Should you upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile from Windows Phone 8.1? This is what you'll lose if you do

After what seems like forever, Microsoft has finally started rolling out Windows 10 Mobile to select Windows Phone 8.1 devices. It’s been a long, long wait for Windows Phone users, and if you’re one of them you’ll understandably be keen to begin the upgrade process as soon as possible (provided your device is compatible of course).

But hold on a minute. Sure, the new mobile OS has a lot of welcome features, as well as access to Universal Windows Apps, but don't start that upgrade just yet because you might lose more than you've bargained for if you do.

To begin it's worth pointing out that while the lure of Windows 10 Mobile is undoubtedly strong, not all features offered in the new OS are available for all compatible Windows phones -- Continuum and Hello, for example, both require hardware capabilities only offered in newer devices.

More importantly, a lot of features and functionality get removed or modified as part of the upgrade process from Windows Phone 8.1 to Windows 10 Mobile. Microsoft's list of depreciated features is as follows.

• Notifications for missed calls, messages, and emails on contact tiles is not supported at the time of Windows 10 Mobile release.
• Me Tile and Me Card are no longer supported.
• Cortana can no longer search for apps, setting, email, text messaging, contacts and QR Codes on the device and can no longer open apps through voice commands.
• "Hey Cortana" is no longer available on some upgraded devices.
• Group tiles can no longer be used to receive social networking status updates.
• Indoor Maps are no longer available for some locations.
• Certain enterprise features, including Data Protection Under Lock, are not available; please contact your Microsoft Volume Licensing representative for more information.
• At time of Windows 10 Mobile release Outlook Mail app cannot open .EML attachments.
• Outlook Calendar app does not support Tasks.
• MDM capability to prevent saving and sharing Office documents not supported.

For a lot of people, the features that will be lost will be more than compensated for by the benefits that Windows 10 Mobile brings, but you should definitely make sure you're happy with the trade off. The loss of "Hey Cortana" on certain devices may be a deal breaker for some, and it's clear from the list that while Windows 10 Mobile is now out officially, it's still very much a work in progress and it may pay for you to wait a little longer before upgrading.

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