Microsoft's Windows 10 Mobile Creator's Update is a purely perfunctory update, but you should get it anyway

Microsoft is rolling out the Windows 10 Mobile Creator’s Update from today to the few remaining eligible Windows phone devices. While there isn’t enough to warrant a full review like we experienced with the Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary updates, there’s still some features worth highlighting.

First and most importantly, Microsoft is using the new Unified Update Platform to make Windows Updates faster and smaller. This means that Microsoft is now using delta updates for their new Windows updates on all platforms. This means that Windows phone users get updates which consist of only the bits that have changed instead of needing to download the whole OS again.

Bluetooth functionality gets a boost as well, with Microsoft improving support for Bluetooth GATT server profiles, which means wearable devise like Fitbits can now get call and text notifications from Windows phone devices without needing to hack or implement non-standard tools.

In addition to that, Microsoft delivered several updates to Microsoft Edge. For instance, users can now read e-books in the browser in an extension of Edge’s PDF reading functionality. This includes books purchased in the Windows Store (US-Only), as well as personally owned e-books. There is support for coloured emoji in Edge in sync with the PC version.

Speaking of emoji, Microsoft restated itscommitmentto diversity and tolerance by including support for the rainbow flag emoji on the emoji keyboard. The firm also improved the emoji keyboard so it stays open after anemojiis inserted into a textfield.
For users who are heavily interested in using custom ringtones on their device, Microsoft has also enabled dragging and dropping into the ringtones folders so users can drag in their own WMA or MP3 files via the PC or file explorer on Mobile. It’s not for everyone, but for those who like customization, it is pretty nifty.

Finally, Microsoft has improved support for playing videos on Continuum if you’re playing it via Miracast. It’s now more reliable for users of the Lumia 950, 950 XL and other continuum equipped devices.

Oddly enough, here are also reports of stability and improvedbattery life from Windows Insiders, hinting that this update might finally provide a much longed for a return to the days of Window Phone 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 for mobile veterans. The odd part? This only applies to those devices which were originally on WP8.1 and are now (With the exception of the 640 and 640 XL), orphaned fro this and future updates.

Overall the Windows 10 Mobile Creators Update doesn’t do much to merit its name. There are no new Paint features like on PCs (not even Fresh Paint), no 3D scanning app, no new Camera features to take advantage of the powerful cameras of the 950 and 950 XL, and no substantial improvements to Continuum (which has now been surpassed by Samsung’s Dex). For many Windows phone users, it is painfully obvious that this update is one which exists simply because to keep PC and Mobile in sync. Despite its slight improvements and big fixes, it remains a purely perfunctory one.