Select a region
Microsoft is testing a Windows 10 feature that enables users to choose whether they would like more battery life or better performance.
A new Power Slider feature has been added to the battery settings in the taskbar that gives Windows 10 users the chance to customise what they would like most from their device.
The feature has appeared within the latest beta version of Windows 10 – Build 15014 – and is available for those on Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program, which offers an early look at potential new features the tech giant is keen to trial.
The PC market is often caught between whether to offer better battery life or faster performance – with a lack of major innovation in batteries for many years having created the awkward trade-off.
Microsoft’s idea of giving control back to the user via the Slider, which can be edited at any point, offers a new perspective on the issue and a level of customisation rarely seen in computing.
The Power Slider’s inclusion on the beta build is not confirmation that it will make the next version of Windows 10, the Creators Update, which is expected to launch in the spring, but it would be a major step up compared with existing battery controls, which are far less fluid or useful.
Alongside the Power Slider, the latest beta build also featured a new e-book store that Microsoft did confirm would be part of the Creators Update.
