Microsoft has decided to pause all upcoming Windows 10 updates for the foreseeable future. The Redmond-based company confirmed that all beta builds, which include tests of new features, fixes for glitches, and more would be put on ice.
With no more preview builds of the next major update to Windows 10, scheduled to launch in the autumn, on the horizon, users won’t be able to get early looks at any new features, tools, or designs. Why has Microsoft taken this (pretty drastic) step?
Well, nobody is entirely sure, however, most point towards the upcoming Windows 10 event scheduled for June 24, 2021. Teasing the keynote presentation, Microsoft says it will be the first opportunity to “see what’s next for Windows”.
Some believe the event, which will be available to watch as a live stream worldwide, will offer the first glimpse at Windows 11 – a true successor to Windows 10. And if there is really that much change taking place under the bonnet, it would make sense that Microsoft would pause beta builds of the software ahead of the announcement. After all, the firm doesn’t want beta testers to confirm details about a new design, tool, or feature ahead of their splashy event.
The launch of Windows 11 later this year would make sense. Microsoft usually releases two substantial updates to Windows 10 each year, one in the spring and one in the autumn. With no features almost absent from the first major update to Windows 10 this year, Microsoft confirmed that it was working on the “most significant updates to Windows of the past decade” to launch in the final few months of 2021.
However, what if Microsoft has decided to go further than a glitzy feature-packed update? What if it’s more of a step-change for the entire operating system?
The news comes a month after Microsoft ended all development of its new Windows 10X spin-off, which was rumoured to rival Google’s ChromeOS by providing software for lower-cost laptops, so that it could focus on the core operating system. That certainly sounds like it’s all-hand on deck inside Redmond to get something pretty major turned around in time, doesn’t it?
Surface boss Panos Panay, who is now in charge of Windows to ensure that Microsoft’s operating system and hardware are more aligned, will be hosting the big Windows event on June 24, 2021. Naturally, Express.co.uk will be tuning in and will bring you all of the latest announcements as they happen.
