The Windows 10 Anniversary Update is here, and it offers a fair amount of new functions and improvements. Windows 10 Mobile users, however, have been left in the dust again — but not for long. Microsoft’s Lumia India Twitter account has leaked August 9 as the date the update hits mobile devices.
The tweet, captured by Windows Latest, said, “Thanks for reaching out! For mobile, it will be available on August 9, 2016. If you have any queries, we’ll be here for you!” The post has since been deleted, but it’s safe to assume the Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update is coming soon, as the account now says the Windows 10 Anniversary is rolling out gradually, and it could “take a couple of days, and even a few weeks, for devices to download and install.”
While the August 9 date was leaked, we reached out to Microsoft and the company didn’t confirm the date.
“The Windows 10 Anniversary Update will start rolling out to Windows 10 Mobile phones in the coming weeks.” a Microsoft spokesperson told Digital Trends. It’s a vague answer, and the “coming weeks” seems as though the launch may come later than than August 9, but it’s unclear.
The Mobile Anniversary Update introduces a new Skype app to the operating system. It’s the same universal app available for desktop users, but it’s a huge improvement over the previous offering. The Windows Camera can be quickly accessed through the lock screen, and the app also finally has a panorama option.
Cortana can now find your Android or Windows 10 phone, and the Settings app is now more organized and has gotten a slight visual improvement. Microsoft has also finally caught up with Apple Pay and Android Pay with Microsoft Wallet — though it only works if you’re in the U.S. and supported banks are limited.
Windows 10 Mobile users have been on the receiving end of limited support from Microsoft and app developers. For example, there was no mention of mobile at Microsoft’s Build 2016 developer conference, and the company has continued to lay off thousands of employees from its mobile division — though some of that comes from restructuring efforts after the 2013 acquisition of Nokia’s phone business.
