Microsoft is planning to announce the new features of Windows 10, its latest operating system, in a scheduled event on January 21, 2015.
The news must have drawn the excitement of millions of PC users the world over who have long been waiting for the latest OS offering from the Redmond-based company.
But now, it looks like PC users will not just be the ones getting excited over the announcement of the new features of Windows 10 but also users of Windows-based smartphones, reports Expert Reviews.
Apparently, Microsoft has quietly released an app in the Windows Phone store called ‘Phone Insider’ which will give Windows Insiders the capability to receive directly from Microsoft pre-release operating system to their phones. The app is downloadable for free in the Windows Phone store.
Windows Insiders is actually the term used by Microsoft in referring to those testing the Windows 10 on desktops, which suggests that its latest operating system is coming to smartphones too.
Single operating system
This is consistent with Microsoft’s pronouncement that it plans to have a single operating system across all computing and mobile devices including PCs, smartphones, and tablets.
The operating system across devices will be the same but for obvious reasons, the Windows interface will be customized to the different platforms.
Microsoft has released a technical preview of Windows 10 in November 2014 where it was observed by testers that Microsoft has already did away with the controversial and ‘un-user friendly’ Windows 8 Start Screen for laptop and desktop PC users.
In its place, the company has re-introduced the more improved Start Menu on Windows 10 from the traditional Windows desktop. But the tiled Start Screen will still be seen and used by smartphone and tablet users in the latest operating system.
Single app store
Having the same codebase across mobile and computing devices will also enable Microsoft to finally offer a unified app store, which has been one of the key challenges of the company in luring app developers.
The company has been struggling to get developer momentum behind either of its existing app store for Windows Phone and Windows 8. Unifying the two Windows Stores may enhance developer interest on the Windows Store but it is obvious that they still have to contend with coming up with customized app interfaces to fit the different screen sizes.
App developers have been very skeptical about porting their apps on the Windows Store because of limited audience. It’s obvious that Windows Store has a lot of catching up to do with the Apple App Store and Google App Store where developers thrive a lot.
Net Analytics, a market intelligence firm, reports that Windows 8, Microsoft’s current operating system, has overtaken the Windows XP on the desktop. But it still remains a distant third to Apple iOS and Google Android in terms of market share in mobile devices.