Microsoft plans to include Lumia Camera app in Windows 10

Those with Lumia devices are used to seeing a brand-specific update on top of the regular Windows updates in order to bring additional functionality to their Lumia phone (like the Lumia Denim update that just started rolling out). However, it looks like Microsoft may be drawing on some of that Lumia magic to all Windows Phone users as part of the Windows 10 for mobile and small tablets update.

Windows Central reports that it has confirmation that the Lumia Camera code will be used as the base for Microsoft’s new camera app within Windows 10. This won’t just be Windows 10 for mobile but Windows 10 across all platforms. Now that Microsoft owns Nokia’s devices division, it makes sense that the company would want to leverage some of the powerful Nokia-developed software for its mobile OS.

However, Microsoft will still be reserving some of the Lumia camera features for PureView users, likely to give its own devices an edge over the competition. Windows Central highlights Living Images and Rich Capture as two of the features that will remain exclusive to Lumia phones for the time being.

Though it’s great to hear that Windows Phone is getting a more powerful camera application, it’s important to remember that this update isn’t all about the software. Take the Lumia 1020, one of the most powerful (by reputation) camera phones running on the Windows Phone platform. Though that phone will get Lumia Denim, which includes updates to Lumia Camera, it won’t enjoy all the benefits of the camera update due to its hardware limitations.

Keep in mind that newer phones won’t likely run into this issue, so this will be less of a problem with newer phones (the 1520 was released in mid-2013). Microsoft will release a preview of Windows 10 for mobile and small tablets next month, likely just ahead of MWC in the first week of March.

Read more: This is Windows 10 running on smartphone

[source]Windows Central[/source]