Microsoft officially announces Windows 11 as the next generation of Windows

By Arif Bacchus Published June 24, 2021

The rumors and leaks were indeed true. Microsoft just officially announced Windows 11 at its big June 24 event, ushering it in as the next generation of Windows. Hitting general availability this holiday season, it will follow up n more than five years of updates to Windows 10.

Windows 11 comes with many new features, as was discovered when a leaked build of the operating system got posted online last week. The highlight of the update is a new fresh and modern visual redesign that touches nearly every aspect of the software. The operating system features web widgets, rounded corners, and more touches of Microsoft’s blur-like “Fluent Design” system.

Windows 11 is the latest version of Microsoft's operating system. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Under the hood, Microsoft improved features like waking from sleep and Windows Hello. It also improved Windows Updates to be 40% faster so you’re able to stay productive. As for performance, Microsoft says it has improved battery life on devices, as well as made Windows 11 the “most secure Windows yet.”

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Windows 11 is powered by the cloud and Microsoft 365, so you can see the same experiences from your mobile phone on your Start Menu. Snap Layouts are also new, allowing you to multitask with ease and see your open apps in the taskbar with ease. Even the windowing and docking system has been improved, so you can see your window layouts right as you left them when you dock and undock from a monitor.

Microsoft Teams is now integrated right into Windows 11. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Elsewhere, when it comes to Teams, Microsoft is including Teams integration right in the Taskbar. With one touch of an icon in the taskbar, you can connect with people that you love. There are even Windows Widgets, which is powered by an artificial intelligence serving you curated content.

Enhancements for gaming with auto HDR, a new Xbox app, the ability to use Android apps in the Microsoft Store through the Amazon app store caps out the list of features.

You can check out our live blog for more updates from the Windows 11 event as things roll along.

This is a breaking story and will be updated as more details are announced.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…

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