Windows 10 for Phones is upon us! Later this month, Microsoft will give us a peek of what's to come, and I really want something WOW. I really DO want to like Windows 10 for Phones, but I have my reservations like many. I've worked on these concepts on and off for a few months, each showing what I think would help someone like myself switch back. And speaking for myself, I want the simplicity and breathable layout of an iOS home screen with the smarts and utility of a Windows and Android device. This is achieved by taking both good and ehh features from Windows 7 and Windows 8 and evolving them into something more -- something better, just for touch.

 

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- Slighted rounded Live Tiles for visual appeal
 

- More consistent layout with full Windows

 

- Click the user photo at the top right to Lock Device, enter Kid Mode, Guest Mode, or Switch Profiles.
 

- Tap the down arrow on each Tile to "Peek".
 

- Peeks combine the vision of the Live Tile with the purpose and utility of the context menu, jump lists and taskbar controls. Though some would argue glancibility would be sacrified if information is concealed within a Peek, I would argue Microsoft decided Live Tiles should now be in the Windows 10 Start Menu, thus requiring one click action to summon them. The same goes here; perform one tap to see the useful information.
 

- Peeks give the user a fast way to see what's new and current within the app without an overwhelming amount of Tiles and information crammed on screen. When you want to see more info, tap to peek. If you don't, then enjoy the simple layout of icon-ish Tiles we've been long accustom to for decades. See examples of Peeks below.

 

- The empty Tiles with plus signs will encourage the user to tap and learn what can be added to Start. In Windows 8, you could pin lots of things, not just apps. Options here would include shortcuts to favorite contacts, OneDrive folders, IE Favorites, OneNote pages, Xbox Music albums and playlists, and Outlook inboxes.

 

- Charms reborn! The bottom row of the new Start include: Search, Cortana, Share, Clock.

       - Search allows the user to find apps, files and settings quickly.

       - Cortana handles voice search and is the new location for notifications.

       - Share is an easier way to take a screenshot, cast to a screen and other contextual options.

       - Like full Windows, the time is located at the bottom right.

      -  With most flagships being 5+ inches, one-handed use is essential. With Charms on the bottom, users
          never have to press two keys again to take a screenshot, pull a shade down from the top to see
          notifications, or consult with a separate app list or drawer to find the things they love.

 

 

 

This Peek example for IE demos that the user has five tabs currently open. He or she can choose which to go back to, or choose from other options. Click the star to jump to Favorites, or click the ellipsis for other Quick Actions. About and Settings are standard Quick Actions, while the menu can also list three other custom actions.

 

IE Quick Actions:

- Downloads

- History

- Sweep (one-click option to close all tabs and erase history, cookies and saved logins)

- About... (combines the About screen and app properties into one screen)

- Settings

 

 

Peeks are a more elegant version of the rumored exploding Live Tiles feature. They do more and help users get back to the things they want to do.

 

- Charms will have a black background fill once the user goes into an app.

 

- The Windows icon will appear at the far left, giving one-click access to return to Start.

 

- A contextual Back key will appear, as well as the app's Menu key. No more hard-to-reach hamburger menus; just click the Menu key to explore app actions.

 

Users can slide a finger across the Charms bar to see more, specifically quick toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, and more.

 

By enabling the Express swipe gesture from the Outlook app, a user will get a stream of all email messages, in addition to SMS, voice mail, missed calls, and other connected accounts that support it. With Express enabled, those notifications will only appear in the Express list, not in the standard notifications list available through Cortana.

 

I like to think of this not just as a Blackberry Hub competitor feature, but it brings back the potential of the Messaging hub Microsoft abandoned in Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. One place for all messaging is a killer feature, and "Outlook Express" (an intentional wink to the past), can be just that.

 

Cortana does more. She handles your notifications in addition to the things she does so well already. Even better, Cortana provides shortcuts to Bing Search, a QR scanner, and Bing Local.

 

For decades, the taskbar allowed us a quick way to move back and forth between open apps. With this concept, app switching remains at the bottom of the screen, sans a visible taskbar. Just swipe up from the bottom of the screen, and select an app to resume.

 

And why not? If you ever prematurely swiped away a notification, or removed a file from OneDrive, cleared out Downloads, or tossed a photo or video from the Camera Roll, you'll appreciate the Recycle Bin app. By default, it auto-empties every 24 hours, but you can change the frequency to your liking in Settings.

 

Here are some more renders of other Tile peeks.