14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has released the very first public preview of a new Microsoft Launcher version that brings quite a dramatic overhaul, but also an early look at some of the goodies coming to users with the Surface Duo.
Surface Duo is Microsoft’s upcoming Android phone that is due in the holiday of 2020.
With this update, Microsoft Launcher reaches version 6.0, and one of the things worth highlighting is that it includes the experience that will be offered later this year on the Surface Duo.
Early version
So if you decide to install the new Launcher, you’ll technically get a taste of what’s to come on the Duo, albeit Microsoft warns from the very beginning that not all features are finalized at this point.
“This version of Microsoft Launcher has been rebuilt on a new codebase to make new features possible - such as Dark Mode, Landscape Mode, and numerous performance improvements (speed to load, low memory utilization, battery optimization and fluent animation). Additionally, this version only contains a subset of the standard features from the main app,” Microsoft explains.
“This is an Alpha version of the Microsoft Launcher so as such some features may not work properly, or the experience may be unstable.”
I already installed Microsoft Launcher 6.0 preview on my device, and while everything appears to be running smoothly, I honestly wouldn’t be too surprised if the app crashes occasionally. This is actually the main thing you should know about this app: given it’s an early preview, bugs and crashes are something that can totally be expected, so you should otherwise stick with the stable version of the Launcher if you want a stable experience.
Microsoft hasn’t provided an ETA as to when Microsoft Launcher 6.0 could see daylight, but further betas are likely to be published in the coming weeks as the development advances.