Reports: Windows 10 Mobile On Hold Until September, A must read

Microsoft has announced to the world that Windows 10 will be available on July 29. What it hasn't told the world, however, is when Windows 10 will be out for mobile phones.

The primary version of Windows 10 will be for laptops, desktops and tablets like the Surface 3. But there are several other versions, including those for mobile and its Xbox gaming system. Microsoft has yet to officially say when Windows 10 Mobile will be out, but some potential timeframes are emerging through the media.

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Two Months After Windows 10

Neowin, for example, is reporting a late September date for Windows 10 Mobile's release. The story purports to show a Microsoft slide from a partner presentation listing various dates for Windows 10 skus (versions). The slide has a bullet point that says "Windows Mobile skus will be available late next quarter." Neowin interpreted that to mean "a launch at the end of September."

Although that's really just informed speculation, the timeline does make sense. That's two months after Windows 10 will be out for the general public. With Microsoft's struggles to get people to buy Windows Phone, it could be disastrous to delay the launch much longer than that.

Losing Ground

Indeed, the latest figures from comScore, a company that tracks mobile phone usage, show that Microsoft lost market share in the U.S. last quarter, dipping from 3.6 percent to an even 3 percent. Although that might not seem like a huge loss, when you consider that Windows Phone has such a small slice of the U.S.

Rays of Hope

It's not all darkness; WinBeta reports that Windows Phone is doing well in a number of European countries, and in fact has had a larger market share in Italy than the iPhone in some months. So there are people using Windows Phone; it's just that most of them aren't in the U.S.

That could change with Windows 10 Mobile. I've already discussed some of its upcoming features, like the Cortana digital assistant, Microsoft's efforts to make sure the apps that go on the phone are high quality, and the greater quantity of apps due to the ability for iPhone and Android developers to tweak their apps for Windows Phone. 

If Windows 10 does well for the laptop/desktop/tablet market in the U.S., that may give Windows Phone a boost, too. For instance, iPhone owners often opt for iPads, not because they're so superior to Android or Windows tablets, but because they're already familiar with the operating system. The same could happen for Windows 10 Mobile. At least, Microsoft sure hopes so.

Kick the Tires

If you haven't tried a Windows Phone, I'd encourage you to. It's a fine device, and a worthy alternative to the "Big Two." It's well thought-out, has a great display and user experience, and works quite well. It's true that you'll find fewer apps than on the other phones, but you'll also get something unique, that stands out from the crowd. And when Windows 10 Mobile is out, it will be a free upgrade, the way it is for users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 (at least for the first year).

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