Windows 11: Features, Requirements, Release Date

Microsoft officially announced its latest operating system, Windows 11, on June 24, 2021, bringing significant changes to the previous Windows 10 OS.

Windows 11 Features

The new Microsoft operating system features a more modern user interface, enhanced performance, and a redesigned Microsoft Store. And, as a pleasant surprise, support for Android applications.

The location of the Start button and Start Menu is one of the most significant design changes. Instead of being at the bottom-left corner of the screen, it has been moved to the center. Additionally, the Menu interface has been simplified, and apps now have those nice rounded edges. Touch gestures have been modified, which appears to improve the Windows experience on tablets and touchscreens.

On the left side of the screen, a slide-out pane displays "Windows widgets," a collection of curated news, weather, and stock information. These new weather and news widgets are clearly different compared to recent Windows 10 versions.

Moreover, there is the new Snap Layouts and Snap Groups, which is intended to organize apps. This is a reference to Windows 11's enhanced multitasking features. For example, if you connect a second monitor to your desktop or an external display to your laptop, Windows 11 will remember the position of your windows and apps. This means no more fine-tuning each time you remove and reconnect those additional screens. Meanwhile, if your monitor is compatible with HDR, but your game is not, Windows 11 will convert the color and lighting with its Auto HDR feature.

Microsoft Teams, the company's video conferencing app, comes pre-installed with the OS. If you're a Skype user, you'll need to download and install it from the Windows Store. It appears as though Microsoft is gradually phasing out this app in favor of Teams.

The Microsoft Store has also undergone noteworthy design changes. It appears to be cleaner and more pleasant to operate. Android apps are available via the Amazon Appstore, which can be accessed via the Microsoft Store. Windows will leverage Intel's Bridge Technology, a run-time post compiler, to enable Android applications to run natively and be treated similarly to other Windows applications.

Microsoft also emphasized that the new Start menu is "cloud-powered." And one of its visual characteristics is how it changes throughout the day, offering refreshing vistas, landscapes, or some other lovely scene. Furthermore, there will be a selection of widgets to choose from, which will change based on the time of day, according to Microsoft.

For gamers, another Xbox feature that has been ported to Windows, DirectStorage enables your game to load content directly from your NVMe SSD into the GPU's memory without requiring a large amount of CPU power. This results in faster loading times for levels and less time spent waiting.

The good news is Windows 11 will be available for a free upgrade for Windows 10. This is a similar move to one Microsoft made a few years ago when it offered free updates to Windows 10 from Windows 8 and the legendary Windows 7.

Windows 11 Requirements

Windows 11 spec requirements are the following:

• CPU: 1 GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a 64-bit processor
• RAM: at least 4GB of RAM
• Storage: at least 64GB of storage
• System firmware: UEFI BIOS with Secure Boot
• TPM: TPM 2.0
• Display: 9-inch or larger screen with 720p resolution
• Internet connection and Microsoft accounts: Internet connectivity and an MS account. No offline installs.
• Graphics card: GPU compatible with DirectX 12

Windows 11 Support For Intel

• Intel 8th Gen (Coffee Lake)
• Intel 9th Gen (Coffee Lake Refresh)
• Intel 10th Gen (Comet Lake)
• Intel 10th Gen (Ice Lake)
• Intel 11th Gen (Rocket Lake)
• Intel 11th Gen (Tiger Lake)
• Intel Xeon Skylake-SP
• Intel Xeon Cascade Lake-SP
• Intel Xeon Cooper Lake-SP
• Intel Xeon Ice Lake-SP

Windows 11 Support For AMD

• AMD Ryzen 2000
• AMD Ryzen 3000
• AMD Ryzen 4000
• AMD Ryzen 5000
• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2000
• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3000
• AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3000
• AMD EPYC 2nd Gen
• AMD EPYC 3rd Gen

The upgrade will be delivered via a live update, similar to how we receive current updates when we power off our devices.

How to download Windows 11 (once it's available)

When Windows 11 becomes available, it will be downloaded in the same manner as any other new version of Windows. To check for updates, most users will navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click Check for Updates. If available, you'll see Windows 11 Feature update. To confirm, click Download and Install.

Windows 11 Release Date

Microsoft did not mention a release date for Windows 11. They've just stated the holidays, which means November or December of this year, or 2022! Just stay tuned.

On the other hand, Microsoft said that beta builds will begin to be distributed to Windows Insiders the week of June 28, 2021.