What the first big Windows 11 leak tells as about the future of Windows

A supposed ‘leaked build’ of Microsoft’s new desktop operating system – dubbed Windows 11 in some quarters – has made its way online.

More than a week prior to Microsoft’s June 24 event, where Microsoft will officially debut the next generation of Windows, screenshots of a purported Windows 11 Pro developer build are doing the rounds.

XDA Developers and Beta World have published the images first leaked on Baidu and, judging by the first glance, Windows 11 is going to look a lot like the recently-binned Windows 10X OS Microsoft decided not to release. Since the screenshots were published, The Verge seems to have dealt a little deeper.

At the time, Microsoft said people didn’t want 10X but wanted some of its Chromebook-rivalling, cloud-friendly features built into standard version of the operating system. That ethos, if the screenshots are accurate, may underpin Windows 11 or Windows Sun Valley or whatever the new version ends up being called.

From the screenshots we can see that Live Tiles are no more. As with Windows 10X (and macOS for that matter) there’s a central taskbar and app dock and the fly-out Windows Start menu, which is now the Windows icon sat within the taskbar.

Windows 11 also includes a new snap feature built into the maximize button on all apps. It's a neat way to surface features that have existed in Windows for years https://t.co/VDS08QPsl5 pic.twitter.com/uXcwVngmTT— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) June 15, 2021

That menu also features access to pinned apps, restart/shutdown features as well as the most recent files. All in all, it looks a little more simplified. Again, following the lead of macOS, Windows 11 looks to be a little more curved in terms of the file folders and menus.

new Windows 11 boot animation pic.twitter.com/fmtqOxNdXy— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) June 15, 2021

According to reports there’s also a new start-up sound and boot animation (above) while Microsoft Widgets now see to be returning to the OS (below). The the early build also showcases the ability to snap apps into certain positions on the display. These controls are accessed from the ‘maximise’ buttons and arrange apps in whatever way suits to boost your productivity. Side by side or in the corners, for instance.

According to recent reports, there’ll also be a new Microsoft Store interface, but there’s no sign of that in what seems like quite an early preview of the software Microsoft intends to unveil next week. We know it’s a little farther along because Satya Nadella recently revealed he’s been using it for quite a while. Microsoft has also confirmed Windows 10 support will end in 2025 ahead of the June 24 launch.
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