Windows 10 Mobile shown running on 10-inch ARM tablet

While Microsoft has said that Windows 10 Mobile was designed to run on smartphones and small tablets, it looks like at least one hardware company has it running on a larger 10-inch device with an ARM-based processor.

The Chinese website ITHome has posted two images of the tablet. Possibly taken at this week's Computex 2015 event the images show the unnamed tablet using Windows 10 Mobile with a 1024x768 display and running on the Rockchip RK3288 processor, based on the ARM Cortex-A17 design.

Unfortunately, that's all the solid information we can get from these images. There's no way of knowing if any OEMs are planning to launch larger tablets with Windows 10 Mobile installed or if this is just a quick hack to make the OS run on this kind of device. Windows RT, which was made specifically to run on large ARM-based tablets such as the Surface RT and Surface 2, won't be getting a direct upgrade to Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft has said that it will issue some kind of update that will "have some of the functionality of Windows 10."

Source: ITHome; Via: WindowsBlogItalia

John Callaham
80 Comments
  • Yeah baby
    That's what I was thinking about
    At least RT versions of Windows 8 will get the Windows 10 Mobile
  • Not really... That MAY turn out to be true, but they haven't even given us that much yet.
  • I think that's just someone that put windows phone on a tablet why does it have a phone icon and on the other page why does it say reset my phone doesn't make sense to me.
  • Because Windows 10 mobile is currently in mid stage development and is currently geared towards mobile phones. However, if I remember correctly, Microsoft said both 7in. & under tablets AND mobile phones would get a different version of Windows 10 than the main PC version, so this would fall in line with that, only the development for tablet devices has not gotten as far.
  • Now that they showed Continuum for phones, there's no reason to think THAT interface (the lightweight desktop cast to the monitor) couldn't be used on a surface. It has everything it needs, including a back button.
  • Never used an android tablet before? They all refer to themselves as phones
  • Missing one core thing windows phone 10 was compiled for Qualcomm snapdragon
  • There were Tegra3 based S RT, rockchip is possible.
  • LOL
  • I hope Windows 10 Mobile can run on my Surface RT. I do not want to buy another tablet. At least an update that allows apps to be installed and updated.
  • Don't you like 8.1?
  • The only problem with 8.1 is that we wouldn't have access to new apps and the new Edge browser. If the Surface RT / Surface 2 could run Windows 10 Mobile, then at least we would have access to the new app ecosystem.
  • We dont know that. They have said RTs will get an update with Windows 10, but it wont be full windows 10. They havent said what what that will or will not include. I would expect the ability to run new universal apps, edge and possibly cortana to be involved.
  • Considering the tablet in the article is 10" and running a ARM processor I would put money on Surface RT getting Windows 10 Mobile.
  • I would put money on some OEM's engineer being like... "Hmm, I bet I could flash this device with this W10 Mobile image we have in the office..." 
  • I wouldnt. If that were the plan, they would have announced that RT gets Windows 10, or Windows 10 mobile. That would have been positive news, instead they released something much more negative that RT wouldnt get 10. This is not official Microsoft, this is some chinese OEM playing around. Microsoft has been very clear about mobile is being for 8" and smaller. They wouldnt have said that if they plan to put it on a 10".  
  • I'm fine with 8.1 RT. I don't want another WP 7.8 with regards to app compatibility and would be okay with adding some new features from Windows 10.
  • As long as they don't add Windows 10 tablet mode I'm fine with it.
  • Why would they if RT devices get Windows 10 Mobile?
  • Why do you think that would happen?
  • This is all I care about. Future App compatibility. Things like Action Center and Cortana would be icing on the cake. I don't care if its just a modified RT OS at the core.
  • Same here
  • This. RT was fine. As long as we can run new apps and these weren't $499+ dead-end devices, Windows 10 mobile would be great on Surface RT/2.
  • Exactly. I got burnt on a Blackberry Playbook, I hope I'm not going to be burnt again on this Lumia 2520 tablet.
  • Did you not know you can sideload Android apps on pb using dev mode
  • I totally agree. I loved my surface RT and still use my surface 2 daily. It's a great device, but I really would like to see certain parts of W10 on there, including the store/apps. Besides that, Cortana and Edge would be great, think that will increase the usefulness of my device. That we don't get the full gamut of features is understandable, but I really hope these basics will be covered. And I really hope that MS will soon tell us what their plans are with older RT devices....  
  • Cortana I don't care about on my S2, but the new Store and it's Apps I would like to see on my S2. I bought it just over a year ago, and still kinda p****d off at the fact the device is already EOL regarding software upgrades towards Win10.
  • Its not EOL. MS has stated that it will get an update around the Windows 10 launch, but it just wont be full Windows 10. We dont really know yet what will or will not be included. Personally, I would rather not have W10 for phones on my RT and Surface2. The portrait-oriented, phone-oriented OS is not really as good of a fit as 8.1.
  • I don't get the p****d off part either. RT was never a full windows version, so it would be silly to expect full W10 version now. That said, MS has been very quiet on this topic whih makes me a bit anxious.  
  • That's not what I'm saying. I'm still p****d about the fact I spend over 500 euro's last year on a device that's EOL already, and not getting the next OS upgrade. Something that Apple doesn't even dare with their tablets and phones. Less functionalilty and slower performance? Yes. EOL after one year? No. I can care less if Win10 on my S2 is alike RT, it's also the fact we still haven't heared a peep from MS on the so-called feature list of RT 8.1+ I was sure MS wouldn't hit me another one after WP7, feel like an idiot once more......
  • Its not EOL. Its getting an update. Part of this becomes symantics. Apple said "every device gets iOS5", but only the 4S got Siri and most of the new features of 5. They call it 5, but 5 is not 5 on every device. The iPad didnt get Siri until much later. MS could call whatever update RT gets "Windows 10", they are being more honest about the fact that it wont have all the distinctive features of 10.
