Over the past few months, rumours of Microsoft heading back to the drawing board on yet another Mobile reboot have been in no short supply. Earlier this year, details of the company’s efforts to make the Windows 10 interface look the same on PC and mobile were leaked. After it was confirmed last week that an extensive reimagining of Windows 10 Mobile is underway, today Windows Central provided the first look into what’s in store.
As previously described, the new operating system is based on Microsoft’s upcoming CSHELL technology. In brief, the system allows the same Windows 10 interface to scale across every device. At present, Windows 10 uses a universal core regardless of the device it’s running on. Each form factor still has its own unique interface though, such as the desktop on PCs and the Mobile Start screen.
CSHELL changes this. There will be a single interface that will intelligently support any device. The working implementation of the technology obtained by Windows Central demonstrates this. While it may look similar to the current Mobile Start screen, the version running on the phone in the video is actually the same as that currently used for Windows 10’s desktop shell.
This is made obvious by the desktop-style context menus used to adjust tiles. There’s also Live Tile settings that are currently PC-only, including the option to create Large tiles and disable the continually updating Live Tile view. These aren’t mere similarities with the PC Start menu – it really is the same interface.
In the build, the Start screen has a landscape view on mobile devices. While it’s unclear whether it’ll make it to the finished version, a landscape Start screen has been a top fan request for years. By bringing the Windows 10 desktop interface to phones, Microsoft now has the technology available to enable it.
Yet more features of the PC version hint at the productivity features in store. There’s support for true multi-window multitasking, a feature Windows loyalists have long asked for. It’s now available on Android phones, before the operating system that’s renowned for its multitasking capabilities on tablets and desktops. Microsoft looks set to play catch-up by its second attempt at putting Windows 10 onto phones.
The software is said to be in early development and the screenshots show there’s still a long way to go. It’s clear not everything is scaling perfectly yet, such as the cramped spacing of the notification icons and cluttered layout of the Action Center notification tray. Again, it has all been brought over from Windows 10’s desktop, so Microsoft now needs to get it to fit within the confines of a phone display.
Assuming Microsoft sees the project through to completion, this latest leak seemingly confirms the company is working on something major for mobile. Although many have called on the company to abandon smartphones entirely, it’s becoming increasingly clear that it will be doing almost exactly the opposite.
The CSHELL-enabled Windows 10 Mobile shown in the photos looks to be the most powerful yet, if Microsoft manages to convince consumers of its benefits this time around. Windows Central speculated the revamped platform could launch on rumoured new hardware next year.
