Microsoft enigmatically reveals release date for Windows 10 for phones

The Windows Phone Windows Insider App was recently updated, indicating that a mobile build of Windows 10 is imminent -- but when? Answering questions from eager users on Twitter, Microsoft's Gabriel Aul has given some cryptic hints about when the first preview of the successor to Windows Phone 8.1 will be launched.

Over the last few months Microsoft has been popping out new builds of Windows 10 left, right and center. While we now have a pretty good idea of how things are going to look and feel on the desktop, the same cannot be said of mobiles and tablets.

Of course it would be far too simple to just come out with an actual release date, so Gabe decided to tease Twitter users a little. Rather than answering queries about the release date directly, he chose to wind people up by answering in mysterious terms. If you want to know when you can get your hands on a mobile build, you'll have to solve a puzzle.

Make of it what you will, but the release date is somehow wrapped up in the clue 1316:

@callum90ish I love the creative ways you guys try to squeeze me :-) How about a puzzle? This is a REAL answer if you can solve it: 1316

— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) February 12, 2015

Joe Belfiore had already made it clear that we should expect a release in February, but no date was pinned down:

Also, we're on track for Insider build coming "in Feb" as Terry said at our 1/21 event. We need to complete internal testing 1st, hang in!

— joebelfiore (@joebelfiore) February 8, 2015

Gabe himself, in response to numerous guesses at the date, caved in a confirmed that we can expect to see the release this month, but would not go into any more detail:

@dey_ritwick All I can say today is "in February". When it comes out, we'll see who gets it right. No one has solved puzzle so far though

— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) February 12, 2015

So... start guessing! It seems that no one has managed to pin down the release date precisely yet -- or at least Aul is not saying as much -- but there's only a couple of weeks to wait at the most now.

Update

It's out now!