  • We don't know if the W10M interface is the final interface that ARM tablets will get.
  • Hoping it will just be tablet mode of windows 10. I have a Nokia Lumia 2520
  • I'm still puzzled as to why no-one has managed to get W10M onto a 2520, as it's, essentially, a big 1520.
  • OT: Wth happened to twitter? Not receiving any notifications anymore.
  • Snap. Been like that for a few hours now.
  • It's been 3 days for me now, enabled notifications via email as a temp fix, but even that stopped working :/ twitter support refuses to reply to any of my forum questions or mail :/
  • They never do/have. Utter shit. Then they update the app out of the blue. Just hope for better things come W10. It's not been that long here, like I say, a few hours.
  • I honestly dont see why it can't run on devices like the L2520 or whatever it was called. It has the same SD800 as the 1520 so it would be cool if they could just flash win10 mobile on it. Am I missing something here as to why it wouldn't work?
  • Could be WINTEL Conspiracy going on? This is the way I see it, Windows 10 Mobile can or will be able to run on all current WP (Post wp 7.nnnn) but it can run on Lumia 2520 and Durface RT. I just don't get the story line.
  • The xps 10/lumia 2520/Samsung ativ tab(select markets only) were the only ones using Qualcomm architecture so srt & s2 are sol
  • That's a very solid point. I can't see why not either.
  • That's ... Well, daymn!
  • Is there really a good reason why Windows 10 Mobile cannot run on a Surface 2? Make it happen MS!!!
  • Surface RT runs on Nvidia's Tegra chips whereas all W10M currently runs on phones which uses Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, so they'll probably have to write new drivers and stuff and devote resources for it which they may think isn't worth doing.
  • What about L2520. Runs on SD800 just like the 1520
  • Not to mention NVIDIA dropped the tegra platform after releasing their last reference device
  • I'm much more interested in it running on a non-Snapdragon processor. Maybe with W10M it's possible to use whatever processor we want without needing MS to specifically optimize the code for each processor. If it can also run on MediaTek and Exynos, then many of Android flagships that will never see Windows variants might be able to be flashed to W10M without the need to buy preconfigured hardware.
  • Why are the start menu and back buttons inconsistent? I say fake.
  • Nice observation, one looks more 8.1ish.
  • Could have something to do with: 1. It's still in development and 2. W10M development is phone focused at the moment.
  • My Surface RT would love having it..
  • I really hope 10 inch Windows 10 Mobile devices won't be very common. It would be very confusing to the average joe, thats besides the fact that full Windows 10 would be better for a 10 inch device.
  • My guess would be that the only 10" devices that will get this version are Surface, Surface 2 and the Lumia 2520. You probably won't see any new 10" ARM tablets.
  • NIIIICE! Really good looking... They should install this on Windows RT tablets. 
  • I know it's not the final version but all that empty space looks ugly.
  • It's just how they configured that participant start screen.  You could do three column even on 8.1.
  • Umm the navi keys are not the same on the screenshot and on the device
  • Echoing what others have said: hopefully this will go out to RT users. It would mean losing the desktop and full Office, but the universal apps expand to work with the larger screen just as on Windows 10 proper so if they think the trade-off is worth it hopefully Microsoft will make it available. Would certainly be a shame if all those who took a chance on Microsoft's first tablets to get left behind so soon, and they could probably do without all the bad PR that'll generate...   I am fascinated to see what the UX differences will be once we see a 7" tablet running Windows 10 mobile vs the 7" tablets abaiable now runnning Windows 10 full in tablet mode... Ideally they'd be near identical but I'm assuming there'll be some major differences.
  • The only reason I got the surface RT was because it had the desktop and full office. Don't take those away from me please!
  • There's the issue, I suppose, and why Surface RT/2 might not really get a substantial upgrade from 8.1. There's the people who bought it as a tablet and weren't fussed about the desktop and full Office that much and therefore would be fine with the new Office apps, and then there's the ones who got it specifically for the desktop. Maybe they'll just do enough updates for them to run the new universal apps and add a back button to the taskbar... Probably safest so they don't upset customer X even if customer Y is happy.
    Will be interesting to see anyway...
  • UX differences are most likely marginal. However if someone is used to the features of a full Windows/RT it will be very hard going back to the limits of Windows Mobile/Phone.
  • I have a feeling that what Microsoft means by an update that will bring "...some of the functionality of Windows 10." is Windows 10 Mobile with the Windows 10 for PC interface, considering the fact that, if I'm correct, Windows 10 Mobile is eventually intended to be ran on both mobile phones and tablets at or below the 7in. form factor, the fact that x86(-64) devices of that same form factor will run full Windows 10 anyhow, and the fact that most RT devices are in the 10" range and have a usage case, UI wise, that more aligns with Windows PCs than Windows mobile devices.
  • Simple: Build hardware that misreports its actual size...
  • It would really suck if the update for surface rt/2 doesn't bring the compatibility for new universal apps.
  • I don't see why phones have to be under 6".  I'd love to just use my 10" Surface tablet as a phone using bluetooth.
  • I think ms said it wrong. W10 mobile should be advertised as for arm devices, even 8"+. But i guess their philosophy is that is a waste to use arm chip on a 8"+ device so they want to make the industry to use arm only on small devices and on bigger devices to use..well...the most popular os for PCs
  • Windows 10 Mobile for Surface RT/2 - that would be awesome Microsoft!
  • Yes. Want three things: New app store (gives you Outlook and Office) Cortana (because it's cool) Edge (because IE on RT sucks and nearly everything is web based anyways.) I don't care about continuum or anyother razzle-dazzle stuff. They're nice, but I didn't expect to get those things when I bought the S2. I also don't care about the desktop (though some may- they can stick with 8.1) or if the UI looks like a giant phone.          
  • Yes with desktop continuum.
  • I'm more interesting in the use of Rockchip processor, that should mean MediaTek would come to WinPho soon
  • Surface (2) RT will be Surface Mobile (?)
  • I REALLY need universal apps on my surface 2
     
