Over the past few weeks, we’ve shown that Microsoft’s Windows 10X should be a great alternative to Chrome OS. It seems to work well with a mouse and keyboard and on laptops with touch screens. Now, some new images show how well it is magnified to a mobile form factor.
Twitter user Gustave Monce claims that they managed to get a pre-release version of Windows 10X working on a Nokia Lumia 950 XL, a device that was already released in 2015. The images that Monce shared show how well the emerging software magnifies at different screen sizes. On the Lumia 950 XL, with a 5.7-inch screen, the Windows 10X taskbar fits snugly at the bottom of the screen, while the quick settings panel appears with all the elements in place.
I did take two photos, the UI seems to be very customizable for this resolution. Personally, I think it looks beautiful. pic.twitter.com/tqhZ51p5xj
– Gustave Monce (@ gus33000) 20 January 2021
Monce said Windows 10X responds well to the smaller form factor, as the images show, but a lot of work still needs to be done from the point of view of usability. If we did not know better, we would say that Microsoft is preparing to go into smartphones again (but we know that this could not be further from the truth).
Windows 10X is expected to be a lightweight to Windows 10. As we saw in previous leaks, it takes a lot of inspiration from Google’s Chrome operating system, while still retaining the soul and design of Windows 10. As something that is likely to be targeted. at enterprise and education customers, Microsoft’s new software could have a breakthrough year.
As we said before, Windows 10X will not be something you can upgrade your existing machine to. Instead, the software will be pre-installed on new machines similar to laptops with Chrome OS. If you’ve been tempted by Chromebooks in the past but are embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem, launching Windows 10X is the perfect solution.
Windows 10X devices are expected to be released this year, possibly as early as spring. Wouldn’t it be nice if Microsoft allowed old Windows Phone owners to download a working version of the software on their device? If only it were that way.