• Windows 12 could debut later in 2026, PC World suggests
• That's based on leaks and statements from hardware partners, we're told
• The site rounds up a bunch of further rumors about a heavy AI focus, and subscription elements therein — which has provoked a very negative reaction

Update, March 5: PC World has amended its article on Windows 12 to note the following: "This article is a translation of a German article by PC-Welt. It does not meet PCWorld's standards and should not have been published. The first version did not include any source links or attributions and was written in a way that suggested it was original reporting. It is not."

As observed in our piece below, the PC World article was mostly a roundup of old rumors, though it was implied that the author had some new information on the possible release timeframe of the next version of Windows (even though, as we indicated, that assertion was vague, and no links were provided). Now we know that isn't the case, and as we also made clear below, it always seemed very unlikely next-gen Windows could be coming this year. That remains true, but nonetheless the reaction to PC World's story on Reddit still has some telling lessons for Microsoft when it comes to shaping next-gen Windows.

Original story follows below…

Windows 12 could be here later this year, and Microsoft might focus heavily on AI — and specifically subscription elements therein — with the next-gen OS, where an NPU is likely to be an even more crucial element.

PC World has furnished us with what's essentially a roundup of existing rumors about Windows 12 — if indeed that is the name of the OS, and we're far from sure of that — sprinkled with a few nuggets of new info.

In terms of the latter, the main contention is that a "broad release in the course of 2026" is expected for Windows 12, based on leaks, project references within Microsoft, and statements from hardware partners, we're told.

It's a nebulous assertion, yes, but not one that can be ruled out as such, because there is a window (or should that be Windows?) of opportunity, PC World argues: October 2026. That's when extended support for Windows 10 runs out, and so with that operating system 'out of the way' (at least officially), there could theoretically be room for another launch.

As noted, PC World has mostly compiled a host of old rumors here. These include the idea that Windows 12 will be a modular operating system, meaning it'll be broken up into chunks, and specific versions could drop certain pieces.

This is called the CorePC project, and speculation has been kicking around about it for a few years now. In theory, it could lead to a highly streamlined OS given the right configuration.

If you were hoping AI might be one of the modular sections that you can toss aside with Windows 12, think again, because PC World reminds us that it's likely to be baked into the beating heart of the next-gen OS. It'd be a surprise if that wasn't the case at this point, frankly.

On top of that comes a suggestion that a powerful NPU — meaning 40 TOPS or more, the qualification for a Copilot+ (AI) PC — could be a more important aspect, and a requirement for more AI-based features. Again, that wouldn't be a surprise.

For the interface, a previous leak around a floating taskbar is mentioned, as well as transparent glass elements for the UI.

Finally, references to a 'subscription status' (from a long way back) are touched on again, with PC World clarifying that this doesn't mean Microsoft is planning to charge a monthly fee to use Windows 12. Rather, this could be exclusive (optional) AI features that you need to pay a subscription to use (perhaps including cloud-based AI functionality, as well as on-device tricks).

Analysis: Windows AI

Personally, I think the most telling aspect here is the reaction to PC World's rumor roundup. There's been quite the vitriolic outpouring on Reddit, as you might guess.

One of my favorites is a simple and cutting statement: "It's going to be a good year for Linux."

Then there's also this hugely upvoted comment: "Man, that's a lot of things I don't want at all packed into one operating system."

Or how about: "I've been using Windows since 3.1 and if this happens I am finally OUT."

You'll find variations of these scattered around Reddit. What you'll struggle to find is anything like a positive comment. And yes, granted, complainers are quick to be vocal, and content users may stay happily quiet more often than not, but the tumbleweeds regarding any element of positivity are notable. And when it is present, positive commentary is often tongue-in-cheek — such as praising the idea of a two-tier Windows 12, with a subscription locking away the AI features behind a paywall.

As one Redditor puts it: "I like the part about AI features being hidden behind a subscription wall — perfect place for it to rot."

It's a fair point, though, that if Microsoft is going to tread the subscription path in a partial manner like this, a lot of folks wouldn't bat an eyelid about AI powers getting walled off.

