Windows 10 shell update will help close the gap between Windows PCs and phones

Seamless UI scaling between phones, tablets, Xbox, and full-sized computers is the goal. (Source: Windows Central)

Microsoft is allegedly planning on integrating the Windows 10 UIs for PC, mobile, Xbox, and convertibles into one "Composable Shell", allowing for a truly universal Windows OS.

Douglas Black, Published 01/19/2017

Microsoft is planning an update to Windows Shell which will help bring phones, Xbox, and full desktop/notebook PCs closer together in UI interface, Windows Central reports.

The Windows Shell is the UI interface with which users interact with the operating system, i.e. Windows 10. The Windows 10 PC interface is familiar to nearly everyone who has used a computer in the past 25 years, but the Xbox and (Windows) Mobile environments, while based on the same core as the PC, have a significantly different shell.

One of the biggest hurdles of the "one Windows 10 for all" concept is a UI that will function similarly across all devices, while scaling with screen size. For example, current Windows Mobile phones use a completely different UI in Continuum mode (when hooked up to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse) than when in phone mode. Since full Windows 10 is coming to phone and phone-like devices soon (thanks to Qualcomm's x86 emulation technology), the last major problem is to make PC Windows 10 conform itself to the hardware constraints of a small handheld device.

According to Windows Central, this so-called "Composable Shell" will be rolled out in a series of future Windows updates. A successful implementation will mean that Microsoft will no longer have to maintain updates for multiple versions of Windows, and that Windows 10 phones will be able to deploy into a truly full Windows 10 experience with a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.