Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will unveil the Windows Threshold preview on September 30. Earlier this week, Microsoft China accidentally leaked that the Windows Threshold could indeed be named Windows 9, as rumors and speculations have suggested for months. The next-gen Windows will put a greater emphasis on delivering regular updates for Windows 9 instead of launching major successors like Windows 10 or Windows 11.
Windows 9 to have a unified app store
The Windows 9 will have a unified app store for all form factors. The company will combine the UI of Windows Phone and Windows RT, while the desktop and laptop version will have a different interface suitable to those form factors. That’s great! But Microsoft seems to be in a branding conundrum. The company currently has Windows RT for tablets, Windows Phone for smartphones, and Windows 8.1 for two-in-ones, PCs and laptops. Consumers find it confusing.
But Microsoft seems to be moving away from using plenty of different names, says Tom Warren of The Verge. The software giant and other companies have dropped multiple hints that the next-gen OS could simply be named ‘Windows’ rather than Windows 9. It makes sense if Windows client is moving away from major successors to regular updates. Currently, the combined version of Windows Phone and Windows RT is internally called as “Windows mobile.”
Microsoft drops multiple hints
In its latest ad for Lumia 930, the software giant doesn’t even mention Windows Phone. It refers to the OS as Windows. That’s not the only evidence; there are more. The HTC One M8 has also dropped Windows Phone for Windows The new Cortana commercials also make no mention of Windows Phone. In fact, ads for Lumia 830, Lumia 730, or Lumia 530 have all shied away from mentioning Windows Phone.
Microsoft seems to be experimenting with the branding of the combined version of Windows Phone and Windows RT. Microsoft expert Paul Thurrott suggests Microsoft dropping the Windows brand altogether.
Microsoft shares inched up 0.10% to $45.32 at 10:49 AM EDT on Friday.
