Windows 10 'Sun Valley': Here's What We Know So Far

by Starlene Portillo / Jan 14, 2021 01:44 AM EST

Microsoft is currently working on its biggest Windows 10 update following the operating system's (OS) first release in the market last 2015.

Codenamed "Sun Valley" and sometimes referred to as "Windows 10++", the OS feature upgrade is set to arrive during the second half of the year.

Described as a "reinvigorating" and "sweeping" revamp of the visual interface, "Sun Valley" will be using WinUI, which is a new user interface layer containing modern control and styles as embodied by Fluent Design. Through this merging, "Sun Valley" allows a Windows 7-like display with its rounded corners, transparent backgrounds, support for enhanced animations, motions, lighting, and more.

Furthermore, Microsoft plans to provide improvements to Windows' File Explorer, Start Menu, Action Center, Taskbar, and other important elements of the OS. The tech company will also be updating the main menus to support dark mode for its pop-ups and properties tab.

In addition, "Sun Valley" will feature a "simplified" Taskbar that shall clean up the system tray by moving the bulk of its contents into the Action Center with an improved Quick Settings panel, music control UI, and visually-separated notifications area.

The company is also reportedly planning to bring improvements to Settings in the way of a new battery usage chart that provides granular power consumption information. Multitasking abilities are also said to be getting a few new features, with Snap Assist allowing users to snap two Edge tabs side-by-side and improvements to scaling when moving across different displays. There also could be a new "dashboard" feature in the Task View area that displays users' account summary and calendar information.

The tech giant said they want to show customers that "Windows is back" and that it offers the best OS experience on the market.

The Windows 10 update will most likely hit the release to manufacture status by June of this year, but the actual update will not be available to the public until October. Before this major upgrade, an expected minor update will also be released prior, as per the tech company's standard two landmark updates in previous years.