As to PC World's assertion that the launch of Windows 12 could be set for late in 2026, I'm very skeptical about that. Remember, Microsoft has vowed to fix Windows 11 this year, in a major campaign to smooth over bugs and resolve fundamental issues with the operating system.

Now, I'm guessing that's going to be a pretty resource-intensive operation for Microsoft's software engineers and other staff — so is 2026 really the best time to launch an entirely new incarnation of Windows? No, it isn't. And if it does happen, and Windows 12 debuts in or after October this year, I'm going to call it that Microsoft isn't taking the campaign to 'fix Windows 11' seriously enough, and I won't be the only one. The software giant surely knows this.

That's one major reason for Windows 12 not to arrive in 2026, and there's another — I don't think it will be Windows 12, but rather Windows AI, or Windows Copilot, or some other different name to reflect what will surely be a heavier focus on AI in many ways. This is going to be a big moment for Microsoft's AI ambitions, and I think it's going to take time to properly establish AI agents — the next big piece of the puzzle — before they can be the showcase centerpiece for next-gen Windows.

Because that's surely Microsoft's plan here — and likely, as indicated, a subscription element, perhaps even having AI agents as separate add-ons that can be bought for a small monthly fee (plus bundle plans with price reductions, naturally).

• A YouTuber has shared a new concept video of 'Windows 12.2'
• This is a follow-up to their previous vision of Windows 12, and refines the concept
• There are some smart ideas, but Microsoft is likely to be thinking very differently about it's next-gen OS

Windows concept videos are quite popular these days, as it's intriguing to take a glance at what might be if Microsoft took a different tack with its OS - and another one just popped up showcasing 'Windows 12.2' no less.

BetaNews spotted this latest concept video from 'AR 4789', a YouTuber who regularly posts these kinds of visions of how Microsoft could spin Windows. If you're wondering why it's called Windows 12.2, this is because the YouTuber already posted a take on Windows 12 a few months back - so this is a refinement.

At any rate, have a watch of the video below and see what you make of the concept, remembering that it is just that - this isn't a mod, there are no installation files, and it isn't based on leaks within Microsoft or anything remotely official.

It's simply an alternate vision of how Windows 12 could look, so click play - maybe skip the beginning which is just the mock setup of the operating system, head to 3:20 if you want to miss that - then afterwards, I'll give you my thoughts on this idea (if you'll indulge me).

Analysis: a smart concept - but the future of Windows will probably look very different

Overall, the YouTuber's take on the Windows 12 interface looks really clean and streamlined, and I like that vibe. There's a cheeky reference to Apple's Liquid Glass design, as well, with the Aero (transparency) effect from Windows Vista in evidence (recall the whole Apple copied Microsoft battle of barbs, though as I've said before, I don't feel that's a very fair stance - and arguably, Apple did sneak in first with the Aqua design in the interface of OS X 10 at the turn of the millennium).

Indeed, the Windows 7 theme applied in the video looks tasty, too, and I also really like some of the nuances, such as the choice of taskbar implementations (two smaller versions, plus floating or docked taskbars, or even options for a Windows 7 or 10-style bar). The Start menu gets a similar treatment and a smart level of customization overall.

I wish Microsoft would adopt some of these ideas, but let's face it - the likelihood of that is remote-to-non-existent (and that's a charitable assessment).

Indeed, I'd argue that the likelihood of Windows 12 appearing in the near(ish) future is also low in the probability stakes. Why? While rumors of Windows 12 have continued to circulate here and there, I'm thinking that whatever step Microsoft takes with the next incarnation of Windows - whatever it might be called - is going to need to be a big stride forward.

This is because Windows 11 was seen as a reskin of Windows 10 when it arrived, and there's definitely some truth there. Under the fresh paint job, many of the features and core workings of Windows 11 remained much the same as Windows 10 (even though a lot was changed under the hood - even more so with Windows 11 24H2 - but you don't see that, despite there being benefits such as better security, for example).

And even today, there's a feeling that I see commonly when reading various online forums that Windows 11 really isn't much different to Windows 10 - so why upgrade? There's no major pressing reason to do so (and many of the shiniest new Windows 11 features are for Copilot+ PCs only, anyway).

