Microsoft made a sudden change to its original Windows Phone upgrade plans, deciding to release Windows 10 Mobile only for select devices and not all of them, as originally announced.



Specifically, Windows 10 Mobile was initially supposed to arrive on all devices running Windows Phone, no matter their specifications, with the company itself confirming that models with just 512 MB of RAM would get the upgrade as well. Basically, the plan was as simple as it could be: everyone would be getting the upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile, but some features might be available on models with just 512 MB.
Joe Belfiore himself confirmed on Twitter back in February 2015 that this was indeed the case, saying that it was the company’s “ambition” to make Windows 10 Mobile available on devices with just 512 MB of RAM, “including the Lumia 520.”
But in a recent tweet spotted by WinBeta, the official Windows Insider Twitter account has clearly stated that “we do not have plans to put Windows 10 Mobile on devices with 512 MB.” So if you have such a handset, including the Lumia 520, which continues to be the most popular Windows Phone model on the market, then you have no other option than to return to WP 8.1 or stick with the Insider program.
512MB devices still supported by Insider program Microsoft hasn’t exactly explained why it took this decision, but it has only said that the list of supported phones for Windows 10 Mobile indeed does not include some of the models running preview builds.
“As Windows 10 delivers significant new innovations, many older devices are not able to successfully upgrade without an impact on the customer experience. Our goal is to only offer the Windows 10 upgrade to devices that we are confident can continue to deliver a good customer experience,” the company said.
Without a doubt, there are plenty of disappointed users out there, not necessarily because they won’t get the upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile, but because Microsoft itself made them believe they would. With a little luck and depending on how well the Insider program advances, maybe Windows 10 can still arrive on 512 MB devices at some point. Otherwise, what’s the point of keeping them supported by the Insider program anyway?