Microsoft Outlook is getting a new and improved look soon.
According to a report from The Verge, Microsoft's pre-installed email client will be upgraded into a simpler, lighter, and more powerful version of itself called "Microsoft One Outlook."
Microsoft didn't clarify when the update for Microsoft Outlook will drop.
Microsoft One Outlook Details
According to The Verge's report, Microsoft One Outlook is currently available for work and educational accounts, but those that have the new Outlook said it looks a lot like its web app counterpart. The app is fully hosted online as opposed to it continuing Outlook's current state of being a native app already built-in Microsoft computers, according to a tweet from The Verge's Senior Editor, Tom Warren.
The Verge attempted to get a statement from Microsoft about its decision to make Outlook web-based, but the company didn't respond to any inquiry. However, Scott Stiles, the vice president of product management for Outlook, said that the current version available for download is an early unsupported test version of Outlook for Windows. As such, it still lacks features and enhancements that are only available to its beta testers.
This change in Outlook's hosting made it lighter and simpler than previous versions of the Outlook app on Windows computers while being more powerful than its predecessors.
Additionally, Windows Central reports that there are some new additions exclusive to the new and improved client, such as being able to configure the ribbon along the top to a more traditional Outlook style.
Furthermore, it seems that Microsoft embedded window controls into the Outlook header to make the new client similar to the built-in app. As such, composing a message or creating an event in the calendar opens a new window like the client's current version.
XDA Developers said in its article that the new client doesn't seem to support adding multiple accounts. However, as this is a leak of a soon-to-release app, Microsoft could still add the feature later before its release.
Microsoft One Outlook Release Date
Microsoft has yet to give a specific date for the new client's release, but it's highly likely that it would happen, or at least be introduced during Build, Microsoft's developer event this coming May 24.
However, don't expect Outlook's name to change. According to ZDNet's report, the company will revert the "One Outlook" name to simply "outlook" once the client is released.
In addition to the name reversion, the personal version of the new client seems to be slated for release along with the client's official release.
Microsoft's One Outlook web client was rumored to be in development last year, with the client being put through testing in January 2021. At that time, the company was hoping to eventually replace the built-in mail and calendar apps found in Windows 10 and 11 PCs and laptops.
