Microsoft releases Windows 10 technical preview for selected Lumia smartphones

As promised, late last night Microsoft released the preview of Windows 10 for phones to public. The company is seeding out the update via its Windows Insider app to select handsets. To download the new technical preview, you’ll first have to sign up for the Windows Insider preview program.

Windows 10 for phones will support all Lumia handsets running Windows Phone 8 or above. For now, however, the software update is only compatible with select Lumia handsets. The handsets that can snag the update are Lumia 630, Lumia 635, Lumia 636, Lumia 638, Lumia 730, and Lumia 830.

The company is blaming something called “partition stitching” for the delay of the rollout to other handsets. The said feature allows the company to dynamically adjust the storage space hogged by the operating system, and some phones have “very tight OS partitions.”

Much like its desktop counterpart, Windows 10 for phones also doesn’t pack in all the features. For instance, Messaging on dual-SIM support handsets, search, message drafts, ability to share voice notes, Bi-Di language support, international assisted dialing, spam filter, reminders and quiet hours through Cortana and multiple attachments are missing fro the update. But Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore says the company will be “delivering new features and new devices…over the next few months.”

With Windows 10 for phones, Microsoft is trying to give its mobile operating system a major boost. Among other features, it brings support for universal apps. As a result, Windows 10 for phones has new photos, calendar, mail, music, camera and messaging apps that resemble their desktop counterpart.