After years of using Windows, I’ve grown accustomed to its quirks and limitations. While Windows 11 has brought some notable improvements, there are still several areas where I believe Microsoft can significantly improve in 2025.
1
More Windows on Arm Laptops
Windows laptops powered by Snapdragon processors based on the ARM architecture hit the markets in 2024, moving away from the usual AMD and Intel chips. These devices now feel on par with MacBooks running Apple Silicon, which are considered some of the best laptops around.
The primary advantage of Snapdragon chips lies in their power efficiency. As someone who works primarily on the go, battery life is one of the biggest factors I consider when choosing a new device, so I might try one out this year. While plenty of devices are already running these processors, most are priced around $1,000 to $1,600. I’d love to see more mid-range options.
That said, app compatibility is also still a concern. Developers need to specifically compile their apps for Windows on ARM. While most major apps already perform well, you can also use Prism—a translation layer that enables unsupported apps to run. However, there are still occasional apps and games that simply won’t work.
Despite this, I’m optimistic. As more laptops featuring these processors hit the market this year, I’m confident that developers will increasingly adopt ARM processors. This could bring some much-needed competition to the thin-and-light laptop space in 2025.
2
Better Support for Handheld Gaming PCs
Another area that I’d like to see Microsoft improve is providing better software support for handheld gaming PCs. In 2024, I chose the ASUS ROG Ally over the Steam Deck, and while it delivers impressive frame rates for most games, it falls short when it comes to ease of use.
Navigating between different game launchers on a 7-inch touchscreen is a major hassle, and the unfortunate reality is that, even in 2025, Windows still isn’t optimized well enough for touch input. With more handheld gaming PCs expected to launch this year, I’d love to see Microsoft introduce a dedicated handheld mode for Windows—something akin to Steam’s Big Picture Mode, but with integration across multiple game launchers.
In the meantime, I’ve installed Bazzite on my ROG Ally. It’s a Linux distribution similar to SteamOS, offering an experience almost identical to using a Steam Deck. Further boosting the market were the new handheld gaming models launched at CES 2025, including the whopping 11-inch Acer Nitro 11, which picked up one of our coveted Best of CES 2025 Awards.
3
Recall Finally Launching Safely
In 2024, Microsoft launched a feature called Recall, which faced backlash over concerns about user data. Recall takes regular screenshots of your screen, letting you later ask it to find specific activities, like retrieving a document you received a week ago.
Despite Microsoft’s assurance that all screenshot data would be encrypted, it was actually stored in plain text within a local database on users’ computers. Unsurprisingly, this sparked heavy criticism, forcing Microsoft to “recall” the feature (pun intended).
After some changes, Recall is back for Windows Insiders as a completely opt-in feature. This time, you’ll have better control over which screenshots are saved. However, I’d love an option to manually capture screenshots and create a custom database for specific projects.
Recall is expected to officially launch in 2025, but I won’t be enabling it right away. I’d recommend waiting a few months to see how secure the final release turns out before finally trying it out.
4
Copilot Getting Some Useful Features
I’m not completely sold on Copilot yet, but I think Microsoft is heading in the right direction with Copilot+ PCs, especially when it comes to AI features. I love that they’re prioritizing on-device processing for AI tasks and ensuring these features aren’t locked to a single platform—newer AMD and Intel devices get the same treatment as Snapdragon ones.
On-device processing feels like the right approach to me. It’s faster and doesn’t rely on constant internet access—unlike Google’s direction of offloading most tasks to the cloud. I’d also love to see Microsoft finally release a full-fledged small language model that fully utilizes on-device NPUs.
That said, I wish Microsoft would tone down the invasiveness. They’re pushing Copilot into every corner of Windows—even dedicating a key to it on the keyboard—which feels a bit excessive.
5
Better Trackpads
It’s exciting to see more laptops finally adopting haptic trackpads, similar to the ones found on MacBooks, and I really hope this trend doesn’t fade away. Having the ability to tap anywhere on the trackpad and even control the amount of force you want to press with is a game changer once you get used to it.
Haptic trackpads are more precise, don’t suffer from mechanical wear and tear, and have customizable feedback. I’m excited to see more manufacturers embracing this technology across all price points.
6
Windows 10 Support Getting Extended Beyond 2025
In what might seem like a surprising take on future trends, I’m genuinely disappointed that Microsoft plans to end support for Windows 10 in October 2025. I downgraded to Windows 10 on my secondary laptop for several reasons, and ending security updates for an OS with more market share than Windows 11 feels like a desperate push to force upgrades.
There are still tons of fully capable devices out there that cannot run Windows 11, and your only option would be to pay for Extended Security Updates if you want to keep using your device without being at risk.