Clearly wanting to avoid upsetting millions by making radical changes (as with Windows 8), the new operating system has rounded corners everywhere you look and a centrally positioned Start menu, which you return to the side if you want to.
There’s a new widgets panel which can show the weather, stocks, news and other things – seemingly replacing the old Start menu’s live tiles – and improved grouping and snapping of open Windows so you can focus more easily on what you’re trying to do.
Windows 11 on tablets is much improved thanks to the introduction of gestures and a new on-screen keyboard that much more similar to the one on your phone.
You can even install and use Android apps, via the Amazon Appstore.
But while there are lots of visual changes, Windows 11 should be an easy transition from Windows 10 for most people.
When is Windows 11 coming out?
- Late 2021 and into 2022
- Early build available now to Windows Insiders
It will start rolling out this coming Winter (to ‘eligible’ Windows 10 PCs) starting “this holiday” and continuing into 2022, but Windows 10 users signed up to the Windows Insider Program can install a Preview build right now – check out how to get the Windows 11 beta now.
However, remember that early builds usually have more bugs, and most people shouldn’t install them on their main PC.
Microsoft says it is working with its partners so that PCs (and laptops and tablets) you buy today will run Windows 11. In fact, at the end of the launch Panay encouraged viewers to go out and buy a Windows 11-ready PC.
How much will Windows 11 cost?
- Free for eligible PCs
This is of course one of the biggest questions, and we now have an answer. It will be free for eligible PCs. However, Microsoft has updated the hardware requirements, so it’s not as simple as all Windows 10 devices getting Windows 11. Learn more in our separate guide: Will my PC run Windows 11?
Naturally, upgrading from Windows 10 won’t be the only way to get Windows 11. Once it launches, new laptops and PCs will be running the operating system out of the box, negating the need to buy a license separately.
Wasn’t Windows 10 the ‘last ever’ version of Windows?
That’s what Microsoft said when it announced Windows 10, yes. But apparently it changed its mind about that. The company could have rolled out these changes in a Windows 10 update, but it chose not to refer back to this statement during the launch event and might be hoping its customers have short memories.
Will my current PC / laptop run Windows 11?
Microsoft has published a list of minimum hardware requirements:
- 1GHz dual-core processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB of storage
- UEFI, Secure Boot capable
- Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0
- Graphics card compatible with DirectX 12
- Bigger than 9in display with 720p resolution
- Microsoft account + internet connection
For more information, check out our separate guide: Will my PC run Windows 11?
However, it’s not quite as simple as that. There is a way to still install Windows 11 on PCs that are technically unsupported.
What new features does Windows 11 have?
There are too many to go into lots of detail here, but here are some of the main ones. And this video explains a lot in just a few minutes.
First, there’s a significant visual overhaul. Windows 10 has maintained a similar look and feel throughout its lifespan, but that’s about to change with Windows 11.
A new taskbar moves icons to the centre, although this can easily be reverted to a more traditional layout. It’s where you’ll find a brand new Start Menu, sporting a very similar design to the recently-cancelled Windows 10X.
Here’s the dark-mode version:
It features a grid of customisable ‘Pinned’ icons, with separate ‘All apps’ section for everything else you have installed. The ‘Recommended’ heading below displays recently used files, apps and folders – including from cloud services such as OneDrive and Microsoft 365 – enabling you to quickly pick up where you left off, even if you last used a different device.
Multitasking is much more fluid, thanks to new snap layouts Hovering over the maximise button allows you to choose the arrangement of apps on the screen, as you can see below.
Widgets haven’t been a major feature of recent versions of Windows, but that’s set to change. The panel slides in from the left, but can be customised to fill the whole screen if you want. It’s designed for quick glances at important information without distracting you from what you were doing before you opened it.
Teams and chat are integrated into Windows 11:
Windows 11 also has a brand new startup sound. Check out the five-second clip below:
There are also a range of stunning new wallpapers to choose from, and you can have different wallpapers when you set up multiple desktops.
Windows updates are now 40% smaller and are applied in the background, so shouldn’t interrupt your work – or play.
Windows 11 is also more efficient, which means it uses less power which means your laptop should last longer.
For a visual look at the leaked build, our sister site PCWorld’s Mark Hachman has been testing it out:
Until we have access to the Insider Preview we won’t know about other apps and features. For example, Microsoft didn’t show the Action Center during the launch event and the leaked build had the same Action Center as current versions of Windows 10. A redesign is expected, featuring separate sections for notifications, quick settings and music.
Previous Sun Valley features
Here are the features previously rumoured for Sun Valley, the upcoming Windows 10 update. It’s highly likely there will be some overlap with Windows 11, so don’t worry if your current PC won’t run Windows 11.
Sun Valley is expected to revamp the Windows user experience, making it more in keeping with Microsoft’s ‘Fluent UI’ design language. This means more floating windows and rounded corners, with many Windows stock apps being redesigned.
These are expected to include the likes of File Explorer, Settings and Alarms & Clock. File and Copy dialog boxes are also likely to be updated.
Elsewhere, Sun Valley will have a brand-new Action Center, splitting Quick Settings, Notifications and a music controller into separate sections. Its design is expected to be inspired by Windows 10X, making it easy to navigate using touchpad, mouse, pen or finger.
Talking of touch input, Microsoft is also expected to update the on-screen keyboard. This will allow you to customise the colour, size and transparency of each key and its border. The separate tablet mode will also now support gestures.
Various new multitasking features have also been mooted. These include separate virtual desktops for each display you’re using, alongside the ability to remember which apps are connected using Snap Assist when connecting/disconnecting a monitor.
There will also be the option to reduce clutter, with Microsoft allowing you to delete many system apps which aren’t necessary for the day-to-day running of the device. It’s not clear exactly which these will be, though.
Managing external cameras looks set to get easier, while dedicated battery usage graphs will make it easier to extend battery.
There are plenty of new changes to talk about here, but Windows 11 still feels like a Windows 10 feature update. Look out for more Windows 11 coverage on Tech Advisor soon.