Microsoft is already preparing the second major Windows 11 update for late 2023, which is being called ‘Sun Valley 3’, or ‘Copper’ internally, with a greater focus on touch improvements for tablets.
According to latest windows (opens in new tab)23H2 appears to build on Sun Valley 2 with improvements to existing Windows 11 apps, while potentially adding a ‘tablet mode’ similar to that found in Windows 10.
Sun Valley 2 appears to be gearing up for release in late 2022, with bug fixes currently being pushed through Insider Builds, which allow users to try out the major update before it’s available to everyone.
However, with the move to an annual feature release as well as Apple’s efforts, it would be good for Microsoft to announce When certain features are coming, rather than just introducing them.
Analysis: Let’s Hear When, Not What Microsoft
In April, Microsoft held an event announcing the arrival of guides for File Explorer. Finally, you’ll be able to manage folders and files in a multi-tab window instead of a bunch of windows that would clutter your screen.
However, there was no indication from the company during this event as to when it would arrive for all Windows 11 users. At the time of writing, we’ve just seen it hit the Dev Channel on recent Windows Insider builds, suggesting that it could still be a while. a bit until normal users get the feature.
While there’s a good chance we’ll see this in Sun Valley 2, it’s still not certain. We don’t know what’s coming with the major update, or when it will officially arrive, even though we’ve already seen the tentative date leak.
So, let’s see a Microsoft roadmap. Let’s find out what the plans are for the annual versions of Windows 11 and when some features will arrive. Seeing tabs in File Explorer is great, but it’s hard to get excited if there’s no indication of when the feature will arrive.
The hope for Sun Valley 3 is to at least hear about what the plans are for it and when it will arrive. This way, business users and developers can prepare their organizations and applications to take advantage of the new features.
Apple has already unveiled its updates for macOS, iOS, iPadOS and more, with a ‘fall’ release. And even if it’s a vague release date, it at least gives all your users an idea of when those updates will arrive.
I want to see something similar from Microsoft. That way, users will be eager to try out their favorite new features, especially when they buy a new laptop or tablet, rather than being confused about when they will arrive on their devices.