Windows 10 for Phones Preview Coming Very Soon

Microsoft has plans to show off the next version of its Windows Phone operating system, Windows 10 for phones, at its event on January 21st. Allegedly, users could have it running on their own Windows Phones soon after.

A new report from The Verge indicates Microsoft has plans to show off Windows 10 for phones consumer features at the Windows event the company is planning for January 21st. Additionally, it indicates that Microsoft will kick-off a Windows 10 for phones Preview Program to match the Preview Program already available to Windows 10 users on traditional notebooks and tablets. Participants in this program will get to try out features and provide feedback about what they like and don’t like before Windows 10 for phones makes its way to users.

Watch: Video Includes Brief Look at Windows 10 for Phones

What features will be shown specifically remain unclear, but it’s the report’s assertion that those watching at home will get a look at the interface changes Microsoft is making to Windows Phone to align in with the design of Windows 10 and the software running on the Xbox One. That’s interesting as Microsoft’s Larry Hyrb leaked footage of transparent Live Tiles on his Xbox One during a livestream last month. The Windows 10 Technical Preview includes a lot of utilities that made their debut on Windows Phone 8 originally.

Today, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 share underlying code, but their designs are pretty different. For example, Windows Phone 8.1 users choose a single color to sit behind their Live Tiles. Windows 8.1 doesn’t have that option, but does let users assign a background photo to sit behind their Live Tiles in the Start Screen. Windows Phone 8.1 backgrounds sit inside the tiles, not behind them.

Microsoft doesn’t comment on rumor and speculation. As such, it’s unlikely the company will have anything to say officially about Windows 10 for phones or any other version of Windows 10 before its January 21st event. That doesn’t mean we don’t know plenty about it already.

When it unveiled the Windows 10 Technical Preview shared a bit of its plans. Windows 10 will be Microsoft’s operating system for smartphones, tablets, notebooks, desktops and 2-in-1s. Instead of forcing one way of doing things on every user –Windows 8 does this with the Start Screen – Windows 10 adapts to the input methods available to users on the fly. Users who don’t have touch should find a Start Screen that’s paired down and just as easy to use as the Start Menu from past versions of Windows. Touch users may still get a design that isn’t too far away from the Start Screen. 2-in-1 users will get a blend of both interfaces and an option for switching to whatever experience is best.

Reportedly, Windows 10 for phones has been merged with Windows RT, the operating system that looks exactly like Windows and runs on Microsoft’s Surface 2 iPad rival. This’ll be the first time Microsoft has a unified tablet and smartphone operating system like Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.

Anchoring all of these different form factors will be one store and one app model. Microsoft hasn’t detailed exactly how this will work yet, but at September’s event the company did make it clear that developers will be able to use one code base to create apps for all of its platforms, at least. That includes the Xbox One, Microsoft’s living room entertainment experience, which’ll also run Windows 10.

Late last week a Preview Program app appeared in the Windows Phone Store, which at least confirms that Microsoft is gearing up for wider testing. Today, that app only accepts the email accounts of users inside Microsoft. Presumably, it’ll be updated to support all Microsoft Accounts after the January 21st event.

Read: All Windows Phone Are Getting Windows 10

Microsoft has confirmed that all users with a smartphone running Windows Phone 8.1 will get Windows 10 for phones. o run Windows 10. ent experince , microsoft’ers would be able to use one code base to create apps for all of its platforms