14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has some pretty big plans for the Windows world, and in addition to the less exciting Windows 10 21H1 update coming in the first half of this year, the company is also working on another big release.
Windows 10X, the operating system that was originally built with dual-screen devices in mind but which has since been repurposed to also run on single-screen computers, is ready to launch in the spring of this year, and it’s now believed an announcement is just around the corner.
Panos Panay, the one who made the Surface brand what it is today, avoided discussing what’s coming next for Windows 10, though he did say new features are already in the works. Panay referred to an upcoming release as “the next generation of Windows,” so it’s believed he was specifically talking about Windows 10X.
“It's there to light up Microsoft 365 experiences, it's there to light up the devices for OEMs, but most importantly like we talked about it's there for people to connect, create, and ultimately be productive as they need to,” Panay said when talking about Windows 10.
“We have new features coming—here I got to tell you this—look and I haven't talked about the next generation of Windows and what's coming next, but I can tell you I am so pumped. We're not talking about that today.”
Major update in the fall
Windows 10X won’t be offered as a standalone operating system, but as pre-loaded on devices launched by Microsoft partners.
In addition to Windows 10X, Microsoft is also working on a major Windows 10 feature update that is due in the fall of this year.
This is likely to be a massive release, and the internal codename is currently Sun Valley, with many anticipating not only a lineup of new features but also substantial interface updates.