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Don’t get too excited about running Windows 10 on your phone anytime soon

Published May 1st, 2015 6:50AM EDT
Windows 10 Release Date for Phones
Image: Microsoft

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Microsoft will release its ambitious Windows 10 operating system at some point this summer, but only desktops, laptops and tablets will get it at first, The Verge reports. Smartphone users currently on Windows Phone 8.1 looking forward to receive the Windows 10 for phones update will have to wait longer, the company has confirmed, as the launch schedule for the mobile version doesn’t coincide with the desktop release.

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Windows 10 for phones is available in preview form for Insiders looking to test it before it launches, but Microsoft hasn’t been developing the mobile OS at the same pace as the more important desktop version.

“Our phone builds have not been as far along as our PC builds,” Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore said at Build 2015. “We’re adapting the phone experiences later than we’re adding the PC experiences.”

The exec also said that Windows 10 features will not all arrive this summer when the desktop OS launches, like the new Microsoft Edge browser that will launch later. and some of them will be released later. As for the phone or Xbox version of Windows 10, Belfiore did not offer any firm release dates. A clear launch date for the desktop version isn’t available either at this time, other than summer.

“There are devices and features that will come not on launch date, but following it,” he said. “From the device view, our main focus is to kick off the Windows 10 launch wave with a great launch on the PC. You should expect that the other devices — phone, HoloLens, Xbox, Surface Hub — will be staggered, probably not on the same date as the PC.”

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.