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The latest Google Lens update might bring Circle to Search to many more phones
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Google seemingly has plans to expand its Circle to Search feature to other Android phones via Google Lens. In a recent deep dive, news site Android Authority found clues to the update within the recent Google app betas files and compiled them all together. 

What’s particularly interesting is they managed to get the tool working on a smartphone, possibly hinting at an imminent release. According to the report, they even managed to get a popup notification informing users that the update would appear.

It tells people to hold down the home button to access Circle to Search, much like the experience on the Galaxy S24. Upon activation, a three-button navigation bar appears at the bottom, and an accompanying video shows the tool in action as it looks up highlighted portions of the Play Store on Google Search. The UI looks, unsurprisingly, similar to how it does on Galaxy phones, with search inquiries rising from the bottom.

Clashing with Gemini

You may notice that the rainbow filter animation is gone, having been replaced by a series of dots and lines. Well, that’s the old beta, and the newer version has the animation and the Translate button, which shows up in the lower right hand corner next to the search bar.

At a glance, it seems Circle to Search on Google Lens is close to launching, although it is still a work in progress with a few issues to iron out. For example, how will it work on a smartphone housing the Gemini app as holding down on the home button launches the chatbot? Google might give Circle to Search priority in this instance, so long pressing opens the tool rather than the AI. However, at this point, it’s too early to tell.

New navigation option

Android Authority also found “XML files referring to pill-based gesture navigation.” If you don’t know what that is, it’s the oval at the bottom of Android displays. The shape lets you move between apps with basic gestures. Google Lens could offer this option, allowing users to ditch the three-button navigation bar, but it may not come out for a while as it doesn’t work in the betas.

Circle to Search on Google Lens will most likely stick to the three buttons, though. The original report has a theory about this, as they believe implementing the pill navigation would systemic OTA (over-the-air) updates to millions upon millions of Android smartphones, which may or “may not be feasible.” So, to get Circle to Search out sooner to people, the navigation option will have to be pushed back a bit. The three-button solution is easier to implement.

There is no word on when the update will arrive, but we hope it’s soon, as it is a great feature and currently a highlight for the Galaxy and Pixel devices that have it. 

While you're here, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best Android phones for 2024.

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Amazon is reportedly working on its own AI chatbot that might be smarter than ChatGPT
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Amazon is reportedly working on its own AI chatbot, codenamed “Metis”, that’ll operate in a similar vein to ChatGPT. 

According to Business Insider, who spoke “to people familiar with the project,” the new platform will be accessible through a web browser. They also viewed an internal document revealing the chatbot's potential capabilities. It’ll provide text answers to inquiries in a “conversational manner,” give links to sources, suggest follow-up questions, and even generate images. 

So far, it appears that Metis performs just like any other generative AI, but things soon begin to deviate. The company apparently wants to utilize a technique called “retrieval-augmented generation,” or RAG for short. It gives Metis the ability to grab information outside of its original training data, thereby giving the AI a big advantage over its rivals.

ChatGPT, by comparison, works by accessing a data reservoir whenever a user inputs a prompt, but that reservoir has a cut-off date that differs between the service’s models. For example, GPT-4 Turbo has a cut-off date of December 2023. It’s not privy to anything that has happened so far in 2024.

Powering the AI chatbot

It’s unknown if Amazon has implemented RAG at the time of Business Insider’s report. Metis is also slated to function as an “AI agent.” Judging from the description given, it would allow the service to function as a smart home assistant of sorts, “automating and performing complex tasks.” This includes but is not limited to turning on lights, making vacation itineraries, and booking flights.

The report goes on to reveal some of the tech powering Metis. The AI runs on a new internal AI model called Olympus, which is supposed to be a better version of Amazon’s “publicly available Titan.” The company even brought people from the Alexa team to help with development. In fact, Metis “uses some of the [same] resources” as the long-rumored Alexa upgrade.

Differing attitudes

Attitudes towards the AI chatbot vary among different parts of the company. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy seems very interested in the project, as he is directly involved with development and often reviews the team’s progress. Others, however, are less enthusiastic. One of the sources told Business Insider that they felt the company was way too late to party. Rival companies are so ahead of the curve that playing chase may not be worthwhile.

The report mentions that Amazon’s ventures into AI have been mostly duds. The Titan model is considered weaker than rival models; their Amazon Q corporate chatbot isn’t great, and there is low demand for their Trainnium and Inferentia AI chips. Amazon needs a big win to stay in the AI space.