Okay, so you have to upgrade soon, of course, with Windows 10's End of Life in sight - unless you sign up for extended updates, and I think there's a good argument for doing just that (as you can get an extra year of security updates for free).

Where am I going with all this? Well, if Windows 12 arrives relatively soon in the OS deployment timeframe, it's not going to be all that much different to Windows 11. Much like the concept we see here, it'll remain largely the same - though we can hope for design and customization innovations along the lines of what the YouTuber suggests.

In this scenario, though, Windows 10 kind of clatters into Windows 11 which sort of bumbles into Windows 12 - they're all much of a muchness, as they say. And yes, sure, maybe Microsoft will plump for more modest iterative upgrades for its desktop OS in the nearer-term in this vein. However, this isn't a great look in terms of innovation - and I think the software giant is looking to make a big splash with AI. Indeed, the company's execs are pretty much telling us this already.

Which is why Microsoft might simply not bother with Windows 12 - and just keep Windows 11 rolling on down the road on annual updates - while it works to make a big entrance with Windows AI, or Windows Copilot, or whatever a much more tightly AI-focused operating system ends up being called (it won't be Windows 12, I don't think - again, it'll be a statement of some kind).

If Microsoft really wants to sell AI - and I think there's an abundance of evidence of that, including key chatter from top execs - the next take on Windows will have Copilot's tentacles snaking into a lot more corners, and will push all kinds of new AI-related tricks on us.

As a result, next-gen Windows will probably look very different to the concept we see here - but I hope that Microsoft might take at least some inspiration from the ideas aired on YouTube here, as I'm a fan.

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• Microsoft has confirmed Windows 11 25H2 is the update for this year
• The upgrade is now officially in testing
• It'll be a more minor update delivered as an 'enablement package' and that's a good thing as we're likely to see fewer bugs than with 24H2

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 25H2 is the next update for its desktop operating system, arriving later this year.

That ends whispers that we might just see the release of Windows 12 - or whatever the next incarnation of the OS will be called - later this year. However, hope of that had already dwindled to pretty much dying embers in all honesty.

The announcement came in an IT Pro blog post from Microsoft that Tom's Hardware flagged.

Microsoft told us: "Today, Windows 11, version 25H2 became available to the Windows Insider community, in advance of broader availability planned for the second half of 2025."

The Windows Insider community is the formal name for those who are testing Windows 11, running preview versions of the OS (in various channels, from the earliest builds in the Canary channel to the Release Preview channel, which, as the name suggests, is one step away from release).

So, some of those testers are now officially using Windows 11 25H2, and Microsoft further confirmed another suspicion that's been previously aired about the next big update for the operating system - that it's what's known as an 'enablement package' or 'eKB' for short.

This means that the move to 25H2 will be a swift upgrade for those who are on Windows 11 24H2, and as Microsoft puts it, the update will be "as easy as a quick restart".

The 25H2 update would typically be expected to arrive in September or October, and I wouldn't expect it any sooner - neither would I rule out the possibility of a November release. As ever, it'll be an ongoing rollout, so it could take some time to reach your PC.

Analysis: Fewer features, but fewer problems?

How does the enablement package delivery method Microsoft is employing here help to ensure a speedy and simple update? It's because 25H2 is built on the same 'servicing branch' as 24H2, meaning that they use the same code. They are, for all intents and purposes, the same, except 25H2 has some extra features added on top - and because these versions of Windows 11 are the same codebase, those features can effectively be preloaded to devices running 24H2.

What this means is that when it comes to applying the update, it's already in place, and it just has to be enabled. Hence the phrase 'enablement package', and with just a simple switch being flicked to turn on 25H2's features when the update is sent live, it's basically just a quick reboot, and you're done. At least in theory, anyway, barring any issues.

However, what this also means is that there'll be no major changes with Windows 11 25H2. An enablement package release is a fast and quick deployment, but doesn't change anything major with Windows 11's code, as noted, and so we will likely get a fairly limited dollop of new features with 25H2.

In short, don't get your hopes up for anything earthshaking this year regarding Microsoft's changes to Windows 11. However, the flipside is that without any major moves, there's far less chance of any nasty bugs popping up.

