Microsoft has taken the wraps off Windows 11: the next major iteration of Windows. If it weren't for the leaks, this would've been quite a surprising move since we were all expecting a Sun Valley Windows 10 feature update in the fall, but instead, we get almost a whole new operating system. Well, sort of.
Like every major software release, the new features and changes matter most to the end consumer. Indeed, there are many exciting additions, but here, we'll be looking at the eight most significant features that Windows 11 has to offer.
1. Native Support for Android Apps in Windows 11
Being able to run your favorite Android apps on your PC natively is arguably the most prominent feature of Windows 11. This isn't something anyone was expecting, but Microsoft made it happen. At the moment, you need a third-party Android emulator like Bluestacks to make this happen.
It's worth pointing out that there's no Google Play Store on Windows 11. So, how exactly does Microsoft make this work, you ask? Well, the company uses Amazon Appstore for app distribution. This move looks like a direct response to Apple bringing iOS apps to the M1 Macs.
2. Fresh New Start Menu Without Live Tiles
Raise your hands if you hated Live Tiles. We're glad that Microsoft finally got rid of them, almost a decade after its original introduction in Windows 8. The Start menu looks a lot cleaner now with just the apps you've pinned along with your recommended files.
More importantly, the Start button, search bar, and other pinned apps are now located in the center of your taskbar. This looks pretty similar to the Dock in macOS. However, you do have the option to change the taskbar alignment to the left if you like.
3. Faster and Seamless Updates
If you're one of the several users annoyed by how Windows 10 handles software updates, this is the next big feature to look forward to. Starting with Windows 11, software updates will be forty percent smaller to drastically reduce how long it takes to download new firmware.
Apart from this, Microsoft promises that Windows 11 updates will happen in the background without interrupting any of your tasks. Moreover, since they're smaller, the updates will finish faster too. It's safe to assume that seamless updates are only for minor security updates and not for the feature upgrades that Microsoft intends to release once every year.
4. Snap Layouts and Snap Groups
Are you an avid multitasker? Then, meet Snap Layouts, a unique new way to use apps side-by-side. Presently, you can snap apps side by side, but starting with Windows 11, you'll also have predesigned layouts that will allow you to view up to four apps simultaneously quickly.
You can choose from a total of six different layouts. All you need to do is hover the cursor over the maximize button in the title bar.
Snap Groups is an extension of this feature, remembering the set of apps you were working on. For example, let's say you click on a new notification while working on multiple apps at a time. Microsoft will pin the group of apps to the taskbar so that you can quickly get back to them when you've dealt with the notification.
5. Docking Experience
Today, a lot of people connect their laptops to external displays to work on their projects. Microsoft aims to improve the docking experience with the next version. Windows 11 will minimize all the open windows to your laptop's screen when you disconnect the monitor from your laptop. And, when you reconnect it, these windows will automatically show up on the monitor just like they did before.
There's no need to reconfigure your window layout manually anymore. We really hope this feature works with multi-monitor PC setups too.
6. Auto HDR
Next up, we have a gaming-oriented feature that will change the way most of your games look. Microsoft is bringing Xbox Series X's Auto HDR functionality to Windows 11. The feature will automatically update your game's lighting and color to a high dynamic range to make them look brighter and vibrant.
The best part? This feature doesn't rely on developers to add support. You don't have to enable it for a particular game manually, either. As long as the game is built on DirectX 11 or higher and you have the hardware necessary to support HDR, you're all set to take advantage of Auto HDR in Windows 11.
7. DirectStorage
One of the standout features of Xbox Series X/S is also making its way to the PC. DirectStorage is an I/O technology that allows games to quickly load assets to the graphics card directly from the storage without getting the processor involved. This will significantly reduce the CPU overhead and enable game worlds to render faster than ever.
However, not all PCs capable of running Windows 11 will support this feature. At the very least, you'll need a 1 TB NVMe SSD for these fast I/O operations and a GPU that supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, according to Microsoft. These are definitely high-end specs for today's standards, but they will power the next generation of games moving forward.
8. Widgets Make a Return in Windows 11
You may or may not remember Desktop Gadgets, Microsoft's fancy term for widgets back in the Windows 7/Vista days. The company later retired this feature with Windows 8's release, citing security concerns. However, a similar feature is making a comeback in the form of a modern widgets panel that looks like a sheet of glass on top of your desktop. It almost resembles Apple's implementation of widgets in macOS.
This new pane can be accessed from the center of your taskbar. It displays the same information as the recently added News and Interests section in Windows 10. In addition, there's a search field at the top to get web results, which we assume is powered by Bing.
Windows Gets a Much-Needed Makeover
It has been six years since the release of Windows 10, and the OS has finally received the overhaul it needed to meet today's standards. It's fairly obvious that Microsoft took design cues from macOS, but they've added some generational features like DirectStorage that'll push PCs in the right direction for years to come.
Windows 11 is coming this holiday season as a free upgrade for existing users, provided your hardware is compatible. An early preview of the software will be available to Windows Insiders in the coming weeks.