List of Windows 10 Ready Phones Apparently Dwindles Further

Microsoft’s inability to communicate is starting to become a real liability, especially for its understandably depressed and sensitive Windows phone fans. This week, the software giant quietly posted “Windows 10 Ready” lists of current Windows phone handsets to its US and UK store sites. And in each case it has left off a number of handsets that it’s still selling to the public.

This isn’t the first time that Microsoft has tried to promote that current Windows phone handsets will be upgradeable to Windows 10 only to punch itself in the face by leaving off key devices. Back in August, I highlighted how the software giant failed to mention numerous Lumias in a “free and easy upgrade” promotion for Windows 10, for example. And while Microsoft explained itself later, noting that the list of handsets it provided was only “initial,” it never updated its site to reflect this information.

This time, I don’t expect a Microsoft clarification. Instead, I believe that the firm has been quietly stepping back from its initial pledge to update “all” Windows phones that meet certain criteria (Windows Phone 8.1 OS, basically) to Windows 10. And this is just the latest step in that effort, which will leave off many low-end devices, in particular those with less than 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage.

And this time it is also excluding non-Lumia handsets as well.

So, for example, the Windows 10 Eligible page on Microsoft’s US store lists a very short number of Lumias that will be upgradeable, including the 640 XL (AT&T), 640 (AT&T), 735 (Verizon), 635 (unlocked and Sprint).

But that leaves off a lot of phones that Microsoft is still selling to consumers. On AT&T, the Microsoft Store is also selling the Lumia 635, 830, and the HTC One (M8). On T-Mobile, it is selling the Lumia 435. Verizon customers can buy the LG Lancet and HTC One (M8). And on Sprint, the HTC 8X (?) and Samsung ATIV S Neo are still being sold.

(Not mentioned, of course, are a legion of mostly Lumia-branded phones that are no longer being sold. So it’s not clear how the changes will impact the wider list of in-use Windows phones.)

The UK store has similar issues, though US users will be depressed to see how many more Lumias (and other Windows phones) Microsoft sells in that market. There are 10 Lumia models listed in the UK version of the Windows 10 Eligible page, compared to just 5 in the US.

These Windows 10 Eligible pages were first noticed by WMPoweruser.