Is Microsoft getting rid of numbers and identifiers in the Windows branding? That seems to be the case according to a confidential internal document. On the Microsoft Mobile front, the company is phasing out the Nokia branding, leaving devices to be known only as "Lumia." The Lumia 830 and Lumia 730 are supposedly the last devices to have the Nokia branding.
On the Windows Phone front, Microsoft is moving away from advertising phones with the Windows Phone branding. Instead, the company is looking to merely use the Windows brand, which seemingly backs up previous rumors that Microsoft plans to combine Windows Phone and Windows RT into one platform. (Notice, for example, that the Surface 2 doesn't sport the "RT" branding.)
There's also talk that Windows 9 will drop its numbering as well, pushing forward with merely just the Windows branding. That was made apparent in a batch of new screenshots stemming from a leaked build of Threshold, as well as an advertisement for the HTC One M8 for Windows, and an advertisement for a Windows-based laptop (previous adverts listed Windows 8).
Rumor has it that Microsoft plans to release the "Windows Technical Preview" later this month or at the beginning of October. The recent leak of Threshold Build 9834 reveals that Microsoft has added a search icon next to the Windows button, as well as an icon to move between virtual desktops and revamped icons for Internet Explorer and File Explorer. The Start Menu sports both the typical program access and Modern UI-based tiles such as Windows Store, Mail and News.
According to ZDnet, Windows testers will be able to share their opinions about features and how they function thanks to a special "mechanism." These features will be rolled out in regular Threshold updates. One feature that might not remain in Windows is the Charms Bar, although ZDnet reports that it may remain part of the Threshold Enterprise Tech Preview. One screenshot taken from the leaked build suggests that replacing Charms will likely be a drop-down menu in apps that sports some of the Charms functionality, including Share, Play, Print, Project, Settings and Full Screen.
Of course, because Windows Threshold is still a work in progress, all of these "leaked" changes and additions might not end up in the final product.
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