Ask Windows Central: Why do you think Sun Valley will be called Windows 11?

By Zac Bowden
last updated

We answer more questions from you!

Welcome to the second episode of our new series: Ask Windows Central, where we answer the communities most asked questions around Microsoft, Windows, Surface, Xbox, and the general tech industry. In today's episode, we answer four questions around the Surface Duo and Android 11, Sun Valley and why we think it might be called Windows 11, and more!

This week's episode features the following questions:

  • Where is Android 11 for Surface Duo, and why is it taking so long?
  • Why do you think Microsoft might announce Sun Valley as Windows 11?
  • Would you recommend Surface Duo as a multimedia device, and should I buy one now?
  • Are the current builds in the Dev Channel part of Sun Valley?

If you have a question you'd like us to answer on the show, be sure to submit them in the comments below, or email daniel@windowscentral.com with "Ask Windows Central" in the subject line! You can also join the Windows Central Discord and ask questions in the dedicated #ask-wc channel.

If you're on Twitter, you can tweet your question with the #AskWindowsCentral tag included, and make sure you tag either @daniel_rubino or @zacbowden so we can see it.

If you have any feedback about the show format, please let us know. We're building this show around you, so if there's something you don't like or think we should change, we're all ears. We hope you enjoy the episode, and look forward to getting back to your questions in the next one.

Zac Bowden
Zac Bowden
Senior Editor

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch on Twitter: @zacbowden.

20 Comments
  • Surface Go 3: What have you heard? What would you like to see?
  • Is the Neo now dead for good since 10X is no more?
  • Unless they put Android on it, what would the point of that machine be with legacy Windows?
  • I'd rather have no Neo than an Android Neo.
  • Who wants an Android tablet? If you want a regular tablet then you will go with iPad, if you want something more then you will go with Windows. Android tablets are only a viable choice if they are cheap.
  • Windows tablets aren’t a thing. Android would be Microsoft’s only choice.
  • I suspect that they will still release it. They've done pretty much all the work on the hardware and it's a damn sexy device. It would appeal to a niche market but that's not necessarily an issue. If Microsoft still want to push Windows on tablet form factors, I think that there is still some value to releasing the Neo, even if it doesn't get a v2 for some time.
  • It won't be called anything other than Windows 10. It might have some codename to the UI like New Windows Experience, just like they did way back on Xbox, but since it changes no compatibilities nor any underlaying foundations of Windows, the official name will not change.
  • Good to know, thanks!
  • With the "logic" Microsoft names windows, this new one will be called Windows C.
  • In Spinal Tap, the amps go to 11, so it will be so.
  • Wow, you guys have gone all in on the "Change the Name" thing. I don't agree that, logically, the name should change. There are too many reasons why changing the name of a SAAS for a new version is a bad idea. With that said, you guys obviously have contacts and info on many issues that the rest of us don't have, and you aren't always able to say so. If this is a situation in which you have inside info and you're just not allowed to say so, but you are allowed to say "I think they should/will call it Windows 11 because there are good reasons for them to do that," then that's fine. But if you really are going out on this limb with nothing more than "I think it makes sense " plus the fact that Satya referenced "Windows" instead of "Windows 10" in a speech, wow, you stand to lose a lot of credibility if you're wrong. So, while I don't agree that it's a logical move, I think it would be even more illogical of you to go out this far on a limb without having confirmation from insider sources. So, I'm going to say, "Bad idea by Microsoft, but apparently Daniel and Zach have inside info that MS will do this."
  • BTW, I'm predicting that the next version of Office will be called "Office 366" because (a) I heard Satya refer to "Office" in a speech recently without saying "365," and (b) the hype of a new number will help sales.
  • If there is a change, I think it is more appropriate to just call it Windows. Without prefixed or suffixed by anything.
  • We have a smartphone ?
    More later.
  • Do you think Microsoft will reveal Widows 10 for Business and Windows 10X for consumers. That would really catch everyone out. Separate windows for the two streams which means Windows 10 is still the last Windows. I have a feeling they are playing the game.
  • Based on the recent reports, you're right, though the naming will probably be Windows 10 21H2 for enterprise customers and Windows 11 for consumers.
  • Why do you think Sun Valley will be called Windows 11? Because media has put that idea in my mind? And then we have people repeating that, creating articles on the web about the same thing. Again, media power over ppl.
  • My conspiracy theory is that Windows Central, instead of reporting Windows 11 as a leak, is just publishing their "opinions" which are actually leaks in disguise.
  • I don't care what they call it. I really don't. Endless debate about the name of an OS bores me. How many clicks can you get from a single topic? :) To me, Windows is windows and OSX is OSX, whatever the moniker.