New Windows concept reinvents Microsoft’s OS with nostalgia and features users actually want

From making the battery indicator more useful to introducing new ways to add emojis, Microsoft is hard at work for the next major release of Windows 11, likely coming later this year. In the lead-up to its stable release, we’ll see the software giant introducing several new features to Windows Insiders for testing purposes, essentially giving us a solid idea about what to expect in the next Windows 11 release.

While we anticipate what new features Microsoft might include in the next Insider build, a famed concept designer has come up with a new Windows concept video, showcasing what Microsoft’s desktop OS will look like with a mix of nostalgia and features that matter.

New concept video shows Windows 25 with a new design, nostalgia, and useful features

Although not officially confirmed, Microsoft’s next major release will likely be called Windows 11 25H2 and not Windows 12. However, far from reality, there exists a “Windows 25,” courtesy of AR 4789, the brain behind some of the popular concepts like “Windows 12 Lite” and “Windows 12 Mobile.” The latest Windows 25 concept video gives a visual makeover to Microsoft’s desktop OS to make it visibly different from Windows 11.

AR 4789’s version of Windows 25 has no taskbar: neither at the top nor at the bottom. Instead, it has some sort of discontinuous Doc, where the Start menu and all the other apps sit next to each other with icons spaced out. There is also an option to add an app at the extreme right. The other control options like battery icons, speaker, network, and Quick Settings are in the top right corner, while the notifications appear at the top left. You’ll also see a redesigned File Explorer app and a new Settings app. Some of these ideas are inspired by the next-gen UI that Microsoft accidentally leaked way back in 2022.

However, the concept designer deserves credit for addressing one of the major pain points in the concept video. It shows the ability to pin individual widgets to the desktop, much like macOS, a feature several Windows Insiders on the Feedback Hub app requested Microsoft to add. In addition, the re-introduction of Live Tiles to the Start menu will take you down memory lane to Windows 10 and Windows 8. Another exciting feature worth highlighting is the ability to change the desktop wallpaper by swiping.

Will we see any of these features in future versions of Windows?

The easiest way to get Microsoft’s attention is by posting on the Feedback Hub app. If you want any of these features to be included in future versions of Windows, use the app to post your request. The more the users like your feature idea, the better the likelihood of getting Microsoft’s attention. Of all the features shown in the Windows 25 concept video, pinning widgets to the desktop has the highest chance of getting added to Windows in the future because it’s something Microsoft has been rumored to be working on for long.