Sources claim Metis is scheduled to launch in September around the same time Amazon is planning to hold its next big event. However, the date could change at any time. Nothing is set in stone at the moment.

While we have you, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best AI chatbots for 2024.

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Rumored Apple and Meta collaboration might make the iPhone 16 a better AI phone
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Apple may be augmenting its new Apple Intelligence Artificial Intelligence (AI) features with models built by Meta, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The two tech giants are supposedly discussing incorporating Meta's generative AI services into iOS 18 and the next generation of iPhone models. 

The WSJ report cites conversations Apple has begun with most of the big names in AI, including Google (Gemini), Anthropic (Claude), and OpenAI (ChatGPT). Plans for Apple Intelligence to include free ChatGPT access and GPT-4o integration were mentioned among the deluge of Apple Intelligence news at WWDC this year. That is clearly a non-exclusive arrangement if a Meta collaboration is underway. 

Apple's interest in Meta's Llama 2 and Llama 3 large language models makes sense on both ends of any deal. Meta would get to bring its AI to the massive global network of iPhone users, while Apple could cite Meta's AI features as another selling point for the iPhone. And while both Meta and Apple have some deals with OpenAI and its main funder, Microsoft, an alliance between the two might help build a competitive alternative even as OpenAI and ChatGPT may be what people first point to as generative AI. 

Mutually beneficial

For Apple as a hardware platform, it's especially good to widen the available AI model choices. That way, Apple can pitch iPhones as an AI hub, switching among models depending on what people want the AI to do. Apple explicitly pointed toward that goal at WWDC this year when announcing the deal with OpenAI to provide ChatGPT on Apple products.

“We wanted to start with the best, and we think ChatGPT from OpenAI and their new 4o model represents the best choice for our users today,” Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi explained at the event. “We think ultimately, people are going to have a preference perhaps for certain models that they want to use – maybe one that great’s for creative writing, or one they prefer for coding, and so we want to enable users ultimately to bring the model of their choice and we’re going to look forward to doing integrations with models, like Google Gemini for instance, in the future.”

Any speculation on how Apple Intelligence will change thanks to Meta is premature, but the fact it's happening at all might surprise some. Meta's advertising income took a beating after Apple changed its policies to give users more control over their data in 2021. Requiring user permission before tracking data across other apps and websites cost Meta billions of dollars and prompted Meta to release a method for advertisers to avoid Apple's service fee for boosting ad posts. The stakes of those business battles are apparently no match for Apple and Meta's anticipated AI earnings, and both now seem happy to let bygones be bygones. 

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Report: Amazon might ask you to pay for the best Alexa
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Amazon has spent a good portion of 2024 working on an upgrade for Alexa. Rumors from last month said the tech giant sought to implement AI tech into their assistant allowing it to compete with the likes of ChatGPT. 

Now, as part of a new report, Reuters recently spoke to “eight current and former employees who worked on Alexa,” giving insight into what the future update could bring. These sources claim that the project, “known internally as Banyan,” consists of two versions of Alexa.

The first voice assistant, and Amazon’s main focus, is called “Remarkable Alexa.” This is supposed to be the more intelligent of the two with generative AI features. According to Reuters, it would be capable of performing multiple tasks from a single prompt, such as writing a brief email and ordering delivery. 

The insiders say Amazon also seeks to improve the smart assistant’s conversational skills. You won’t have to repeat the name “Alexa” repeatedly while giving instructions, for example.

Remarkable Alexa will apparently be able to automatically create Routines without direct input from a user since it’ll pay attention to your daily routine. For example, if the assistant hears your alarm clock going off in the morning, it’ll turn on your coffee machine. “Amazon is also aiming to supercharge” home automation, reportedly.

Reuters’ sources state Alexa will connect to “smart devices” that can be controlled via voice commands. In another given example, you could instruct the AI to “turn the porch lights on every day at 8 pm.” The report says customers will need to purchase “additional Alexa-enabled devices” to make house-wide control possible.

Potential pricing

Be aware that the new Alexa will not be a free upgrade. Amazon plans to launch Remarkable Alexa as a monthly add-on to Prime memberships, although the pricing is still in the air as it could cost either $ 5 or $ 10. With a Prime subscription, people could be looking at a total of $ 19.99 to $ 24.99 a month. 

It’s worth noting the sources were critical of the extra charge, wondering if people were willing to pay for something that is already free. What’s more, there may not be a special “tie-in with Amazon’s $ 139-per-year Prime membership.” 

