Hands On with Windows 10 Mobile build 10572

Integrating with Windows 10 on PCs

Microsoft is improving integration between Windows 10 phones and PCs. If you miss a call, Cortana (Microsoft’s digital assistant) will notify you on your PC, provided you are running build 10565 or higher. You can also send a text message from your PC, which will be sent from your phone. Skype integration means you can send texts either via Skype or SMS.

Skype integration in the messaging app

Text input on this phone is excellent. Microsoft’s Word Flow keyboard (similar to Swype) works like magic, generally getting the word you wanted correct when you trace roughly over the letters. Add to that text dictation, and a virtual mouse stick for correcting errors, and you have an email device that compares well with anything out there. Storage settings are enhanced in this build so you can install apps to an SD card, as well as directing downloads, music, photos and videos there rather than the main device storage.

Groove Music now has gapless playback of MP3s. Unless you feel like subscribing to Microsoft’s music service, the best way to use this is by uploading your music to OneDrive, where it will be picked up by the phone app, with an option to download for offline use.

There are still plenty of bugs. For example, “Some devices will get into a state where the Phone app will continually crash upon launch”, says the official post. “Resetting the device will recover it from this state.” The evidence from user forums is that Microsoft is struggling to get reliable performance across all compatible devices. Since Continuum will not work, there is a case for keeping Windows 8.1 on existing phones, and buying new if you want the Windows 10 Mobile experience.

My own experience was not too bad, though from time to time apps (such as the Settings app) become unresponsive or close without warning. My hunch is that even Microsoft’s first full release of Windows 10 Mobile will have more than its share of issues, as with Windows 10 for PCs before it.

The shame is that Microsoft’s ineptitude in marketing Windows Phone along with the bungled takeover of Nokia’s devices business mean that Windows 10 Mobile has little chance of mainstream success. Users who buy into it at this stage need to accept constant frustration as their bank, their coffee shop, their airline and everyone else releases apps for Android and iOS, but not for their phone. It will still be a decent smartphone, and integration with Microsoft’s platform brings some benefits. Businesses, for example, will be able to roll out Universal Windows Platform apps across both phone and PC, if they can persuade their employees to use Windows 10 phones. There will be a niche for this, but sadly only a small one.®