14 DAY TRIAL // While many people accuse Microsoft of leaving Windows phone behind, the company is said to be working on an overhaul of the platform that would be based on the Composable Shell (also referred as CShell), whose role is to bring mobile devices closer to PCs.
And a new video published today by the guys over at Aggiornamenti Lumia provides us with an early look at one of the features that will play a key role in this effort to bring PCs and phones in sync: Continuum.
Microsoft originally launched Continuum in October 2015 when the company also took the wraps off the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, promising to deliver lots of improvements that would eventually help convert a smartphone to a fully-featured PC with the help of an external screen.
But Microsoft’s work on improving Continuum slowed down as more users jumped ship to Android and iOS, so companies like Samsung brought similar functionality to their devices, with features that aren’t yet ready on smartphones running Windows.
The Windows phone overhaul
That’s all going to change with the upcoming Windows phone reboot, which will include a substantially improved version of Continuum whose role will be to provide smartphone owners with an experience that’s close to the one on a PC.
The video shows that Continuum will finally support resizable windows, so you’ll be able to multi-task just like you’re supposed to on a Windows device. There will be several window snapping options, and Microsoft is also working on an updated taskbar that will include components only available on PCs, like the battery percentage, running apps, and a system tray.
It goes without saying that what we see here is just an early implementation of the new Continuum, so when it finally becomes available for insiders later this year, it could look completely different. There’s no ETA as to when we’re supposed to get it just yet, but work on the Windows phone overhaul should accelerate after September when Microsoft will ship Redstone 3 for PCs and feature2 for phones.