There’s very little information about the second version of Alexa. All that is known is it’ll serve as a replacement for “Classic Alexa,” which is the current version, and will also be powered by artificial intelligence.

Pressure

Reuters claims there is a lot of internal pressure at Amazon HQ to get the Alexa revamp right. Their sources say the project “represents a ‘desperate attempt’ to revitalize the service.” Alexa has never turned a profit in all its years, and its status in the industry has been kneecapped by the rise of generative AI.

Amazon is pushing employees to launch Remarkable Alexa sometime in August, but don’t get too attached to that release window. The launch window, as well as the final pricing, could change, or the project could be canceled at any time. It all depends on how well development progresses moving forward.

As with every leak, take this information with a grain of salt. Be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best Alexa speakers for 2024.

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Logitech’s new MX Ink stylus might be a dream art tool for your Meta Quest headset
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Logitech has recently unveiled its first mixed reality stylus, and it's exclusive to the Meta Quest series. Known as the MX Ink, it's designed to give people a more precise way to create and draw when wearing a Meta headset. While you can utilize the native controllers for content creation, they simply don’t offer the same level of accuracy as a stylus. 

One of the first things you’ll notice looking at the MX Ink is it’s quite large, resembling a marker more than a pen. It measures 6.46 x 0.72 inches (64 mm x 18.2 mm) and weighs a little over an ounce (28 grams). 

By comparison, the Apple Pencil Pro measures 6.53 x 0.35 inches (166 mm x 8.9 mm) and weighs 0.68 ounces (19.15 grams). Logitech’s MX Ink has four buttons in total: three near the front and one in the back.  

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The frontmost button lets you grab objects in the mixed reality space to drag around, while the middle option allows users to alter the pen’s pressure sensitivity. Behind that is an Options button for configuring the stylus. Lastly, the button all the way at the end gives access to the headset’s Meta menu.

Logitech claims they developed the MX Ink to be “optimized for precision” as it reportedly has “low-latency on par with Meta Quest controllers.” Thanks to the haptic feedback, the stylus offers an immersive experience meant to mimic what it is to use an actual pen on paper.

Mode of operation

The MX Ink works under two modes of operation. First is 2D Tableau, which allows Meta Quest owners to use the stylus on a flat surface when drawing. It’s unknown if the mode works on any flat surface or if you need the MX Mat accessory.

Logitech’s demo shows someone illustrating on a wooden table, but the sheet of paper is sitting on the mat – not the natural surface. The mat appears crucial, but the same video shows a woman drawing on a canvas. 

Or perhaps she’s using the other operation mode – 3D Sculpting. This allows you to freely create just by drawing in the air. The same demo displays multiple use cases, from building a house in a 3D environment to tracing the outline of what appears to be a snowboarding boot.

Other notable features include swappable tips and a seven-hour battery life. You can recharge it by plugging it in using a USB-C cable or purchasing the MX Inkwell combo to get a charging dock for the stylus. 

Supporting apps

The company states you can use the MX Ink and the paired Quest controllers simultaneously, and you won’t be forced to disconnect them. It’s important to note that the stylus is only compatible with the Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets. Logitech told RoadtoVR it won’t work on the Quest Pro, and we've reached out to the company for comment, as they didn’t explain why that support is missing.

Additionally, the pen doesn’t work across all of the Quest library; just a handful of art apps. This includes Gravity Sketch, ShapesXR, and Arkio for now, but it’s possible we could see more added to the list. Logitech is offering third-party developers the opportunity to integrate MX Ink into their apps by applying for a developer kit. 

The MX Ink launches in late September 2024 for $ 129.99 or $ 169.99 for the Inkwell combo. You can sign up to receive notifications letting you know when it’s available for purchase.

In the meantime, check out TechRadar's list of the best VR headsets for 2024.

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Windows 11’s Recall feature could pack a handy time-saving web search ability that might be less controversial (for a change)
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Windows 11’s Recall feature has been causing controversy recently, so much so that Microsoft has actually halted the feature in its tracks (for now) – but a new discovery won’t fan any of those particular flames. In fact, it could well prove useful for those who eventually take the plunge with the now-delayed AI-powered functionality.

As discovered in the new preview build 26236 for Windows 11 (in the Canary channel) by regular leaker @PhantomofEarth on X, the new addition to Recall – which is still hidden in testing – is a ‘Search the web’ option.

