Microsoft has announced the release of a technical preview of the next version of its operating system for Windows Phones, called Windows 10. As with the Windows 10 preview for PCs and tablets, the OS is being distributed through the Windows Insider programme and is currently only available for Lumia 630, 635, 636, 638, 730 and 830 devices. New features of the first preview build include full-size background images on the Start screen, interactive notifications, an updated Photos app, and significantly enhanced speech-to-text capabilities. The operating system shares code with other versions of Windows 10 and makes Microsoft's Universal Apps – programs that work seamlessly on tablets, smartphones and PCs – a key part of the platform.
However, in a blog post announcing the release, Microsoft’s engineering general manager Gabe Aul cautioned that the OS is the earliest publicly available preview the company has ever released for Windows on phones. “This preview is still very much under development and you’re going to see some rough edges. … You will see experiences that are clearly just not done yet, and UX that lacks polish at this point,” he said, adding that “Windows 10 will drive innovation across screens of all sizes and we will have new hardware from Microsoft and our partners, including new flagship phones.”
