You can simultaneously add a dash of customization with a personalized inbox and themes.

The updated intelligence may matter the most, though. Search now predicts what you'll want based on recent mail threads and your most frequent collaborators. You'll also see suggested replies that, like Gmail's Smart Replies, can send a quick but impersonal response. Event creation is simpler, and will even recommend meeting rooms based on who's attending and when. You can add people, folders and categories as favorites, too. And if you have trouble tracking down a crucial spreadsheet, a dedicated files section shows all the attachments you've received.

Don't expect to see all these features right away. They're coming first to Monthly Channel and Targeted Release users in the "next few weeks" (next week on the web for Targeted Release users), and it'll likely take a long while before they represent the default interface. Consider this a peek at what Outlook will look like in the long run.