The Verge
It’s probably been a long time since a Microsoft smartphone has crossed your mind. The last time Microsoft had a high-end Windows smartphone in the US, it was nearly two years ago and the phone came wearing a Nokia logo and ran Windows Phone 8.
The Microsoft Lumia 950 is now available for under £300 in the UK, where Mobile Phones Direct is selling SIM-free model for just £289. A quick look at the device's official listing in the country reveals a £320 price tag, meaning purchasing the Windows 10 handset from MPD will save you over £30.
Maximum PC: Microsoft has a free offer it hopes will incentivize smartphone shoppers to jump on the Windows 10 Mobile platform. That offer is a year of Office 365 Professional, the cloud version of Microsoft's popular productivity suite.
If you purchase a Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL handset by June 30, 2016, you'll have until July 30, 2016, to claim your free year (or while supplies last). The offer also extends to current Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL owners who purchased their device on or after November 30, 2015.
Yesterday, Microsoft sent out a mandatory update for the Insider app and at the time we speculated that it was in preparation for some Windows 10 Mobile Redstone releases.
As it turns out, it is more than that as the app now lets users un-enroll from the Insider program but all puts them back onto the production track for updates. This change is a rather big deal as previously users would have to hard-reset to get back into production mode.
Here is what it means, especially for those on the Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL.
