Windows 11 is more than a few years old, and it gets changes once a year and feature drops called “moments” over time. What about the next version of Windows that will come out after Windows 11?
Intel and Qualcomm leaks in the past had talked about Windows 12, which made some people think that Microsoft might be working on it and that it might come out in 2024.
Significant changes are on the way, and it doesn’t matter if it’s called Windows 12 or Windows 11 24H2. This is what we know so far.
Windows 12 naming and release date
Microsoft has not said when Windows 12 will be available or even when it will be working on the OS. We only have a story from Zac Bowden at Windows Central to go on. He says that Microsoft won’t release Windows 12 this year. Instead, Microsoft will keep calling it Windows 11 and keep adding new features to it. The secret name for Windows 12 is thought to be “Hudson Valley.”
Some features from Windows 12 have been tested and will likely be added to Windows 11 with Windows 11 24H2, which will come out later this autumn. You can think of the features in Windows 11 24H2 as what Windows 12 might have had.
It might be too much to say that Microsoft will announce Windows 12 at its Build developer meeting, but it’s possible. The company stated that there will be an event on May 21 that is only for the media. This event should give more information about the company’s “AI vision across hardware and software.”
The idea of Windows 12 has been shaken up by the fact that Windows Chief Panos Panay left Microsoft. The company has changed its mind about Windows 12 and now wants to focus on Windows 11. In the end, Windows 10 is still the best, with 1.4 billion devices active every month, while Windows 11 is far behind, with only 400 million devices active every month.
Compatibility
We don’t think Windows 12 will come out this year. But we’ll see Windows 11 24H2 instead. We think that everything that worked for a Windows 11 update could also work for Windows 12 whenever Microsoft decides to release it.
With Windows 11, you need to add a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), and your CPU must meet specific requirements. This caused a lot of complaints. Microsoft said that by combining modern security with a modern OS, they were trying to raise the bar for security across the whole Windows environment.
It hurt at the time, but Microsoft has come a long way since Windows 11 was released. PC gamers, who were hit the hardest by the TPM problem, have switched in droves. Microsoft will likely use the same security method it set up in Windows 11 for Windows 12. This will make upgrading more accessible, especially on custom-built PCs.
Microsoft could lower the standards for installing Windows 12 if they want to raise them again. An annoying logo keeps showing up on Windows 11 PCs that need to be set up right for the OS, even when they’re fully supported. We hope that Microsoft will handle the next version better. Custom PCs that are supposed to work with Windows 11 will still say they don’t because of problems with the way they are set up.
Will it be a free upgrade?
It’s likely a given, but Windows 12 should be a free update for people who already have Windows 11. This is how Windows 11 gets free updates to a new version every year. This year’s update is called 24H2.
Microsoft still sells new licences for Windows 11, but anyone who already has a licence for Windows 10 can get the latest version for free. Microsoft should keep that method for Windows 12 if all goes well.
Part of the reason I’d like to see this is because Microsoft is collecting more and more information about Windows users. Since Windows 8.1, Microsoft has given away free updates to the OS. This is mainly because the OS has become a service that Microsoft can charge for by collecting data and showing ads. Windows 12 will not change that.
Some people who care about privacy have valid concerns about Microsoft’s data collection. However, those efforts mean that Windows updates are still accessible for licence users, unlike older versions of Windows, where upgrades cost around $100.
Features
AI is the next big thing at Microsoft and its partners. Intel Core Ultra and Snapdragon X Elite chips with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) are likely to come with the new waves of Surface PCs. It’s possible that Windows 12 will focus on AI and how these devices can use the NPU to help them with everyday chores. Some of this will also be in the Windows 11 24H2 update.
The OS will come with a more advanced copilot. A tool called “AI Explorer” is said to make Copilot in Windows 11 24H2 better able to understand how you work. Like Windows 10’s Timeline tool, which has been taken away, AI Explorer can put what’s happening on your screen in context and help you get back to work by giving you searchable moments. This is on top of the gaming features we already know are coming to Windows 11, like “Super Resolution,” which can use AI to make game images better.
From Bing Chat to Skype’s AI features, Microsoft’s multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI has already transformed the entire corporation. The influence of artificial intelligence on Windows 12 will be far more significant than on Windows 11 in every respect.
Design
Window 11 gave Microsoft’s OS a much-needed makeover. With rounded edges, a taskbar in the middle, and new icons all over, Windows 11 looks and feels a lot more modern. When Microsoft is ready to release it, Windows 12 could go even further with this. The company shared a mock-up of what appears to be a new version of Windows. The taskbar appears to move and be see-through. It needs to be clarified if this will be added to Windows 12, but it looks great.
Still, we’d like to see more ways to customise. There are a number of tools that can make Windows 11 look like Windows 10. Microsoft could add these features to Windows 12 as well. It would be helpful to have ways to move the desktop to different parts of the screen, change the look of the Start menu, and turn off system features like widgets.
