Windows Mobile Weekly Digest: Build 14316 skips Mobile (for now), WhatsApp encrypts everything, and more

News
By Seth Brodeur
last updated

Lumia 950 and Surface
Lumia 950 and Surface (Image credit: Windows Central)

There's a lot going on in the world of Windows Phone. So much, in fact, that it is sometimes tough to catch every important story.

Device rumors come and go. New apps join the Windows Phone Store, and your favorite app can get a big update with a new look or new features.

Therefore, every week we will compile a list of the Windows Phone news that you just shouldn't miss. Welcome to the "Windows Mobile Weekly Digest."

Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile

The Windows 10 over-the-air update may be available for Windows Phone 8.1 users, but that doesn't mean that users who upgrade are stuck with it once and for all. A member of the Windows Insider Engineering team said via Twitter that Windows Phone 8.1 devices that get the upgrade will have Windows 8.1 images available to them in the Windows Device Recovery Tool.

Windows 10 Insider build 14316 rolled out to PCs this week, skipping over mobile users. It turns out that the reason Windows 10 Mobile Insiders didn't get the update was that there is a bug that breaks cellular data. Once the issue is resolved, Mobile Insiders can expect to receive build 14316 or higher.

A screenshot shared by WinBeta shows that the Redstone update will add a camera button to the lock screen.

But it's Continuum that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella thinks is the defining feature of Windows 10 Mobile. In an interview with Business Insider, Nadella said that the "phone as a PC" concept will create a new category of device, which will set them apart from other companies.

He also touched on why there isn't a lot of specific focus on Windows 10 Mobile:

"First of all, I don't think of Windows for mobile differently than Windows for HoloLens or Windows for Xbox now. We have only one Windows. We don't have multiple Windows. They run across multiple form factors, but it's one developer platform, one store, one toolchain for developers. And you adapt it for different screen sizes and different input and output."

So don't worry, the smartphone piece is still very much alive and well. Although, you may have to wait until early 2017 for a Microsoft Surface Phone.

Other notable items:

Apps

Apps

Facebook-owned WhatsApp announced this week that all communications sent and received using the service, and its apps will be encrypted end-to-end. This means that not even the company itself will be able to access the information the messages.

RSS app Nextgen Reader launched its UWP Windows 10 app. It's currently only available for PC, but a mobile version is on the way.

SHAREit updated their phone app for Windows 10 Mobile, sporting a brand new design.

Enpass, the password management app, went universal on Windows 10, complete with Windows Hello support.

A new startup called Atom created the first mobile-only bank in the UK. The fledgling company says that a Windows app is due out later this year.

Other notable items:

Games

Games

And finally, it was an overall lackluster week in the mobile gaming arena, but we did get one big collaborative effort. Hipster Whale teamed up with Disney to bring the mouse and his pals to Crossy Road.

Disney Crossy Road features over 100 characters from your favorite Disney and Pixar flicks. It also takes you to some of their cinematic backdrops to dodge traffic to classic Disney music with a retro video game twist.

Other notable items:

Be sure to weigh in on this week's news in the comments section. See you next week!

Seth Brodeur
Seth Brodeur