Last week saw Windows 10 Mobile build 15063 released, effectively a 'release candidate' for what might roll out to existing 'Anniversary Update' (AU) smartphones, taking them to the 'Creators Update' (CU, aka 'Redstone 2', keep up at the back!) There was one hitch - the former couldn't get to the latter without an intermediate update 'hop', and this has been deemed confusing enough for end users that 15063 has been tweaked, now at 15063.2, and this does include code that can be jumped to straight from build 14393, i.e. AU to CU. Phew!

From the Windows blog:

We have released Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 15063.2 for Mobile to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. This build includes a single fix to enable the ability to update to Build 15063 from the Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Build 14393) on Windows phones.

Updating running operating systems in place has always been tricky and I completely understand why some operations required multiple steps/flashes - so it's great to see the Creatirs Update ready to roll out to users as a single 'hop'/step.

The generic 15063 build never made it onto the AAWP 'Slow' ring devices, so presumably this was pulled early on in the effort to create the single hop build 15063.2 here. Give it a couple of days of soak time on Fast ring devices and I'd expect 15063.2 to be pushed to 'Slow' ring devices too. Then perhaps a week before 'Release Preview' users and then another week before the production push. See here for my thoughts on an accompanying email to users!

So that takes us up to mid April 2017, which is bang on what was originally expected.

Even after official 'release' of the Creators Update, a genuine line in the sand for Windows 10 Mobile, I'm still expecting some extra 'Release Preview' builds to tidy final bugs up through April/May. Which means that at some point soon after the Creators Update hitting, many 'Fast' ring Insiders here might like to consider switching to that (RP) ring, otherwise you'll start to get shunted off into Redstone 3 early builds, and those will be pretty unstable for a while. Just something to think about if the relevant device is your daily phone.

See also my summary of what's new going from Redstone to Redstone 2 (Anniversary Update to Creators Update).

Anyone with an existing phone that's officially deemed Windows 10 Mobile compatible by Microsoft can join in the fun. The full list of phones includes Lumia 430, 435, 532, 535, 540, 635 (1GB RAM version), 640, 640 XL, 730/735, 830, 930, 1520, Icon, BLU Win HD w510u, BLU Win HD LTE x150q, and the MCJ Madosma Q501. Plus, of course, all the devices which have shipped with Windows 10 Mobile in the last year, of which the Lumia 550, 650, 950, 950 XL, Acer Jade Primo, Alcatel IDOL 4S ('with Windows 10') and HP Elite X3 are the highest profile.

In each case:

1. Upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile (if appropriate) using the Upgrade Advisor.
2. After at least one update cycle you should then be on the Anniversary Update (a.k.a. Redstone). Head into Settings/Update & Security/Windows Insider Programme
3. Join the Insiders programme and choose the 'Fast' level in the pick list.
4. Within a few hours your phone should be seeing the build mentioned above and you'll be running the Creators Update - today!