Windows 10 Mobile Insider Programme to continue

With Microsoft clearly saying they are no longer focussing on Windows 10 Mobile, and blocking popular handsets like the Lumia 640 from the handsets receiving the Fall Update some Windows 10 Mobile enthusiasts have been anxious that Microsoft will now shelve completely the Windows 10 Mobile Insider Programme.

According to Brandon LeBlanc, Microsoft Senior Program Manager the Windows Insider Program Team, users need not worry.

Yes we plan to keep releasing new builds for Mobile!

— Brandon LeBlanc (@brandonleblanc) October 12, 2017

Microsoft continues to plan to offer new builds of Windows 10 Mobile, although going by what Joe Belfiore said, users should not expect new features:

Of course we'll continue to support the platform.. bug fixes, security updates, etc. But building new features/hw aren't the focus. ? https://t.co/0CH9TZdIFu

— Joe Belfiore (@joebelfiore) October 8, 2017

Of course for handsets like the Lumia 640 and 640 XL this is now the only way to get the latest version of the OS, and that may be enough.

Some Windows Phone users are even holding out hope of being included in testing of CShell/Andromeda in the future, with a Redditor writing:

As I have stated many times, selected number of models (probably models with 3Gb of RAM) may receive insider builds of Windows Core/Andromeda OS. Main reason for this is a fact that Microsoft still needs public beta testers (aka insiders) for their upcoming OS and there wouldn’t be new devices around at a time of public testing.
It’s probably why Microsoft extended support to the end of 2019 and finally admits that insider program for mobile devices would continue. Turns out that Andromeda OS is more or less made successfully run (they wasn’t sure if it would go such far considering it’s a major Windows rework requiring incredible effort to be finished so Microsoft was silent for a long time and made contradicting and scarce statements at best) so Microsoft finally can hand us something to beta test in 2018.

Of course, the odds of this being true is slim to none, but at least we now know the updates, however small, will keep on coming for some time still.