Windows 11 24H2 brought in a new underlying platform - Germanium - which was a huge shift, and my theory has long been that this is why we've seen more than the usual helping of critters skittering about in the works of the OS (and some very strange glitches, too). In 2025, that shouldn't happen, and hopefully, Microsoft will get back on course with ensuring Windows 11 runs more smoothly (knock on wood, fingers crossed, etc.).

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• Microsoft is focused on AI-powered Windows 11 and Copilot+ PCs for the foreseeable future
• October 14, 2025 is still Windows 10’s deprecation date, pushing users toward Windows 11 or newer PCs
• Microsoft's deep AI integration in Copilot+ PCs aims to redefine how we interact with our PCs but raises concerns

At CES 2025, we’ve seemingly just had confirmation that Microsoft is not releasing the next generation of Windows, which many of us assume will be called Windows 12, just yet. Instead, Microsoft is pushing ahead with its vision of AI-powered PCs (which it calls Copilot+ PCs) and intends to continue to integrate artificial intelligence into Windows 11.

Microsoft, eager to capitalize on AI buzz, is betting big on tools like ChatGPT and its own AI assistant, Copilot, which is accessible directly from the taskbar, becoming an everyday part of our digital work and personal lives.

According to Windows Latest, Microsoft claims that Copilot+ PCs are up to 50% faster than an M3 MacBook. From the Copilot+ PCs we’ve reviewed so far, such as the Surface Laptop 7, we’ve certainly been impressed with their performance, though the jury is still out on whether the AI features are all that useful.

Windows 10's departure and Microsoft's unwavering focus on its AI vision

There is also an emphasis on future versions of Windows 11 because Windows 10 is nearing its end-of-support date, which is on October 14, 2025. Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s Executive Vice President and consumer Chief Marketing Officer, reinforced this at CES 2025, stating that Windows 10 is still on track to be deprecated on this date.

When October 14 rolls around, Microsoft will stop releasing regular updates (including security updates) for Windows 10 and after that, you’ll either have to buy a newer Windows 11 PC or pay for extra security updates for a limited time (and it’s clear that Microsoft would rather all Windows 10 users upgrade to Windows 11).

So, it looks like Windows 12 won’t be coming in the foreseeable future as Microsoft is focusing on getting its users to upgrade to Windows 11. It’s also focusing on winning over people with its Copilot+ PCs, offering a pretty bold vision of what these devices will be capable of and how much they’ll change how we interact with our PCs. Windows Latest points out that Windows 11 came out during the pandemic when people were buying new PCs and Microsoft saw an opportunity for a PC sales push, and that it’ll wait for another opportunity like this to launch Windows 12 (though hopefully not another global pandemic).

I can see why some people are perhaps disappointed that we’re not getting a bold new operating system, or reluctant to move on from Windows 10, which is still very much Microsoft’s most popular operating system. I also think that Microsoft has a long way to go to actually convincing people that its AI improvements are worth people’s time, as so far, features like Copilot and Recall, have been shown to be somewhat lackluster or just outright risky in terms of aspects like security. I don’t think it’s impossible for Microsoft to pull off its ambitions, but that ends up being so will depend to innovations that it has yet to show.

I do think Microsoft has a chance here to experiment with integrating AI-powered software and tools into Windows 11, and there's certainly huge potential for artificial intelligence to redefine how we interact with PCs.

However, experiments come with risks, and Microsoft would be remiss not to learn from this venture and it should pay attention closely to feedback from its users. If its involvement with AI doesn't succeed (or at least not immediately), I think it should consider designing Windows 12 with an option to operate without heavy AI integration, using Windows 12 as a clean break should its AI gamble not pay off.

In the meantime, I'm glad that Microsoft doesn't appear to be distracted with making Windows 12 whilst there's still a lot of work to be done with Windows 11 to make it more popular - especially as there will soon be a lot of Windows 10 users looking to upgrade.

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• Microsoft's AI assistant can now see in the Copilot Vision preview
• Now out in a limited beta for a select few, Copilot can browse the web in Edge
• It's entirely opt-in, but you'll be able to converse with Copilot about what you're seeing

Similar to how Windows Recall will give AI access to what’s on your screen, Microsoft’s rolling out a similar experience for Copilot in a limited preview. Originally teased alongside the redesign of Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot Vision is now rolling out as an early preview for a select few in the United States.