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To recap, Recall is an AI feature specifically designed for Copilot+ PCs which regularly takes screenshots of the activity on your PC, files them in a library, and makes this searchable via Microsoft’s Copilot AI in Windows.

The new ‘Search the web’ facility allows the user to right-click on any text detected in a screenshot taken by Recall, and it’ll fire up a search on that selected text (in the user’s default search engine, presumably – though we don’t get to see the feature in action).

The ‘Search the web’ option is present in Recall’s right-click menu (in a snapshot) alongside the ‘Copy’ and ‘Open with’ options.

New AI settings in Windows 11

X user @alex290292 commented on @PhantomofEarth’s post with another interesting observation that there are also new AI-related settings in this Windows 11 preview build.

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These are in the Settings app, under ‘Privacy & Security’ where there’s a ‘Generative AI’ panel that allows for the fine-tuning of which apps are allowed to use generative AI capabilities. Apparently, you’ll also be able to review the last seven days of activity to see which apps requested to use generative AI.

To be able to see all of this for yourself, you’ll have to install the preview build and use a Windows configuration tool (ViVeTool) to enable ‘hidden’ Windows 11 features – not something we’d recommend for anyone but a keen enthusiast who’s comfortable with tinkering around in test builds.

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MacOS Sequoia’s wildest update – iPhone mirroring – might be more useful than you think
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When Apple introduced macOS Sequoia and its new iPhone Mirroring capability, I didn't get it. Now, though, after seeing it in action and considering some non-obvious use cases, I may be ready to reconsider.

Apple unveiled the latest AI-infused version of macOS during its WWDC 2024 keynote, which also saw major updates to iOS, iPadOS, visionOS, tvOS, and watchOS. It also served as the launch platform for Apple Intelligence, an Apple-built and branded version of artificial intelligence. I get that Apple's been building AI PCs for a while (ever since the M1 chip, they've included an on-board neural engine), and there are many features, including a better Siri, powerful photo editing features, and smart writing help, to look forward to but I found myself fixating elsewhere.

Apple was putting the iPhone on your Mac, or, rather, an iPhone screen floating in the middle of the lovely macOS Sequoia desktop. In a way, this is the most significant redesign of the new platform. It puts an entirely different OS – a mobile one, no less – on top of a laptop or desktop. 

Wow. And also, why?

I admit that I had a hard time conceiving what utility you could gain from having a second, live interface on an already busy desktop. Apple has said in the past that they build features, in some cases, based on user requests. Who had ever asked for this?

After the keynote, I had the chance to take a deeper dive, which helped me better understand this seemingly unholy marriage and why, in some cases, it might make perfect sense.

Making it so

WWDC 2024

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Apple built a new app to connect your iOS 18-running iPhone to your macOS Sequoia Mac. In a demo I saw, it took one click to make it happen. Behind the scenes, the two systems are building a secure Bluetooth and WiFi connection. On the iPhone, there is a message that mirroring is live. On the Mac, well, there's the iPhone screen, complete with the dynamic Island cutout (a strange choice if you ask me – why virtualize dead space?).

I was honestly shocked at the level of iPhone functionality Apple could bring to the Mac desktop.

You can use the Mac trackpad to swipe through iPhone apps.

You can click to launch apps and run them inside the iPhone screen on your Mac desktop.

Pinch and zoom on the Mac trackpad works as expected with the iPhone apps.

There's even full drag-and-drop capability between the two interfaces. So you could take a video from the Go Pro app on your mirrored iPhone screen and drag and drop it into another app, like Final Cut Pro on the Mac.

Essentially, you are reaching through one big screen to get to another smaller one – on a different platform – that is sitting locked beside your desktop. It's stange and cool, but is it necessary?

WWDC 2024

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Not everything makes sense. You can search through your mirrored phone screen, but why not just search on your desktop?

You can use the mirrored iPhone screen in landscape mode and play games. However, there's no obvious way to tell someone trying to play a game that uses the iPhone gyroscope that this is a bad idea.

I like that there's enough awareness that while the iPhone screen can look exactly like the screen on the phone, you can click to access a slightly larger frame that allows you to control the mirrored screen.

It's not the kind of mirroring that locks you in. To end it, you just pick up and unlock the phone to end the connection.

Even seeing all this, though, I wondered how people might use iPhone Mirroring.

Even seeing all this, though, I wondered how people might use iPhone Mirroring. There's the opportunity to play some games that aren't available on Mac. Multi-player word game fans might like that if they get a notification, they can open the mirrored phone screen, make a move, and then return to work.

