Windows 11: Everything you need to know

[soybean]

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'd prefer. It's designed for quick glances at important information without distracting you from what you were doing before you opened it.

 

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Teams and chat are integrated into Windows 11:

The Teams integration now extends to the Edge browser. It means individual tabs now show up within Task Manager, with GPU and crashpad data shown too. Tabs on the taskbar will also include the site, icon and topic name, although this is replaced by a generic icon during private browsing sessions.

Many stock apps have been redesigned, including File Explorer and the Microsoft Store. The latter is in anticipation of Android app support via the Amazon Appstore, but other third-party app stores will also work. The Epic Games Store will be the other initially, but look out for plenty more further down the line. Google is also working on a dedicated Play Store Games app, although that will also be compatible with Windows 10.

 

[soybean]

The stock Photos app has also been redesigned, as is shown by Microsoft's Panos Panay below:

 

[soybean]

Windows 11 also has a brand-new Action Center, splitting Quick Settings, Notifications and a music controller into separate sections. Its design is inspired by Windows 10X, making it easy to navigate using touchpad, mouse, pen or finger.


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Windows 11 also has new Snipping Tool. It replaces Windows 10's Snip & Sketch, but offers a lot more functionality than the legacy Snipping Tool found on earlier iterations of Windows.

 

[soybean]

Other apps with a Windows 11 refresh include the Calculator and Clock apps. The latter benefits from a new feature known as Focus Sessions, too:






As the name suggests, this is aimed at helping users focus better and block out distractions. It uses the popular Pomodoro technique, where you work solidly for a fixed period (usually 25 minutes) and then take a five-minute break. Focus Sessions works with with Microsoft's To-Do app and has direct integration with Spotify.

 

[soybean]

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 choose from a variety of preset themes or choose your own.

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.

You should have no concerns when it comes to buying a Windows 10 laptop or PC now, provided it's compatible with Windows 11. As GSMArena reports, Microsoft now offers users the choice to install Windows 11 when they're setting up an eligible Windows 10 device for the first time.

 

[soybean]

Upcoming Windows 11 features​

Moving forward, Windows 11 is shifting to annual feature updates, but several new features are expected to arrive long before October 2022.

Independently of feature updates, Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 will be getting its first big update in February 2022. Confirmed features include redesigned Notepad and Media Player apps, new taskbar functionality and a public preview of native Android app support.

The latter has been available to members of the Windows Insider Program since October, but this is the first time the feature will be widely available. You're officially limited to the Amazon Appstore, but a workaround means you can install the Google Play Store too.

An earlier Windows Latest article discusses a taskbar feature that may not arrive in February. The Microsoft Teams integration has received mixed reviews, but it will supposedly also apply to the Edge browser soon. It means individual tabs now show up within Task Manager, with GPU and crashpad data shown too. Tabs on the taskbar will also include the site, icon and topic name, although this is replaced by a generic icon during private browsing sessions.

The Task Manager is also expected to get an Eco mode soon. The same article suggests this will be used to allocate more resources to specific apps by setting the priority of others to 'low'. This stops resource-intensive apps from consuming too much of the CPU or GPU power, and it's expected sometime around the start of 2022.

Elsewhere, the eagerly anticipated Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) feature looks to be on its way soon. As Windows Central reports, Intel's latest generic drivers now include the option within settings, allowing the display to automatically adjust between 60Hz and 120Hz depending on what you're doing. This can help conserve battery life when a high refresh rate isn't required.

 

[soybean]

Judging by a recent tweet from The Verge's Tom Warren, the release of the Dynamic Refresh Rate feature could be imminent:






However, the expected requirement of a high refresh rate display which is rated to work with DRR drivers means most Windows 11 devices won't be able to benefit - even many 120Hz panels aren't compatible. Among those that will work are Microsoft's own Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio.

 

[soybean]

After nine years, we're also finally getting a new volume. In a January 2022 blog post, Microsoft confirmed that the feature would initially be available to members of the Windows Insider Program, ahead of an expected full rollout. Here's what you can expect:

This has been designed to be in keeping with the rest of the Windows 11 UI. It supports both light and dark modes, with the same sliders appearing when changing brightness via the keyboard shortcuts. Other notable changes in this update include a new in-progress call window for the Your Phone companion app, more on-screen keyboard themes and the ability to uninstall the clock.

It's not clear if we'll have to wait until Windows 11's first feature update to see them - that's expected in 2022, potentially as soon as July. Here's everything we know about the 22H2 update so far.