Screenshots show that the address bar might not move

Mar 27, 2015 07:01 GMT  ·  By
The address bar is still at the top of the screen in the latest build of Spartan
2 photos
   The address bar is still at the top of the screen in the latest build of Spartan

Microsoft is working on a brand new browser for Windows 10 that will be available on PCs, tablets, and smartphones, in an attempt to provide not only a complete new browsing experience on all these devices but also to bring them closer by offering features that are available everywhere.

Spartan will replace Internet Explorer in Windows 10, which will continue to be available as a backup in case of compatibility issues, and will come with similar features on both phones and PCs.

In the latest few days, however, everyone has talked about a change that could not only keep Windows Phone unique but also make browsing a bit easier on handsets: a new position for the address bar that would make typing new website addresses easier even on large-screen devices such as the Lumia 1520.

At the same time, given the fact that Microsoft is also integrating Cortana directly into Spartan, features that would be easy to reach with just one hand are essential, so keeping the address bar at the bottom would be essential.

Still at the top, likely to remain so

But this is one of the things that Microsoft doesn't seem to agree with, and despite the recent speculation, leaked screenshots of Spartan show that the address bar is still at the top of the screen.

And although that might sound counterproductive, there's one important factor Microsoft had in mind when keeping the address bar at the top of the screen: similar experience across the device.

It's pretty clear that, on a PC, the address bar cannot be at the bottom of the browser window because that would not only be awkward but would also affect the way people browse the web with Spartan.

So in order to keep things similar on PCs and smartphones, Microsoft is keeping the address bar at the top of the screen even on phones, as the company believes that tapping it with the thumb even on a large device is still a natural move.

Interestingly, that still comes in very unhandy for many users who have requested Microsoft to keep the address bar at the bottom of the screen, just like the company showed in a little teaser released recently. But for the moment, the address bar stays where it is and there are very slight chances to see it move somewhere else in the coming months.

Address bar at the bottom in Microsoft photo
Address bar at the bottom in Microsoft photo

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The address bar is still at the top of the screen in the latest build of Spartan
Address bar at the bottom in Microsoft photo
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