While Andriod and IOS remain dominant in the mobile operating system market, in recent years Microsoft has expanded its offering of phones supporting Windows.
With the advent of Windows 10 mobile, it is likely that its market share will continue to increase. In this guide we cover the basics you should know if considering a phone using Windows 10.
Check your phone is supported and initiate the upgrade
It seems obvious, but before either buying a phone or attempting to upgrade an existing phone to Windows 10, you should first check whether your phone is supported. Once you have checked you’ll need to install the Windows 10 Upgrade Advisor app from the app store. This prepares the device for the upgrade, which is then installed as a standard phone OS update. If your phone isn’t among those for which Windows 10 has been released, with some other models you can still enjoy the benefits of the new OS via the Windows Insider Program, though doing so installs the OS as pre-release software, meaning it may not be as stable and speedy as released software.
Finding your way around – a guide to some of our favorite features
Once you’ve installed Windows 10, it’s time to have a play with the new features Windows 10 has to offer. Here are a few of our favourites:
Interface
Like Android, Windows 10 Mobile lets third-party apps (such as weather apps) take over the lock screen image. You can also choose quick-status icons to appear on the lock screen, such as your numbers of emails and messages. You can swipe down from the top to see your notifications and quick-access tiles. Notifications on the lock screen can be set to private, per app, so that, for example, a Facebook message’s text doesn’t appear on it.
Passing the lock screen, you get to the tile-based interface. You can group tiles by dragging one on top of another, just as on iOS and most Android phones. Swipe left from the home screen, and you reveal all app tiles.
Windows Hello
Windows 10 Mobile lets you log in with your face, using Windows Hello. The phones that support it actually scan your iris, so they can’t be tricked by someone holding a picture of your face up to the phone, since it uses infrared illumination and detection.
Included Apps
Powerful new included apps are available with Windows 10 Mobile. The Photos app can automatically create albums, and offers a Living Photos feature. The Windows Phone camera app also lets photo buffs choose manual settings like shutter speed and f-stop.
Mail App
The new Outlook Mobile mail app is a big improvement over that in Windows Phone 8.1: You can swipe left and right to archive and flag messages and the app now supports multiple mail accounts from any mail provider including Gmail and Yahoo as well as Outlook.com or your Exchange or private mail server. Switching among accounts is simple whether you’re reading or sending.
Maps
Maps in Windows 10 Mobile include turn-by-turn spoken directions for driving, public transport, or walking. You can ask virtual assistant Cortana to get you directions to a destination, and Maps will get you going. You can also download maps for offline navigation, and turn off the warning beeps should you exceed the speed limit.
Media
Music and video are also provided by Microsoft apps—Groove and Movies & TV. With Groove, you get unlimited access to any music you want to play, not only on the phone, but on Windows 10 PCs, iOS and Android devices, and Xbox. Movies & TV lets you rent or buy titles individually.
Microsoft Office
Mobile versions of Microsoft Office apps—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote—come free with Windows 10 Mobile, and your documents for all these sync with OneDrive. The interfaces are surprisingly functional, given the small screen size. They even include Office 2016’s real-time collaboration and its Smart Lookup feature, which accesses Web knowledge on selected text without taking you out of the app.
Store
Windows 10 Mobile’s app store has been spruced up since the last version, and more closely resembles the store on Windows 10 for desktops. Featured and top apps are clearly accessible, and a left-side hamburger menu now shunts you to Apps, Games, Music, Movies & TV, My Library, Updates, or Payment methods.
Cortana
Cortana can be accessed in three way – tapping her tile, holding down the search magnifying glass button that’s always pre-set at the bottom right of the screen, or you can turn on listening for you to say “Hey Cortana!” Unlike Apple Siri and Google Now, however, you tell Cortana exactly how much personal information you want to share with her, using the Notebook. This includes 15 sections for your interest info, such as food you like, sports, health, travel, special days, and places. Filling in the last with your work and home addresses is what enables her to predict your commute.
Des Nnorchiri
Des Nnochiri has a Master’s Degree (MEng) in Civil Engineering with Architecture, and spent several years at the Architectural Association, in London. He views technology with a designer’s eye, and is very keen on software and solutions which put a new wrinkle on established ideas and practices. He now writes for markITwrite across the full spectrum of corporate tech and design. In previous lives, he has served as a Web designer, and an IT consultant to The Learning Paper, a UK-based charity extending educational resources to underprivileged youngsters in West Africa. A film buff and crime fiction aficionado, Des moonlights as a novelist and screenwriter. His short thriller, “Trick” was filmed in 2011 by Shooting Incident Productions, who do location work on “Emmerdale”.