Windows 10’s long-rumoured Sun Valley Update, which is being referred to in the press as “Windows 11”, will be announced on June 24. In multiple job listings, Microsoft confirmed that it’s on a multi-year journey to “revolutionize” the Windows user experience and the upcoming update will bring significant changes to the platform.
We’re already expecting big things from the Sun Valley update which is expected to land in the preview channels later this month and ship to a mainstream audience in the fall.
Ahead of the Sun Valley update announcement, Microsoft has decided to test the “servicing pipeline” for the Windows Insider Program and release cumulative updates, as opposed to full-fledged preview builds with new features. Today, a new Build 21390.1000 has been released to the Dev channel and it’s a cumulative update with no features or changes.
Microsoft officials said that they need to test cumulative updates to address bugs on pre-release builds, and it’s a normal process.
“There are differences in testing LCUs on top of LCUs for released versions of Windows 10 and then testing it, finding bugs, fixing bugs, on pre-release builds of Windows 10,” wrote, Brandon LeBlanc, senior program manager at the Windows Insider program.
In addition, Microsoft explained they also need to test the “servicing pipeline” to discover and address potentials bugs in their own system before delivering the actual preview builds.
“The system in which we deliver updates (the servicing pipeline) on top of pre-release builds needs to be tested. It’s not just about bugs in the build, it’s about bugs in the system we use to apply these updates on the builds,” he added.
Microsoft is preparing preview builds with actual Sun Valley features
Microsoft’s decision to pause the release of preview builds suggests that the company is busy moving codes internally and merging the Sun Valley features, which were stripped out of the preview builds, back into the Dev Channel.
There won’t be any new builds until June 24 and it absolutely makes sense to pause the rollout of preview builds. That’s because Microsoft is holding back the “Sun Valley” design so it can surprise consumers with a complete makeover of Windows at the event.
Unlike the previous Windows releases, Windows Sun Valley (Windows 11?) UI overhaul will be felt across the entire desktop experience, from the Windows Settings through to the Start menu, and pretty much every popular component in-between.
We have already confirmed that Microsoft has been testing elements of Windows 10X for Windows 11 / Sun Valley features, such as the Action Center and Start Menu.
