14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently rolled out the very first update for Lumia 950 and 950 XL that does not require carrier approval, and the company is looking to use the same strategy for future updates as well.
An AT&T employee has confirmed in a post on the company’s forums (via WMPU) that Microsoft is now planning to update its new Lumia phones every month, and carriers won’t be at all involved in the process.
“The 950 will be receiving monthly WaaS (Windows as a Service) updates and the latest one released on December 8th (build version 10.0.10586.29). These updates are not certified by AT&T and will be delivered via Microsoft over-the-air. A Wi-Fi connection is required. From the App List, scroll down and tap Settings > Phot Update > Check for updates,” the AT&T employee explains.
Updates are undoubtedly welcome
Monthly updates for Lumia devices are indeed welcome for both users and Windows 10 Mobile, as the Windows as a Service approach means that the operating system is continuously improved, and new features are delivered when they are ready.
What’s more, there’s a lot of work to be done on Windows 10 Mobile, and as we’ve said in our Lumia 950 XL review, the operating system doesn’t yet feel ready for prime time and improvements are urgently needed.
And keeping carriers out of the update distribution system is quite important because, in some cases, it took many months before new releases actually landed on Lumia phones across the world. The Denim firmware update is living proof in this case, as Microsoft started the rollout in December 2014, but some devices only received it in mid-2015.
For the moment, Windows 10 Mobile seems to be on the right path, but time will tell if Microsoft can indeed stick to this monthly update cycle and whether it can make the platform more stable and reliable than it currently is.