When macOS Sequoia ships later this fall, you'll even be able to resize the mirrored iPhone window, which I guess could be useful for landscape games.

Notifications from your phone sounds redundant, especially for those of us in the iCloud ecosystem where all our Apple products get the same iMessages. But the system is smart enough to know it shouldn't repeat notifications on both screens, and you'll have the option to decide which iPhone notifications appear on your Mac.

Some notifications only appear on your iPhone, and others appear in both places, but you can't always act on them on the Mac.  This new feature might bridge that gap. A fellow journalist mentioned that iPhone mirroring would finally give him a way to jump from a notification he saw on his Mac for his baby cam app, where this is no cam app, to the live feed on the iPhone. This finally struck me as truly useful.

Is that enough of a reason to have your iPhone screen pasted on your Mac desktop? I don't know.  It might take up too much real estate on my MacBook Air 13-inch, but it would be kind of cool on a 27-inch iMac, if I had one.

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Windows 11 users: get ready for lock screen widgets that might annoy you (but Microsoft is doing something about that)
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Windows 11 and 10 users, you can breathe a sigh of relief for a moment, as there’s news that’s not about sticking more AI into the heart of Windows 11, or about Windows 10’s seemingly unavoidable end – although I don’t know if this development will be a cause for joy. Microsoft is fully rolling out MSN lock screen widgets after testing the feature for the past four months. 

Apparently, the feature is still in the process of being rolled out, so you may not see it quite yet, but these widgets should appear on your lock screen very soon (if they don’t already). Microsoft is implementing this change for Windows 11 and 10 via a server-side update, so the widgets will just suddenly appear – and so far, Windows Latest observes that users aren’t receiving them warmly.

Part of the problem is that the lock screen widgets displayed are pre-set by Microsoft, and they can’t be adjusted or modified to your preferences. The widgets appear if you switch them on, or already have the ‘Weather or more’ option turned on, in the Settings app. 

To be precise, you’ll find this option in the following location: 

Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen  

A selection of a screenshots of the Lock Screen section in the Settings app, allowing users to switch on the batch of widgets

(Image credit: Microsoft)

An all or nothing proposition – at least for now

The pre-configured MSN widgets include Microsoft Money, Sports, and Weather, but you can’t currently pick and choose which of these you’d like to keep and which to leave out. I imagine this is where a lot of the dissatisfaction with the feature comes from, as it feels that if you’d like widgets on your lock screen, but not all of them – well, it’s a case of tough luck. You’re forced to have them all, or none of them (if you switch them off).

Why can’t you adjust these widgets individually, turning off the ones you don’t like, as you can with other individual widgets such as Mail or Calendar? Well, the good news is that you’ll be able to do that before long, as Microsoft has promised this ability is inbound for Windows 11 and 10 users.

We don’t know when this important change is set to arrive, but hopefully, we’ll see this coming in sooner rather than later, as we can’t imagine it’s a huge task for Microsoft.

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New Windows 10 update gives it Windows 11’s photo-sharing capabilities with Android devices – but you might want to hang on
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Microsoft has recently released an optional update, KB5037849, for Windows 10 that brings in a useful feature that we’ve only seen in Windows 11 thus far, one that improves integration with Android devices.

This development is a little unexpected as Microsoft has been pushing Windows 10 users to transition to Windows 11, and reminding them that its end-of-support date is approaching – so you’d expect that adding new features to the older OS would be shoved down the priority list by now, but apparently that’s not the case.

After installing KB5037849, Windows Latest noticed that the 'Mobile Devices' feature page, previously seen only in Windows 11, had been introduced to Windows 10. This feature enables you to access photos taken and stored on your phone instantly on your PC. It appears as a ‘Mobile Devices’ page found in the Settings app, and when you toggle ‘Allow this PC to access your mobile devices’ on, it will prompt you to ‘Download and install Cross Device Experience Host’ from the Microsoft Store. 

Apparently, it does require that you’re logged into a Microsoft account, but it doesn’t need setting up via the Phone Link app (which allows users to fully sync their Android or iPhone with their Windows PC towards all kinds of ends). 

Once you do this, you can head to the ‘Manage Devices’ page (via the ‘Mobile Devices’ panel) and turn on ‘Get new photo notifications.’ You will then receive notifications on your PC when you take new photos on the Android phone that you’ve linked, allowing you to view the photos and edit them with the Snipping Tool in Windows 11. Or indeed you can also open the photos with Paint, or share them with others via Windows Share. 

