Microsoft releases Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10149

Windows Phone enthusiasts, you'll be pleased to know that Microsoft has just released a new Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build -- dubbed 10149 -- for all Windows 8.1 and up powered Lumia smartphones. The new build brings improvements to the user interface, renames Project Spartan to Microsoft Edge, while also offering improvements to Cortana, Photos app alongside plenty of bug fixes.

Build 10149 will be seeded to Windows Insiders on the Fast ring today. The company is finally making it possible to jump to the next iteration of the developer preview of its impending mobile operating system without the need of having to flash the phone again. It notes that users will be able to directly snag updates from their existing builds instead of having to flash back to Windows Phone 8.1 first. Following is a list of new features and improvements you get with the new build.

First thing you would notice in the build is just exactly how better it looks from previous builds. But not everything has been so smooth. The company warns that after installing the update, the phone's Lock Screen may not work for a few minutes and the time and date information are likely to disappear, but it suggests to wait for about five-to-ten minutes as things swing back to normal.

Microsoft shipped the new browser, Project Spartan to Windows Phone handset a few weeks ago. But at that time, Project Spartan didn't have a proper name. If you were waiting for the christening, the new build serves that purpose. In addition to adopting the brand name, this new browser also has the address bar at the bottom.

The new update also provides improvements to Cortana. The digital assistant, once the update has been made, features Notebook which allows one to set up Quiet Hours. Among other things, Microsoft is adding a neat way to access Flashlight app directly from the Action Center. There’s also an update to Photos app, which now supports animated GIF shots. The new update also offers general performance and reliability improvements.

Among other additions, Microsoft is now allowing users to automatically upload images to OneDrive. Users can switch on this feature by going to OneDrive app settings. Many apps including Calendar, Outlook Mail, and MSN apps are receiving an update.

Besides that, the company is also offering a number of fixes in its new build. The new Windows 10 Mobile build, for instance, resolves a bug while checking out Call and SMS filtering that was preventing users from updating. It has also fixed an issue where text notifications weren't appearing for incoming messages among fixes. You can learn more about the new build here.