Windows 10 launched to the public way back in July 2015. After managing to merge the starkly different worlds of Windows 7 and Windows 8 quite agreeably, its interface has stayed largely the same over the last half decade.
The Windows Devices and Experiences team, lead by Chief Product Officer Panos Panay, took control of the future of Windows back in February. This change quickly resulted in a plan for "reinvigorating," and modernising the Windows desktop experience. "Panos Panay wants people to go from needing Windows to loving Windows, and a modern refreshed interface that's intuitive and design-driven is a great start," writes Windows Central's Zac Bowden.
Insiders have already started to whisper about significant changes coming to Windows 10's UI thanks to the above mentioned management change. Windows Central says that insiders are now talking about a change to the Windows 10 UI experience codenamed 'Sun Valley'.
Core parts of the Windows 10 UI such as the Start menu, Action Centre, and even File Explorer may be significantly changed in Sun Valley. The insiders indicate that it might be taking some ideas from Windows 10X, mixed with an evolution of the Fluid design language we have seen pushed forward in recent months. Furthermore, users will benefit from a more modern Taskbar without the legacy code, a revamped File Explorer, greater fluidity overall, and deeper dark mode support.
Importantly, it is asserted that Sun Valley will still be familiar to PC users, not like the change from Windows 7 to 8. Furthermore, some new features that arrive will be able to be toggled between new and old experiences.
It is thought that Sun Valley could be delivered as part of the Windows 10 'Cobalt' release next Autumn.
