Microsoft scuppers Lumia 950 Windows 10 on ARM cellular capabilities
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The project to run Windows 10 on ARM on the Lumia 950 XL has made massive progress, the most exciting recently enabling cellular data, phone calls and text messaging, which opens up the possibility of making a real, working phone, running full desktop Windows.
I just called a friend using a 950 XL running WoA and I just received a call. I could hear the other end well and he could also hear me. Success
— Gustave Monce ? (@gus33000) May 15, 2019
It seems the success of the team reminded Microsoft that they have some legacy Windows 10 Mobile code lying around in Windows 10.
Windows Phone Cellular networking stack has been removed from Windows Desktop by build 18912
— Gustave Monce ? (@gus33000) June 20, 2019
The latest Insider version of Windows 10, Build 18912, has had the cellular network stack removed from the OS.
Parts if not all of the Windows Phone cellular stack is present on Windows Desktop since Redstone 1 (14393). The entire driver set for Lumia on Windows relied on this being present to work.
— Gustave Monce ? (@gus33000) June 20, 2019
To put it shortly, it means this:
On builds newer or equal to 18912, Cellular will not work anymore on Lumias running Windows Desktop with the current codebase, Calls, Texts, data will not work and probably won't ever do unless some massive effort is put into rewriting the stack.— Gustave Monce ? (@gus33000) June 20, 2019
Unless the team backports it, the dream of a real Windows 10 Phone appears to be dead.
It is not clear what the reason for the change is, but if we are being generous maybe Microsoft is preparing to release their own solution for a new Andromeda device. If we are being less generous, Microsoft may just be blocking the hackers from doing what they could not.
