WASHINGTON: Microsoft is planning its next big update for Windows 10, the one that will come after the official launch sometime this summer. It will happen in 2016 and is codenamed Redstone, a hat tip to Mojang’s Minecraft which the software giant acquired for £1.67 billion.
Not much is known about the update other than it will provide support for more devices like the HoloLens and potentially add a smartwatch size for universal apps. Microsoft might even look into smart home technology, somewhere it is lagging behind Apple and Google currently.
Windows 10 will launch this summer as noted beforehand, but Microsoft is planning a small update in the fall called Threshold. We’re not entirely sure if this will be blended into the Windows 10 update, or whether Threshold will be a small update adding a few other features.
Microsoft likes to keep up to date with patches anyway, adding bug fixes and small changes every month. These will still happen through 2015, as Microsoft works with insiders and programmers to fix some of the major issues on Windows 10.
Features like universal apps, Start Menu, Xbox and HoloLens are all big places for Microsoft to explore in the next few years. Even though Windows 10 might only offer three unique designs for universal apps (tablet, phone and desktop), Redstone may offer a wider range of options for developers to pick and choose.
It is expected that updates from now on will be free to Windows 10 users. Redstone is not Windows 11, but rather the largest update before Windows 11 finally hits the market in 2017.
Windows 11 will most likely come with a free installation for people on Windows 10, but might cost legacy users still running Windows XP and 7. Microsoft has not made future plans clear when it comes to OS costs, and whether it will go the way of Google and Apple and remove the price tag altogether.