As the name suggests, it will let Copilot see what’s on your screen, specifically within Microsoft’s Edge browser, so it can essentially browse the web with you. This way, you can hit it with topical questions about what you’re seeing – be it an illustration, a video, type-based text, or even handwriting. And no, you won't need to type these out, but you can converse with Copilot with just your voice.

In an announcement post published by Microsoft, Copilot Vision is described as: “When you choose to enable Copilot Vision, it sees the page you’re on, it reads along with you, and you can talk through the problem you’re facing together. Browsing no longer needs to be a lonely experience with just you and all your tabs.”

It seems like it’s almost being pitched as a companion, so if you’re browsing a shopping website like Amazon or Zappos, you could potentially ask for suggestions about what you’re looking at. Moreover, though, if you're browsing restaurant reviews, you could ask if any mention a specific event – like good for anniversaries – or ask for other recommendations. Seeing how it’s built directly into Edge – if you opt-in – Microsoft seemingly hopes that it’ll be called upon quite a bit and prove to be useful.

Microsoft is also sharing three of Copilot Vision being used for shopping, planning a trip to a museum, and gaming. The latter is almost similar to Game Assist in Edge, which reduces the need to alt-tab.

Suppose you’re concerned about privacy with Copilot Vision, which may be similar to Recall, which finally launched in November in beta. In that case, you'll be happy that Microsoft is taking a better approach with this new AI feature. It’s entirely opt-in and is only currently available via Copilot Labs to a limited number of Copilot Pro subscribers in the United States.

Furthermore, in its current build, Copilot Vision is only available for a select set of websites, and it seems Microsoft will only expand on that when it deems it ready to do so. Slow and steady will be the approach for adding more subscribers and expanding the sites it works with; Microsoft explains: “We’re taking our time to gather feedback, iterate on the technology, and will expand access to more Pro subscribers and more websites over time.”

If you’re in the early beta of Copilot Vision, another win is that after the session, the associated data and the context it’s used within will be deleted. So that information does not stick around Copilot, only the response to the tools “are logged to improve our safety systems,” says Microsoft.

If you’re keen to give it a go and are a Copilot Pro subscriber in the United States, you can check via Copilot Labs to see if Copilot Vision for Edge is available as a preview for you.

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Not everyone is a fan of Windows 11’s interface – especially the lack of ability to customize in some respects – but if you really want to go to town with personalizing and revamping the desktop of Microsoft’s OS, a new mod offers this chance.

Neowin spotted the release of the Seelen UI utility which promises a “fully customizable desktop environment” for both Windows 11 and Windows 10, and indeed the options provided to tinker with are quite sweeping.

Seelen’s bigger interface modifying features include a Tiling Windows Manager, which the developer explains means “windows automatically arrange themselves to support multitasking” to help streamline your workflows.

Then there’s a much neater system tray, and a floating taskbar – as seen in a ‘Next Valley Prototype Design’ leak, which may have been a brief glimpse of next-gen Windows – which can also be repositioned vertically (an ability some Windows 11 users have been begging for since the launch of the OS).

A media player is bolted on, too, and an app launcher (based on Rofi) is another part of the Windows desktop makeover provided here.

Note that Microsoft Edge is required for Seelen UI to work, so if you’ve junked the browser (it can be done), you’ll need to reinstall – and also if you’re on Windows 10, the installer will put the WebView runtime on your PC. (It’s preinstalled with Windows 11, so this isn’t necessary for the newer OS).

Analysis: Serene Seelen – with caveats

The overall look that Seleen graces Windows 11 with is rather Mac-like, modern and nicely streamlined and calming (for us). We approve in general, although we’re not sure about the Windows Manager – and how this might be better than Snap Layouts (unless we’re missing something here, and we haven’t tried the app to find out, we should note).

For those who are keen on really changing the look of Windows 11 without too much fuss, it seems like an interesting piece of software – but we should underline that there are caveats here.

Do remember that any third-party software for Windows needs to be treated with caution – you install the tool at your own risk, naturally. Not that we’re suggesting there’s anything nefarious going on behind the scenes, but it pays to be careful what you download. If you’re going to grab the app, as the developer recommends, get it from the Microsoft Store.

