Windows 11 is going to be radically different from Windows 10 and, in the words of Satya Nadella, the biggest update to Windows.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Microsoft is set to launch the new Windows at the June 24 event.
- It is very likely that this will be Windows 11 that will feature visual overhaul.
- Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Panos Panay will present at the event.
Microsoft’s upcoming event on June 24 will be all about the next-generation Windows. Although the software giant has not revealed what this upcoming version of Windows is going to be, it looks like the days of Windows 10 will soon be over. Everything available as evidence points to Windows 11, which will replace the long-running Windows 10 as the new platform for PCs. Microsoft has already teased that the next Windows will be visually better and rid of the Windows 95-era icons, but besides the visual overhaul, the next Windows is going to be important as software for the next-generation devices.
Back when Windows 10 arrived, Microsoft said it would not upgrade the Windows version anymore. However, instead, it would change the elements of the operating system to make it up-to-date. And even though Microsoft has not confirmed yet that the next-generation Windows will bring an end to Windows 10, there are certain hints to pick. For example, Microsoft’s June 24 event will kick off at 11 am ET. If this does not give you a hint that the next OS could be Windows 11, you cannot ignore the fact that there is no time conversion for the PT zone. This event is going to be an important one, given both Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and chief product officer Panos Panay will be presenting it.
Nadella previously created the hype around this next generation of Windows by saying that it is going to be the biggest update to Windows in more than a decade. A lot of focus was on developers and creators that are going to find this upcoming version of Windows a lot more productive. Although the specifics are not available, Nadella may be hinting at better compatibility for various formats, support for more advanced technologies and access to tools that creators mostly find useful. Whatever is in the pipeline for Windows 11, rumours suggest that it will be available under Sun Valley, a codename for the update that has been doing rounds on the internet for quite some time.
Sun Valley will bring an overhauled Microsoft Store with probably better design, support for more app structures, and third-party payments systems. And if Microsoft is actually trying to take on Apple, according to the current discourse, it may even lower the commission on purchases made through the Microsoft Store. There may be support for more Android apps that will run on Windows without the need for emulators, alongside support for big-time apps such as Google Chrome that you cannot find in the Microsoft Store right now.
Functionality-wise, Windows 11 is going to take inspiration from Windows 10X, which Microsoft killed last month. Windows 10X was going to be a platform meant for dual-screen devices, such as the Microsoft Surface Neo, but later, the company changed the focus of the OS to support only single-screen laptops. And now that it is cancelled, Microsoft confirmed it is going to use its learnings from Windows 10X and implement them in the next generation of Windows. This means we can see Windows 11-powered foldables and devices with unconventional form factors.
Windows 11 will probably be out by fall this year, typically following the Windows version rollout schedule from the past.