Windows 11 just received a new preview update, and it’s rumored that this is the next major update to the operating system, known as “Moment 3,” and it’ll be here in just over a week (sort of to explain more in a, well, moment).
The update in question is build 22621.1776 which has reached the Release Preview Channel, the final test channel before release, as the name suggests.
There’s definitely a lot going on with this build, but most of it is minor stuff, so if you’re hoping for big changes, you might be a little disappointed.
That said, there are some big advances here, especially with accessibility, where Microsoft has implemented a ton of additions, tweaks, and smoothing.
This includes live subtitles for a number of new languages: Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French (France, Canada), German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Spanish and Korean. Several English dialects are also currently covered, including Irish.
Voice access, controlling the operating system by voice and dictating text, has also received support for different English dialects (Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, United Kingdom).
The list commands on the voice access help page have also been revamped to better explain the different functionality that this feature offers (and that’s a lot).
Microsoft has also introduced some new commands for selecting and editing text, such as the ability to select a section of text starting at a specified word and moving to a second word. There are now also commands to make text bold and italic.
Away from the world of accessibility, we now have Content Adaptive Brightness Control (CABC) on the stick to help save power with laptops and 2-in-1s, even when they’re connected (if you choose that option). As we’ve explained in more depth elsewhere, this feature intelligently dims some areas of the screen to save power without any noticeable difference in image quality (or so the theory goes).
Another notable but small addition is the presence of a VPN status icon in the system tray (far right in the taskbar).
This is shown when you’re connected to a VPN (or rather, a “recognized VPN profile”), meaning you can tell you’re safe (and anonymous) online at a glance, instead of of having to look at the VPN app. main menu (Not all VPNs indicate their connection status with their system tray icon, as would be ideal).
Also in the system tray, Windows 11 users now have the option to show the seconds on the clock.
In short, there’s a ton of stuff delivered with build 22621.1776, and if you want to read the seriously comprehensive list, check out Microsoft’s blog post (opens in a new tab) announcement
Analysis: It looks like a momentous update is imminent
There are some very convenient touches here, such as the VPN status icon, and many more minor but useful tweaks. (They also include new key shortcuts for the File Explorer context menu and the ability to copy two-factor authentication codes directly from notifications that appear in Windows 11.)
It’s also great to see accessibility bolstered, as we mentioned, with a bunch of new dialects supported by voice access and changes with live captions to bring in many more languages. Those who need these features will find them crucial, so better support is very welcome.
We’re very impressed with Voice Access in general, and the dictation built into Microsoft Word, all based on the Dragon technology (our favorite for speech recognition) that Microsoft acquired.
Going back to the ‘Moment 3’ thing we mentioned at the beginning, you might be wondering: what makes us think this build is this particular update? Well, a well-known Twitter leaker of all things Windows, PhantomOfEarth, believes that to be the case.
It looks like May 23rd will be a momentous day, that’s when you should expect the feature to roll out, as it’s the fourth Tuesday of the month and seems to be the optional update for May…May 11, 2023
And given the sheer number of changes, we’d be inclined to agree. We also knew that this next “moment” had to land soon anyway, so in theory we’ll see this move from the release preview to all Windows 11 PCs later this month, on the 23 of May if the filterer’s guess is correct.
Note, however, that this will not be the full version, but the optional update (still in preview, in other words) for May. You can grab it early if you want, with all the usual caveats about features still in preview, or wait for the full, finished version due out in June.
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With the impending release of Windows 11, tech enthusiasts are abuzz with excitement. After all, this will be the first big update to the popular Windows operating system in almost five years. Unfortunately, the hype could be short-lived, as the content of the update is proving to be less than stellar.
Microsoft has promised a number of new features – such as facial recognition, improved organization of files and content, and easier automatic updates – but they may not be enough to impress users. Additionally, some of the promised features are reliant on developers to create applications and tools, meaning users may have to wait for those features to be properly utilized.
The fact that the update is highly anticipated could mean users have higher expectations, and higher hopes for what the new OS brings to the table. It’s possible those expectations won’t be met, and that users may even be disappointed with what Windows 11 has to offer.
At Ikaroa, we have done our research and discussed the potential downfalls of the upcoming Windows 11 update. We understand that, despite the hype and excitement, there could be some degree of disappointment with the release. That being said, it’s not all doom and gloom. Microsoft has promised many innovative features that could live up to the hype and provide users with a much more efficient and enjoyable experience.
We will be keeping a close eye on the progress of Windows 11 and will update this article with news as we hear it. We recommend readers to do the same and remain patient while they wait and see what the new update has to offer.
