Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10136 Merges Onto Fast Ring
Opting for the Fast ring on Microsoft's Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview program means you'll gain access to new Windows builds before everyone else, but it also means having to put up with bugs that get squashed before the build trickles over to Slow ring subscribers. Case in point, Microsoft has made available Build 10136 on the Fast ring, and if you're using the previous Fast ring release (Build 10080), you'll have to jump through some hoops to upgrade.
Microsoft says there's a migration bug that prevents upgrades from 10080 to 10136, and so the Redmond outfit isn't supporting that upgrade path. Instead, users of 10080 have to revert back to Windows 8.1 using Microsoft's Windows Phone Recovery Tool (you can download it here). Once the downgrade is complete, users can jump back on the Insider Fast ring again using the Windows Insider app.
"We know this is a little bit painful but we didn’t want to make you wait any longer to get a new build and decided (with help from Windows Insiders following me on Twitter) not to hold for those migration issues to be fixed," Microsoft's Gabe Aul stated in a blog post. "Some of you previously had to go through 2 'hops' to get to the latest build on your phone. We’ve made this better and you will be able to upgrade directly to the latest build in a single hop regardless of which Windows Phone 8.1 build you’re starting from."
If that doesn't sound appealing, you have the option of sitting tight with Build 10080 and waiting for the next release after 10136. Aul says he expects the migration bug will be stomped out by then.
For those who do upgrade to 10136, they'll enjoy a handful of new features, such as lots of subtle enhancements to the UI, improvements to Cortana, better photo and camera functionality, and tweaks that make using handsets with 5-inch displays or greater easier to use with just one hand.
Windows 10 for PCs and tablets is set to release on July 29th. As for Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft still hasn't picked out a specific release date, saying instead that it will be available broadly later this year.
Microsoft says there's a migration bug that prevents upgrades from 10080 to 10136, and so the Redmond outfit isn't supporting that upgrade path. Instead, users of 10080 have to revert back to Windows 8.1 using Microsoft's Windows Phone Recovery Tool (you can download it here). Once the downgrade is complete, users can jump back on the Insider Fast ring again using the Windows Insider app.
"We know this is a little bit painful but we didn’t want to make you wait any longer to get a new build and decided (with help from Windows Insiders following me on Twitter) not to hold for those migration issues to be fixed," Microsoft's Gabe Aul stated in a blog post. "Some of you previously had to go through 2 'hops' to get to the latest build on your phone. We’ve made this better and you will be able to upgrade directly to the latest build in a single hop regardless of which Windows Phone 8.1 build you’re starting from."
If that doesn't sound appealing, you have the option of sitting tight with Build 10080 and waiting for the next release after 10136. Aul says he expects the migration bug will be stomped out by then.
For those who do upgrade to 10136, they'll enjoy a handful of new features, such as lots of subtle enhancements to the UI, improvements to Cortana, better photo and camera functionality, and tweaks that make using handsets with 5-inch displays or greater easier to use with just one hand.
Windows 10 for PCs and tablets is set to release on July 29th. As for Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft still hasn't picked out a specific release date, saying instead that it will be available broadly later this year.
