Windows 10 Phone Preview Now Available
Windows Insiders who want to see what their phones of the future might be like can give the Windows 10 Phone Preview a whirl starting right now. You can download it right here if you’re feeling CRAZY, and, well, if you already have a compatible Windows Phone and don’t mind using an unfinished operating system on your mobile device.
So what’s Windows 10 Phone got going on? Microsoft’s VP Joe Belfiore dropped the new features back in February:
As you can see, there are a few new bells and whistles to enjoy, like the ability to add a background image to the Start Screen, new organization for recently downloaded apps, and a more robust Action Center. Other additions include:
- Improved speech-to-text capabilities
- Free, phone optimized universal Office Apps
- Updated Outlook Mail and Outlook Calendar
- Rich text compatibility in Mail, “handoff” like features between Phone and PC
- More built-in apps, including Spartan, Photos (auto-synced via OneDrive), Music and Video, Maps
Considering that video was made over a month ago, it stands to reason that there are going to be a few other new features included in this new Windows 10 Phone preview that Belfiore didn’t cover.
Altogether, it sounds like a good update in terms of increasing the relationship between the desktop and the mobile experience. However, I can’t help but think that looking at the Windows Phone Start screen is still really heinous. It simply reminds me of all that I’ve hated about Windows 8 and the giant, stupid boxes that organize apps and files in a way that is difficult to keep track of.
I’m a big fan of what Microsoft has done to revamp the Windows experience on the PC with Windows 10 so far. But mobile? Still looks like something I don’t want, in the end. Alas.