Microsoft News Roundup: Windows 12 leak, Windows 11 update, Windows 10 usage spike, Lenovo rollable laptop, and more
With over a billion PCs running some form of Windows, there’s plenty of news about the operating system each week. But it’s rare to see stories about Windows 12, Windows 11, and Windows 10 within the span of seven days. That’s exactly what happened, however, as three major versions of Windows made headlines this week.
In addition to Windows news, we saw Lenovo show off a laptop with a rollable display at Mobile World Congress 2023 and Dell launch its XPS 15, 17, and Desktop.
Windows 11 Feature update
The first major feature drop for Windows 11 of the year shipped this week. The update doesn’t have an official name, but it brings several new features and enhancements to the operating system. Windows 11 has a touch-optimized Taskbar, Tabs in Notepad, and preview support for Phone Link for iPhone. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new:
- Bing Chat in Windows Search
- New search bar options for the Taskbar
- Touch-optimized Taskbar for tablets and 2-in-1 devices
- Modernized Taskbar system tray overflow menu
- Phone Link for iOS (preview)
- Tabs in Notepad
- Screen recording in Snipping Tool
- Search in Task Manager
- Energy recommendations in Settings
- Voice access improvements
- Redesigned Quick Assist app
- Full-screen Widgets panel with third-party widget support
- AI powered file recommendations in Start for AAD joined devices
- Windows Studio Effects in Quick Settings
We have a guide on how to get the new Windows 11 feature update right away. If you’d rather wait, the update will ship on March 14, 2023 to supported PCs.
Windows 12 leak
Leaked information that emerged this week suggests that Microsoft is working on Windows 12. A since-deleted tweet by @leaf_hobby, who has a track record of revealing information about Intel hardware, stated that Windows 12 is on the supported OS list for Intel’s upcoming Meteor Lake-S desktop chipset.
This isn’t the first that we’ve heard of Windows 12, but it’s another piece of information that suggests a new OS is in the works by Microsoft. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden reported that Microsoft moved to a new Windows development cycle back in July 2022. In that same report, Bowden shared that the next major version of Windows is in its early planning stages and could come out in 2024.
Windows 10 gaining users
With Windows 12 reports in the news and Windows 11 getting an update, it may come as a surprise that Windows 10 made headlines. According to Statcounter, the older operating system gained a significant market share in January 2023, increasing from 68.86{38557cf0372cd7f85c91e7e33cff125558f1277b36a8edbab0100de866181896} to 73.31{38557cf0372cd7f85c91e7e33cff125558f1277b36a8edbab0100de866181896}.
While several factors could be at play, it seems likely that the uptick occurred due to both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 reaching end of support last month. PCs that shipped with those operating systems are unlikely to meet the minimum requirements of Windows 11, leaving Windows 10 as the only option.
Bing gets a tone change
Bing Chat continues to get new features on a regular basis. This week, Microsoft rolled out the ability to change the tone of Bing Chat between more creative, more balanced, and more precise. The chatbot will adjust its priorities to being factual, entertaining, or in-between at the push of a button.
Microsoft also added turn counters to the chat experience within Bing, making it easier to keep track of how close you are to the limit of six turns per session.
Rollable Lenovo laptop
Mobile World Congress 2023 ran throughout the week, and one of the most interesting PCs at the event was a concept rollable laptop by Lenovo. Our colleague MrMoble (Michael Fisher) went hands-on with the device.
The laptop has a 12.7-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio in its normal mode. It can then extend to make a 15.3-inch display with an 8:9 aspect ratio.
While the device is only a concept, Lenovo said to MrMobile that it prefers “to develop concepts that we have a hope of selling.” While we may not see this exact form factor make its way to consumers, Lenovo could release a similar PC in the future. The company has a track record of shipping experimental PCs, such as the ThinkPad X1 Fold. The Yoga Book 9i.
Dell XPS Desktop, 15, & 17
Dell refreshed its XPS 15, XPS 17, and XPS Desktop with the latest internals from Intel and NVIDIA this week. All of the PCs were announced at the beginning of the week. The XPS Desktop launched first and then the XPS 15 and 17 went up for sale a few days later.
The XPS 15 and 17 feature 16:10 displays and run on 13th Gen Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40-Series graphics. The XPS Desktop also runs on a 13th Gen Intel Core CPU and RTX 40-Series graphics, but they’re the desktop versions of those components.
With the new XPS lineup launching, last year’s models got discounted (XPS 15 & 17, XPS Desktop).
Reviews & Editorials
Our experts keep a close eye on the latest news, gadgets and games. This week, our Senior Editor shared his criticism of how Bing Chat is implemented on Windows 11. Our team also reviewed the Dell XPS 2-in-1 and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