At any rate, if you’re taking the plunge, it may be worth waiting a while for further development of Seleen as the mod isn’t yet finished. Yes, this is a release version, but some features are a work in progress – there will apparently be a Start menu replacement eventually (rather than just a simple app launcher).

For the time being, then, this might be a project to watch, and also monitor the wider feedback from users who do install Seleen. And if you are at all tempted, as Neowin observes, trying out software is something you can do more safely in a virtual machine.

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Microsoft is already working away at what could be the first Moment update to follow the big Windows 11 24H2 update.

Currently, work is ongoing with finishing the 24H2 update which lands later this year – most likely it’ll roll out from September – but Microsoft is already looking past that upgrade to the first Moment update it’ll deliver for that release, likely early in 2025. (Assuming the Moment name is kept, and we’ll come back to that).

This is according to a respected Microsoft leaker, Albacore on X (formerly Twitter), who as noted in the above post stumbled upon an internal flight – a preview version just being tested within Microsoft currently – which is the first Moment for 24H2. (Add your own scattering of seasoning here, naturally).

As probably hasn’t escaped your attention if you’re a Windows 11 user, Microsoft just released the fifth Moment update for Windows 11 23H2, which comes with some handy new features.

Analysis: The bigger update picture – and potential road to Windows 12

As a quick refresher, Moment updates are sizeable feature drops, though not nearly as big as the annual upgrades for Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2 and so on). Essentially, Moments offer a way for Microsoft to continue to drip feed features between the major ‘H2’ annual versions of Windows 11.

With the first Moment update for 24H2 seemingly already under development, this seems a strong indication that Microsoft will continue with this scheme of things for Windows 11 updates going forward.

As Albacore discusses in the thread of the above post on X, it is possible that Microsoft might change the name ‘Moment’ to something else, but the underlying principle of these small-to-medium sized upgrades – outside the cadence of the big annual updates – should remain in place for Windows 11 as we progress down the road with the OS.

Before too long, though, that road will lead to Windows 12 – or whatever next-gen Windows ends up being called, with it quite possibly turning up in 2025, when Windows 10 exits stage left – and after that, the update delivery philosophy could change again.

Perhaps there’s a heightened chance of this, too, when you consider that Windows is under a new chief – Pavan Davuluri has taken the reins of the OS, as Mikhail Parakhin (who was heading up Windows previously) is off doing other things at Microsoft as of last month.

Traditionally, Microsoft has operated under this kind of scheme of smaller drip-fed updates outside of large feature drops – though not always. Before Windows 11 arrived, you may recall that Microsoft used a twice-yearly update scheme with Windows 10, so no new features were introduced between those upgrades. That left some pretty sizeable gaps of six months or so where nothing happened with the desktop OS feature-wise (except minor tweaks here and there).

We were never keen on that idea, but we don’t think Microsoft will return to that way of working – we’re taking this as a positive sign that Moments, or their equivalent, will be around for a good time yet, and hopefully with Windows 12 going forward, when it eventually rolls into town.

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Windows 10 might be Microsoft’s most popular operating system, but that’s not going to stop Microsoft from trying to get people to leave the operating system (OS) and upgrade to its successor Windows 11, and its latest attempt appears to be full-screen ads for Windows 11 being displayed to Windows 10 users. 

Microsoft has pinpointed October 14, 2025 as the date when Windows 10 is set to be depreciated. It’s quickly approaching, and after this date, Microsoft will cease providing technical support like bug fixes, and releasing feature updates and crucial security updates for Windows 10. That means that Windows 10 will continue to be functional, but PCs continuing to run on it will be at risk of newly discovered vulnerabilities that can be exploited by bad actors when they’re connected to the internet. 

Windows Central claims, citing Reddit posts in the Windows subreddit (the dedicated Reddit forum for Windows), that some Windows 10 users are seeing intrusive warning screens that advise them to make sure they’re able to get continued support and developments from Microsoft by installing Windows 11. 

