Last month it was revealed that Windows RT will receive one last update following the launch of Windows 10. That update, known as Windows 8.1 RT Update 3, will reportedly only include one major new feature: the Start menu.
According to a report from WinBeta, a version of the Start menu similar to Windows 10's will be included in this Windows RT update. Users will be able to choose between the new Start menu or the existing Start screen depending on their usage patterns, as is the case with Windows 10.
However, the version of the Start menu that will be included in this Windows RT update won't be the same as the version seen in full Windows 10. WinBeta says this is because the latest version of Windows 10's Start menu is built using XAML and utilizes some of Windows 10's new and exclusive APIs. Instead, Microsoft will use a DirectUI version of the Start menu that the company used in earlier Windows 10 Preview builds.
The Start menu will reportedly be the only feature included with Windows 8.1 RT Update 3. Running Modern UI apps in windows will not be supported in the update, and neither will Microsoft's new Continuum Tablet Mode or the Universal App Platform. This is because, once again, these new features require Windows 10 specific APIs that won't be ported to Windows RT.
WinBeta's sources claim that this Windows RT update was originally scheduled for launch on July 29th, although it has been postponed to an unknown date. Luckily Windows RT never saw widespread usage to begin with, so there won't be many people affected by Microsoft's choice to delay the update's release.