14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has already confirmed that Windows 10 Mobile would be released to all devices running Windows Phone 8.1, including both low- and high-end models, but it turns out that a number of budget handsets might not receive it after all.
Information posted by German website WindowsUnited.de in the Windows 10 Mobile page reveals that at least 8 GB of internal storage is required for the upgrade to the new operating system, which means that devices with less storage might not be able to install it.
This is quite unexpected after Microsoft guaranteed that all devices would be able to upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile, so it's not yet clear if the company might be planning a new compression method to make the OS available for everyone or it's indeed thinking about leaving out a number of devices.
“While we're working hard to make Windows 10 available for other Lumia devices, the following is a first list of Lumia smartphones that will receive a free upgrade when available: Lumia 430, Lumia 435, Lumia 532, Lumia 535, Lumia 540, Lumia 635 (1 GB RAM), Lumia 640, Lumia 640 XL, Lumia 735, Lumia 830, and Lumia 930. Features may vary by device. 8 GB of internal memory required,” Redmond says.
Availability on 512 MB devices
On the other hand, when talking about the availability of Windows 10 Mobile on low-end devices, the company only explained that those with 512 MB of RAM would get the upgrade too, without making any reference to storage space.
As WMPU notes, Lumia 530 could be one of the devices that might be affected by this decision, so it remains to be seen how the company plans to make Windows 10 Mobile available to its existing Windows Phone 8.1 models.
What's more, Microsoft support staff could not confirm the availability of Windows 10 Mobile upgrades for devices with less than 8 GB of storage space, but full information should be provided in just a couple of months, as the new OS is likely to make its debut in October.