Microsoft changes requirements in the Anniversary Update

May 22, 2016 13:21 GMT  ·  By

The Windows 10 Anniversary Update will bring not only new features and usability improvements but also changes in terms of system requirements, with Microsoft planning to cover a wider array of devices with its operating systems.

New MSDN documentation spotted this weekend reveals that Windows 10 Mobile will support devices up to 9 inches, up from 8 inches in the current version.

This means that tablets designed to run this mobile platform are now extending to the category of full-sized tablets, which includes well-known names such as Apple’s iPad. Whether Windows 10 Mobile can become a true competitor to iOS in the tablet market still remains to be seen, but it looks like we’ll soon have the same operating system powering both PCs and tablets in Microsoft’s yard, just as it happens with Apple and iOS right now.

PCs running Windows 10 with 7-inch screens

At the same time, Microsoft is also enabling PCs with screens as small as 7 inches to run the full version of Windows 10, thus opening the door to new opportunities in this market.

Small phablets with 7-inch displays can now become more productive, and it’s only a matter of time until such devices launch with detachable keyboards. It goes without saying that they’ll also be super affordable, but it’ll probably remain a challenge to use the fully featured version of Windows 10 on such a small screen.

Windows 10 Redstone will require at least 2 GB of RAM to run on PCs while the minimum storage to deploy the operating system will be 16GB for the 32-bit version and 20GB for the 64-bit one.

The Anniversary Update is projected to launch in the summer, and previous reports have indicated that a July release is very likely. This date also makes sense since July is the month when Windows 10 turns one and the company ends the free upgrade promo that allows Windows 7 and 8.1 users to install the OS without paying a single cent.