Desktop Windows 10 on ARM Comes To Lumia 950 XL With This Flashable Firmware Download

Lumia 950 XL 1
Microsoft may have given up on Windows 10 Mobile in order to focus the bulk of its software and services development for iOS and Android, but there are still quite a few people that are holding on to smartphones like the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.

Those Lumia devices were among the last to ship with Windows 10 Mobile, and while they still "work" per se, they aren't being updated with new features and aren't nearly as capable as the Android and iOS peers. So, what is someone to do with an old Lumia 950 XL that they may have lying around? Install Windows 10 on ARM, of course!

Software developer Gustave Monce has been working on bringing the full-blown Windows 10 on ARM experience to Lumia devices for quite a while, and he's now providing firmware images which allows Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL owners to relatively easily get the operating system onto their smartphone.

lumia 950 windows 10 arm
"Sunshine Biscuit at scale" via Twitter

Windows 10 on ARM running on even the Lumia 950 XL with its 5.7-inch display is going to be a bit of a cumbersome experience, and we're not so certain how the operating system is going to perform on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor (circa 2015). But it's at least worth experimenting with if you like a fresh challenge.

There are some drawbacks, however, to installing Windows 10 on ARM onto your Lumia device. For starters, it will completely wipe out your existing Windows 10 Mobile installation, so you'll want to make a full backup of all of your data. In addition, there are currently no provisions for dual-booting with Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 on ARM.

In addition, we don't see any references to being able to retain the ability to make phone calls (although someone please correct us if we're wrong on that one).

If you're willing to take the plunge, follow this link for instructions on how to install Windows 10 on ARM onto your Lumia 950/950 XL and download the firmware here.

Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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