Leaked Consumer Build Shows Windows 10 Features Up-close; Xbox App, Cortana, New UI and More

Microsoft is occupied with the Windows 10 development ahead of the most-anticipated consumer reveal on January 21. Even as it tries hard to keep the details under wraps until next month, a new Windows 10 build has leaked online. Consumer preview build 9901 shows various new features not seen in the previous 9888 and 9879 builds. Most notably, the leak shows built-in Cortana, Xbox app along with other UI changes.

Integration of Cortana in the desktop OS is a great addition but not surprising. A leaked video from WinBeta earlier this month showed Cortana in Windows. The design and the layout of Cortana was not polished and looked like it needed a makeover. In the latest build 9901, Microsoft seems to have incorporated changes. Cortana on Windows looks exactly like its mobile counterpart. Why not! After all, Microsoft is looking to unify all platforms in its latest Windows 10 release.

In another updated video on build 9901 on YouTube, WinBeta showed various Windows 10 features in action. Cortana's performance on the early build was not perfect, as it failed to respond to queries like weather updates. There are, however, future updates that will be released to fix all the errors.

WinBeta also showed various new apps that are still in beta, like the camera, calculator, contact support, photos, updated Store app and Xbox app. The Xbox app shows access to users' achievements, friends lists, activity feeds, and the Store. Other changes include new animations to the TaskView switcher in Windows 10 and access to Settings directly from inside the app, which means users no longer need to go to the Charms Bar to do so.

The early build is still a work in progress, but the Redmond software giant will reveal a more polished version of Windows 10 next month during its launch event.