Microsoft is set to launch the first Windows 10 Redstone 2 build as soon as this week (since it’s Thursday already, next week seems more likely now), but just as expected, this isn’t supposed to bring any new features, as the company still needs to focus on structural improvements for now.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean that new features aren’t yet ready, and according to a company engineer, several are already being tested by the Windows team as part of the internal canary ring (a testing channel exclusively available to Microsoft employees who try out new builds before they are released to insiders).
Carmen Crincoli, Storage IHV partner manager at Microsoft, has confirmed that new features have already been developed and are actively tested in the canary ring, but he has avoided providing any specifics.
“Canary ring is already providing happy surprises. Love how quickly teams are working on new features. The downside is, I now have to be careful about using my Surface during this conference in order to prevent inadvertently revealing things,” he has said (via WinBeta).


Microsoft: No new features in the first builds
Microsoft, on the other hand, has already warned that, although the release of Windows 10 Redstone 2 build will take place in the coming weeks, no new feature should be expected for the time being.

“With the new builds we release from our Development Branch, you won’t see any big noticeable changes or new features just yet. Just like we did after the release of the November Update, we are focusing on making some structural improvements to OneCore. If you recall - OneCore is the shared core of Windows across PC, tablet, phone, IoT, Hololens and Xbox. It is essentially the heart of Windows,” the company explains.
And this certainly makes sense, especially because Microsoft needs to pave the way first for these new features to make sure that everything works smoothly when they become available.
The Redstone 2 update is projected to debut in spring 2017, so new features are expected to land throughout the development process.