  • that is the one thing that wil make Windows RT tablets still be very useful. over 70 percent of the People who have bought and used an RT Tablet liked them so Windows RT tablets could not have been as bad as People think they are. they just did not sell fast eough to warrent them to be contined to be manufactured. If Micosoft gives Windows RT Tablets an OS update so they can run Microsoft's New Univesal apps  now called Windows Apps a Surface 2 or a Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet would get  new apps as developers make Universal Apps because they can work on many different types of Windows Computers    
  • Microsoft told developers at build to expect that windows 10 mobile could run on devices 10”+ in the future. So Im not surprised at all.
  • I would like if Windows Phone will run RT version of Windows 10, as if it runs on tablet mode. That way we'll get full Windows capabilities and new Windows 10 apps.
  • That's kind of what the new phones will do. When you dock to a keyboard/mouse and monitor, it turns into basically what RT was on a tablet on the larger screen.
  • Rockchip processors are not supported. How can it ruin on those?
  • Cool!
  • Folks a lot of People including myself have said that Windows on ARMS CPU should have used a modified Windows Phone 8 operating system because "ALL WINDOWS SMART PHONES RUN ARMS TYPE CPU's" Had Microsoft done this The non desktop OS Tablets Microsoft would have bought to the market would have run the thousands Windows phone 8 apps that were already in the Windows smart phone Apps store.folks these tablets would have been much easier to sell than Windows RT tablets that had VERY FEW APPS when they came to the market place. The BIG question is will People buy a Windows Mobile tablet that does not run traditional X86 CPU designed for desktop Programs? Microsoft lost a billion dollars on Windows RT. I do not think MS CEO Satya Nadella wants to repeat that Mistake. Personally I think Most people want full Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 OS Tablets because they do run standard desktop PC Programs . Peole like the fact they can run a desktop program or an App if they choose too. I think we will see a 7 innch Windows Mobile SUPER DUPER  Smart phone and it will sell well enough for a company to keep making them and selling them but I donot think anyone is going to make another apps only Windows tablet. I could be wrong though?