Did Microsoft accidentally leak the next version of Windows?

A brief glimpse of a desktop. Just a moment to take in what you were looking at. But then it hits you. Did Microsoft accidentally leak its next version of Windows during the company’s Ignite event? Many watching the event are asking the same question.

Zac Bowden at Windows Central has done a great job of breaking down what, exactly, you saw. For a moment, there was a Windows desktop with a floating taskbar along the bottom and a Mac-esque Dock along the top, and a floating search box in the center of the screen. 

image: Microsoft

This is not the first time we’ve seen this design. Microsoft is working on a three-year update cycle and the next version of Windows is known internally as “Next Valley.” The user interface shown off briefly at Ignite matches up with what we know about Next Valley. Of course, the update is not due until 2024. 

For starters, the floating taskbar along the bottom of the screen takes direct inspiration from macOS, down to the rounded corners and the frosted glass background. The icons look bigger and brighter, a la macOS. 

Next, the toolbar along the top featured a battery icon, Wi-Fi icon, the date on the right, and weather on the left. All of this was on the same frosted glass background as the taskbar. If you didn’t know better, you might think this was actually a MacBook running Windows.

But the giant floating search bar in the upper-middle of the screen belies that notion. It was pure Microsoft from the icons to search and close to the font in the search box. What it was doing there on the screen is a big question.

Is Microsoft planning on adding a big floating search box to Windows? If so, it could work a lot like Apple’s new Dynamic Island on iPhone. In fact, we’ve seen a leak for Dynamic Island on Mac, and we were not fans. It would take up a lot of usable space, slow the system down with needless animations, and while not being terribly useful. It’ll be interesting to see how Microsoft plans to handle it.

This brief glimpse of a strange Windows operating system may have been nothing more than a mock-up of somebody’s idea for Windows. It could have been an experimental concept that accidentally made it into the presentation. Or it could have been an intentional leak of what Microsoft has planned in Next Valley, giving us a glimpse of what’s to come.

Related posts

Latest posts

How to use Apple Intelligence Writing Tools on your iPhone

One of the core new features of Apple Intelligence are the Writing Tools. Here's how to use them on your iPhone.

i-Blason Halo Mag series put the fun and personality back into protective phone cases

The i-Blason Halo Mag series offer phone cases with lots of style, fun, and flair. If you want something a little different, check these out.

Lenovo’s latest laptop had an edge on the MacBook Air until this week

The Apple MacBook Air 15 is one of the best laptops you can buy, with fast performance and great battery life. Can the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i compete?

Google may make it easier to share files between Android and iPhone

Google's Quick Share could come to Apple devices like iPhone and Mac. The local file-sharing service is currently limited to Android, Chrome, and Windows.

Runway brings precise camera controls to AI videos

AI startup Runway is rolling out new Advanced Camera Controls for its video-generation model, gen-3 Alpha.

Score the Dell XPS 15 for less than $1,000 during this sale

Own a top Windows laptop for less: Right now, when you order the Dell XPS 15 through the manufacturer, you’ll save up to $300!

Is the Amazon Kindle waterproof?

Amazon just announced its latest Kindle lineup, including waterproof tablets. These are Amazon's waterproof Kindles and exactly how waterproof they are.

Today only: The 4th Gen iPad Pro with M2 is $600 off

The Apple iPad just keeps getting better and so do iPad discounts! For the next few hours, save $600 on the 4th Gen M2 iPad Pro when you purchase at Best Buy.

This 17-inch HP Envy laptop is $380 off today

The HP Envy is a tried and true Windows laptop that just so happens to have a great markdown today. Get this awesome PC for $770 when you order through HP!

Leaked M4 MacBook Pro benchmarks reveal incredible performance

The benchmark for the Apple M4 Max chip has proven it will make the new MacBook Pro fast and powerful. It will also make the new laptop extremely pricey.