Windows Lite: Everything you need to know

You’ve heard of Windows RT, you may be aware of Windows 10 S. But do you know anything about Windows Lite? There isn’t much to know at the end of 2018, but the alleged next operating system from Microsoft is an intriguing one. We’ve heard that it might be the most lightweight Windows yet, designed to offer credible competition to Google’s Chrome OS and Chromebooks. It may even launch without the longstanding Windows branding.

Here’s everything we know about Windows Lite so far.

What is Windows Lite?

Before we go any further, please make note: The Windows Lite we are discussing is about a future form of the operating system from Microsoft. It is not the unsupported stripped back version of Windows 10 that can be found through some download sites. Digital Trends does not recommend installing unofficial operating systems or patches.

Windows Lite is alleged to be a lightweight version of Windows that will be both faster and leaner than previous Windows operating systems. A little like Windows 10 S, it will reportedly only run UWP applications downloaded from the Microsoft store and Progressive Web Apps, which operate like an offline app, but run through an online service.

Building off of Microsoft’s developments with its Always Connected laptops, Windows Lite will reportedly be instant on, always connected, and will work with any sort of CPU to provide a wide array of options for manufacturers and consumers. Considering Qualcomm CPUs have proven very capable at extending battery life beyond 20 hours in some laptops, we wouldn’t be surprised if the recently announced Snapdragon 8cx ended up in Windows Lite laptops in the second half of 2019.

A reportedly big part of the new “Lite” OS is that it will not look like Windows. A brand new user interface that targets modern form and function over legacy support could give the platform a fresh look and feel. Perhaps it will be bear some resemblance to the Chromium browser that Microsoft is looking to replace Edge with.

What this means for major Windows projects like the long-rumored Polaris desktop version of Core OS, remains to be seen. It seems likely that if Lite proves real and effective, it could put a nail in the coffin of Windows 10 S, but we’ll need to wait and see.

When will Windows Lite be available?

Microsoft hasn’t made any kind of official announcement about Windows Lite, with only Petri.com’s Brad Sams providing any semblance of know-how about it. However, if, as he says, hints of the new OS are appearing in Windows Insider builds, the lean OS may be quite far along in development. Microsoft certainly has Windows 10 S and its long-rumored Core OS platform to draw from in its creation.

For now, we have very little to go on about if or when Windows Lite will be available, but it wouldn’t surprise us if Microsoft made some kind of announcement at the Microsoft Build 2019 conference. No date for that event has yet been given, but for the past few years it has been held between April and May, so we may have less than six months to wait to learn more about Lite and when it might be released.

Current rumors suggest the OS will not be purchasable individually and will only come pre-installed on specific laptops targeting home and student users. It is thought likely to not be available to enterprises.

Will it be called Windows Lite?

At this time, the rumored operating system is simply known as “Lite.” That’s how it appears in the files within some Windows Insider builds which haven’t been effectively scrubbed of their mentions. Pedri’s Sams believes that it may not even sport the Windows branding when released, ditching its ties to the decades-old platform.

The combination of a new user interface and name change could go a long way to attracting those who have sworn off Windows, or see Windows as too fully featured or complicated for their use. Just as Chrome OS builds off of the familiarity of the Chrome browser, Microsoft’s “Lite,” or whatever it ends up being called, may look to overhaul the idea of what an operating system should look and feel like, heading in a new direction for the company.