Redstone has been around for months but major additions and improvements have yet to be implemented. The current preview Insider builds of Windows 10 are Redstone versions but they have tended to focus on fixes and general improvements to prepare the OS for the major update.
According to a report from WinBeta today, Microsoft will roll out the first Redstone release to the public in June. Citing unnamed sources, the site writes that the update focuses on converging different devices together, linking Windows 10 PCs to smartphones and the Xbox One.
Microsoft is working to pull the platforms together and create stronger ties between them. Windows 10’s Continuum feature will be an integral part of the update, letting Windows 10 Mobile users connect their phone to a monitor and use it as a PC.
Continuum is being extended to represent a more general connected user experience, creating a continuum of Windows devices. Users will be able to make cellular calls and send SMS messages from their desktop PC, making people more productive by eliminating the need to pick up a smartphone every few minutes. The cellular connectivity will be routed via Continuum to a Windows 10 Mobile phone.
The first wave of Redstone will also focus heavily on the Universal App Platform, marking an expansion of the Windows store to the Xbox One games console and the increased sharing of apps between devices. Some evidence of this is already apparent as Microsoft has recently launched several previously Xbox-exclusive games on Windows 10 including Rise of the Tomb Raider and Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.
It is also developing a version of Forza Motorsport for PC gamers and will be launching Quantum Break on Windows 10 and the Xbox One. The company looks set to continue and expand this program of bringing PC and console gamers together with the launch of the Redstone Windows 10 update.
Other improvements in Redstone are said to include cosmetic tweaks to the Start Menu, Action Center and app controls. The Settings app is also getting a redesign and will inherit more of the features of the legacy Control Panel as the latter’s demise slowly continues.
Not all of the changes planned for Redstone will be finished by June though. According to WinBeta, “Redstone” has been split in half with one release planned for June and the other in spring 2017. Details are vague on the second wave but it is said to include a “bigger focus” on Microsoft’s own apps and more UI tweaks.
Microsoft’s BUILD developer conference later this month will likely be used to demonstrate several of the new Redstone features for the first time. After the event, it is probable the update will begin to rollout to Windows Insiders for thorough beta testing before a general release to consumers in June.
