14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft confirmed in late September that Windows Phone 10 would be released in early 2015 in the form of a preview aimed at testers, and it turns out that work on this particular project is advancing pretty fast these days.
As we reported to you yesterday, Windows Phone 10 has already been spotted online, as some Chinese websites have already noticed new Windows Phone versions in their logs.
But information coming from former Microsoftie and Twitter user @nawzil8 claims that Windows Phone will also make the switch to version 10 next year, so the recently spotted build 8.15 is either a very early version of the next smartphone platform or just a developing update for Windows Phone 8.1.
Preview coming in January
Since Windows Phone 10 is already in the works right now and development goes so well, Microsoft might actually unveil the very first preview build of this particular smartphone platform in early January and users enrolled in the Preview for Developers program could get it in early 2015.
Only little is known at this point about this new release, but people close to Microsoft's development plans suggested that Windows Phone 10 could also be used to merge the smartphone and tablet businesses with the help of a single platform that would power both.
The result would lead to reduced confusion and the official eradication of Windows RT, an operating system that was launched together with Windows 8 to power ARM tablets, including Microsoft's very own Surface RT and Surface 2 models.
Public launch in mid-2015
Up until now, Microsoft has remained really tight-lipped on details regarding the upcoming Windows Phone 10 operating system, but sources indicated that the public launch could take place in mid-2015 either together with Windows 10 or soon after that.
In case this plan is right, Microsoft would have enough time to fix bugs and other issues reported by users in the preview build, supposing that this particular version goes live in January or February.
Of course, there are lot of vague details right now, but there's no doubt that Microsoft wants to try out the same recipe as for Windows 10 and fully embrace feedback platforms in order to get closer to users and offer them the features they want.
Windows Phone 10 will also power several new phones wearing the Microsoft Lumia brand, with some sources claiming that the Lumia 930 successor could be the first model to be powered by this particular smartphone operating system. Microsoft is yet to confirm these reports, so let's just wait and see when Windows Phone 10 is actually slated to arrive.
So old news becomes new news again? By the way, latest build is 10.0.xxxxx, not 8.15 anymore. ;) #Windows10 on phone.
— Nawzil (@Nawzil8) December 2, 2014