Microsoft Surface tablet on desk with businesman and businesswoman

(Image credit: Worawee Meepian / Shutterstock)

How to get this new photo-sharing with Android feature

For now, Windows 10 users will have to install the optional May 2024 update to gain these capabilities, but all Windows 10 users are set to get this feature as part of the mandatory June 2024 Patch Tuesday update. 

Remember that any optional update is still in testing, and could have unpredictable results, so you may want to wait for the full release of the patch (which happens a week today, in fact, so it’s not far off).

If you can’t wait and want to install the optional update KB5037849 now, go to the following location: Settings > Updates & Security > Windows Update. Then click on ‘Download and install’ where the optional update is flagged up (check for updates if it isn’t).

This update also delivers several bug fixes, as well as other changes, that you can check out in more detail on Microsoft’s official support page for the patch. 

I’m glad Windows 10 is still receiving new features, even if they’re not the biggest updates, and it’s good to see Microsoft hasn’t completely given up on the OS, despite the scheduled end-of-support date being just over a year away.

Hopefully, Microsoft will continue to add features to improve Windows 10, although I’d imagine the company will halt this practice in the near future, as resources are likely to be redirected elsewhere, which will no doubt disappoint Windows 10 fans even further. 

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Microsoft’s full-screen reminders to upgrade to Windows 11 are back for Windows 10 users, and they might be here to stay
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Microsoft has taken a new tack with its continued campaign of full-screen banner ads designed to push Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11, and this time, users of suitable and unsuitable PCs – those that don’t meet the hardware requirements for the newest OS – are seeing different adverts. 

Windows 11’s market share has remained relatively static in recent months, and Microsoft is clearly eager to change that, with Windows 10 holding the vast majority of market share with around 70% (according to StatCounter). 

As for Microsoft's latest tactic to drive upgrades, Windows Latest noticed two separate initiatives as mentioned. The first was witnessed on a Windows 10 PC that wasn’t eligible for a Windows 11 upgrade, and it showed a screen warning that the device will stop receiving updates come October 2025, reminding users that their PC can’t run Windows 11. The full-screen notification was titled “A new journey with Windows” and appeared after monthly mandatory security updates were installed, possibly implying that this could be a repeating occurrence.

The notification screen also offers users the ability to be reminded at a later date, and to learn more about the end of support for Windows 10. It links to a support document that encourages you to consider a Windows 11 upgrade, partly by including a comparison of the two operating systems. 

This differed from a PC running Windows 10 and eligible for a straightforward Windows 11 upgrade. On this system, Windows Latest received a notification encouraging them to go ahead and schedule their update or just upgrade right away, alerting them of the upcoming end-of-support date and reminding them to make sure that their device stays supported past that date. This notification has been seen before, of course (a number of times).

Microsoft Store in Windows 10

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft's ambitions vs Windows 10 fans' devotion

Windows 10 continues to be the dominant flavor of Windows and users aren’t happy about being forced to move on or face losing support. Windows 11 was released the best part of three years ago, but it’s still struggling to get near Windows 10’s popularity, as mentioned. Part of the problem here is those hardware requirements, of course, which are a stumbling block for some folks with older PCs.

Users who want to stick with Windows 10 do have a few choices and we’ve recently discussed this in-depth. One option will be to continue getting security updates past Windows 10’s end-of-life date with Microsoft’s Extended Security Update (ESU) program. Currently, this is only available for commercial customers, but Windows Latest asserts that a version for individual consumers will arrive later in 2024. Currently, an ESU license for a single device is $ 61 a year for businesses, but the price doubles every year (for up to three years). 

Windows 10 users are faced with three primary options in the longer term: upgrade to Windows 11, continue to use Windows 10 without crucial security updates (not a good idea at all), or opt into a pricey extended security update plan. I understand Windows 10 users’ frustrations as many are not sold on Windows 11 as being an improvement in quality. Additionally, many users aren’t keen on Microsoft’s insistence on integrating AI into many apps and parts of the operating system, and Windows 10 still looks and feels like a modern, up-to-date OS. Furthermore, there are those hardware requirements to consider, as already noted. 

I don’t know how well Microsoft will weather this transition, but the company needs to walk a fine line between reminding users about the reality of Windows 10 running out of support, and getting too pushy with all these notifications. Right now, it feels like Microsoft is erring (again) towards the latter, but I don’t see the company backing down.

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