general availability.

Here's what you need to do to enroll:

Starting in early March select invitees will be able to join the Xbox 360 Preview program. This will work much like the Xbox One preview – and selected customers will be able to sign-up directly from their Xbox 360. Look for a special Xbox Live message then head to Settings, then account then under account management if you've been selected, you'll see Xbox 360 Preview Registration. Sign up there and enroll your console. Nothing will happen yet, but we'll let you know when the Preview is ready to begin through a Xbox Live message.

Microsoft has stated that it will address commonly found customer issues in the next Xbox 360 update, which also includes tools for measuring download and upload speeds.

Xbox 360 owners, what are your thoughts on the upcoming preview program?

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Telegram Messenger Beta is popular in South America, rolls out update to fix scaling issues

The crew at Telegram Messenger Beta have noted a massive increase in popularity in South America, which is why they've rolled out an update that allows the service to scale in the region. The sudden increase in users has to do with a ban imposed on WhatsApp in Brazil on February 27 over violent images shared on the network.

A Brazilian judge called a ban on WhatsApp after it was revealed that the service failed to assist law enforcement officers in an ongoing investigation. The ban is yet to go into effect as it is currently being appealed by carriers in the country. The crux of the issue is that WhatsApp was unwilling to provide government officials with conversation transcripts. Even if it was legally ordered to do so, the service's end-to-end encryption means that only the intended recipients have access to conversations.

All of this has played into the hands of Telegram Messenger, with the service witnessing a massive influx of new users in Brazil:

Version 1.5.0.0 isn't going to add a host of new features, with the focus on improving scaling issues for South American users. Here's what the changelog has to say about the update:

• Performance update to help scaling due to the sudden and massive spike of popularity in South America.

The messaging service has picked up several updates over the course of the last 30 days that saw the introduction of notification muting, easier document management in chats and more.

Download Telegram Messenger Beta for Windows Phone

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