For months, we've been hearing of a major upgrade for Windows 10, codenamed Sun Valley. We first heard of this in October 2020. This was when Microsoft insiders divulged that a visual refresh is underway.

In January 2021, Microsoft inadvertently revealed that more major changes were underway through a job vacancy. But they soon removed the posting because of the buzz it generated.

Finally, after months of speculation, we will get a concrete answer on June 24, 2021. So, is Microsoft launching Windows 11? Or is Windows 10 Sun Valley something different entirely?

Is Windows 10 Sun Valley Actually Windows 11?

windows-10x

After being left alone for years, reports indicate that Microsoft will finally release a major UI overhaul to Windows 10. Although initially just a rumor, it was given weight when the company opened a vacancy for a senior software engineer with the following description:

On this team, you’ll work with our key platform, Surface, and OEM partners to orchestrate and deliver a sweeping visual rejuvenation of Windows experiences to signal to our customers that Windows is BACK and ensure that Windows is considered the best user OS experience for customers.

This job posting caused so much chatter that they removed it from their Careers page. But is Windows 10 Sun Valley just an update? Or is this a new OS altogether?

Alongside the speculation for Sun Valley update is the news that development for the Windows 10x OS has been shelved, possibly for good. This Windows OS, designed for the Surface Neo, Surface Duo, and other dual-screen devices, is optimized for touch input.

As we know, the market is heading in the direction of dual-screen devices. Could it be that instead of making a standalone OS, they're incorporating its features into Windows 11 instead?

What's Coming Next? Windows 10 or Windows 11?

In a Windows Fireside chat with Panos Panay, Microsoft Chief Product Officer, and Roanne Sones, Corporate Vice President for Azure Edge, they answered some of the most commonly asked questions on Bing.

While there was no inquiry about Windows 11, something interesting came up with, "What is the question Panos get asked the most?" Sones says that Panos is "new, coming in as the leader of Windows." And that she's "really excited to have [him] championing this."

Roanne said that the question should be "Why?" and this is an excerpt of his response:

Windows is such an important platform, for connecting people, helping people be as productive as they possibly can be. It is the heart beat right now of what is modern work...

...this is about, how we continue to see where technology can take us versus what it does for us today and where is it that we will be and how can technology be there for you, Windows is the core of that.

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."

This line of thinking is probably more than just an update. I think we should be prepared to see sweeping changes for the Windows OS, not just another refresh of Windows 10. Skip to 13:09 to see what Panay is talking about.

The Next Generation of Windows

During the May 27th Build 2021 keynote, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that he has self-hosted the next generation of Windows over the past several months. He also promised "one of the most significant updates to Windows of the past decade to unlock greater economic opportunity for developers and creators."

Although we've seen reports that Microsoft is working on a new and improved Windows store, the "next generation of Windows" is so much more than an app marketplace.

Skip to 16:15 of the video to watch Nadella talk about the next generation of Windows.

 The Cryptic Tweet and the 11 Minute Video

The Windows Twitter account also published this tweet inviting users to watch the live stream of the next "#MicrosoftEvent." When you click the link in the tweet, you're directed to a page with the following headline: Join us to see what's next for Windows.

While the headline is not a cause for celebration or speculation, the embedded video is. It shows the usual four-pane Windows logo, but the light shining through it does not show the shadow of the horizontal pane.

Instead, the light's reflection looks like two bars of light. Is it a representation of the number 11?

Screenshot of Microsoft's Event Announcement page

Microsoft followed up the cryptic tweet with another subtle message: an 11-minute long video with various Windows Startup Sounds mixed into a Slo-Fi Remix.

Excited for A New Version of Windows

Another Tweet, this time by Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate VP for Microsoft's Modern Life, Search, & Devices Group, says that he's never been excited for a new version of the OS since Windows 95.

His department is responsible for the product management, business planning, market strategy, and execution of the Windows ecosystem. That's why his Tweet adds more fuel to the flames of speculation for the next version of Windows.

Windows 10 Is Due a Massive Upgrade

Windows Start Button on a laptop

Looking at past Windows releases, Microsoft tends to issue a new version of Windows every three years. Windows Vista was released in 2006, followed by the acclaimed Windows 7 in 2009 and Windows 8 in 2012. In 2015, they released Windows 10. We haven't had a new version of Windows since—only the major updates they release every two years.

Even the highly successful Windows XP was superseded by Vista after five years. It's been six years since 2015, and I believe it's high time that Windows 10 gets upgraded.

After all, despite the pandemic (or because of it), Microsoft's profits jumped by 30%. This signaled that Windows remains extremely relevant, especially due to the massive shift of industry to the work-from-home model.

Is Windows 11 Coming Soon?

Whether it's just a visual update to Windows 10 or the launch of Windows 11, we will find out on June 24, 2021. Although the company previously announced that Windows 10 would be the last iteration of Windows, many (including me) will be pleased to see the next version of the venerable OS.