There was some confusion recently in the comments here on AAWP over whether Office applications offered full functionality (including editing and creating) under Windows 10 Mobile in 2018. I decided to investigate and the results are below. In short, as I expected (and stated originally), you can still edit and create documents for free, but in fairness there are some restrictions. Which I list/show in definitive fashion, so hopefully this page is worth a bookmark.
The game in 2018 seems to be managing the increasing gaps in Windows 10 Mobile functionality while eying up possible replacements in the Android (or iOS) world. Which is why I'm continuing with imaging comparisons, since getting close to (or exceeding) the Lumia camera ability seems to be a clinching factor for many people. The Asus Zenfone 5 is both new, capable, and affordable, sitting at just over £300, offering flagship feel, stereo speakers, 3.5mm output... and a dual camera in a normal plus wide configuration.
In the most recent episode of my own Phones Show Chat podcast, I bemoaned biometrics and, ultimately, mobile money management as the area where I found the biggest showstoppers in using Windows 10 Mobile day to day. I'm convinced that this was a huge area where Microsoft failed to step in with any conviction - and not helped by the cessation of Lumia production or by the similar lack of commitment of the likes of HP and Alcatel.
If your phone has been through several OS branches (even as part of production updates) and if you've been trying loads of applications (they do exist, you know), there will come a point when you fancy 'factory fresh' performance again. No under-the-hood cruft, no detritus. Here, in a 2018 updated edition of my original feature, are the steps needed to keep things smooth and ensure that you don't lose much in the process.
I was surprised by the interest shown in an imaging shootout between the new Blackberry KEY2 and the venerable Lumia 950 XL - it seems that there are people considering a 'productivity-based' jump to Android and Blackberry but who also want to quantify what they'd be losing in terms of imaging in the process.
Today's revelations that Skype UWP for Windows 10 Mobile won't be developed further, along with the implied phasing out of SMS Relay, which was very much part of the product, may not affect you too much in the short term. After all, Skype UWP still works, ditto SMS Relay, but with the UWP app heading in a different direction then you may be tempted to keep things simple on your Windows 10 Mobile phone and let Messaging handle SMS after all. Here's how to do just that.
Although there's life left in Windows 10 Mobile in terms of updates and support, new hardware is almost non-existent, plus repairs and spares for older hardware are becoming tricky - so it makes sense for everyone to be aware of the best of the rest, flagships from other platforms. And with the productivity-centric Blackberry KEY2 in the office, it seemed appropriate to put up a direct comparison with a Windows 10 Mobile handset, an OS which is itself - these days - equally centred on 'getting things done'.
After several enquiries as to the latest table I'd put together for all the various Windows 10 Mobile-compatible smartphones, and realising that I'd lost track myself, I thought that a refresh was appropriate, approximately three months on from the previous incarnation and with several updates applied, not least confirmation of the extended support and special treatment given all Windows 10 Mobile branches (when compared to the appropriate Desktop branches).
You may remember that, around a month ago, Uber dropped its UWP application for Windows 10 devices (including phones), switching to a PWA (Progressive Web Application) that worked on all devices via their embedded browser engines. Including Windows 10 Mobile, though there are some wrinkles to overcome if you want the best experience. Here are a few pointers.
A slightly depressing subject on which to start the week, but recent activity (or rather lack of it) by Microsoft has led even me, one of the most enthusiastic supporter of Windows on phones, to wonder whether the creeping neglect of the OS by Microsoft in terms of its ecosystem and services, amounts to a 'death of a thousand cuts'...