What Windows 10 users are being met with

The prompt screen seems to have begun appearing following this week’s Patch Tuesday security-focused update, and urges users to learn more about transitioning to Windows 11. If they’re using a PC that’s unable to run Windows 11 – or the user is ineligible for a Windows 11 upgrade (as stated in the screenshot of the warning screen that one Reddit user was met with) – it’s suggested that users look into buying a PC that’s capable of running it. 

The text of the notification begins by thanking users for their loyalty and a reminder that the end-of-support date is very much in sight. Frustratingly, Microsoft doesn’t provide a button or check box to tick to ensure that users don’t have to see the screen again. Instead, there is only a ‘Remind me later’ button and a ‘Learn more’ button, so it looks like there isn’t really a way around it. 

If users can’t update their current PC to Windows 11 and don’t want to buy a new PC (or can’t afford to), there is the option to take up extended security update coverage for Windows 10. This will cost $61 per device, according to Windows Central, doubling every year for the next three years, which isn’t a cheap option at all. 

A possible recipe for a powder keg of backlack

Unfortunately, this isn’t new behavior from Microsoft, as full-screen notifications trying to get people to upgrade (or pay for extended support) appeared when Windows 7 neared its end-of-life. 

I can see how Microsoft’s approach can cause user annoyance – especially when it comes to preventing users from being able to turn the notification off. Suggesting people buy a new PC or laptop, or paying for an expensive optional support subscription, likely won’t go down too well with users either, especially in the current financial climate. I think it’s obvious how keen Microsoft is to make Windows 11 the main version and to be able to push toward Windows 12, but it’s going to be a struggle.

I think Microsoft would be wise to make sure as many users can install Windows 11 as possible, or it runs the risk of major user frustrations that could have sticking power for at least a little while. The least it could do is allow users to dismiss the notifications (for a little while, even), and maybe consider a different approach. When Windows 7 support was deprecated, for a lot of that time, users were prompted to install Windows 10, rather than its immediate follow-up, Windows 8. 

Microsoft could extend Windows 10 support until it debuts Windows 12 and then urge users to skip Windows 11 and go straight to 12 (in a similar fashion to encouraging Windows 7 users to leap to Windows 10). It could also ensure that Windows 12 is a large enough upgrade to convince Windows 10 users who might not have thought that upgrading to Windows 11 was worth it.  I understand that this might mean that Windows 10 users stretch out their stay with the operating system as long as possible, but it might also mean that the user pushback is less severe. 

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Microsoft has confirmed that the next update for Windows, Windows 11 version 24H2, is indeed coming later this year. While it’s good to know that Microsoft is planning a major update for Windows 11, the news will be disappointing to anyone who was hoping for an imminent release of Windows 12, the rumored next generation of the Windows operating system (OS). We expect Windows 11 24H2 to arrive around September or October, and will continue Microsoft’s focus on developing the AI-aided user experience and quality of life upgrades that the company has been so keen on pushing lately. 

This does mean that we can put any expectations of a Windows 12 to bed, at least until after the second half 2024. Many people were convinced that Windows 11’s successor was coming sooner rather than later because of the heavy emphasis on next-generation AI features and experiences. This rumored release was code-named Hudson Valley, and it’s anticipated to get an official announcement mid-2024, and start rolling out in the latter half of 2024. 

Straight from the horse's mouth (or rather, blog)

According to Windows Central, this confirmation of Windows’ annual major feature update comes to us from a Windows 11 preview build changelog published on February 8, 2024. Microsoft writes: 

"Starting with Build 26-xx today, Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels will see the versioning updated under Settings > System > About (and winver) to version 24H2. This denotes that Windows 11, version 24H2 will be this year’s annual feature update.”

Windows 11 24H2 will still absolutely be worth updating to as Microsoft is currently one of the leaders in the personal computing space that’s actively pursuing and developing AI user assistance. We’ve seen evidence of this with Microsoft’s enthusiastic debut and continued campaign to bring Windows Copilot, its digital AI assistant that’s even getting its own keyboard button, to users. New AI features will make use of recently-manufactured devices’ cutting-edge processors from manufacturers like AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, who have all recently released (or at least announced) new chips with dedicated support for artificial intelligence.

What's the hold up with Windows 12?

There are multiple speculated reasons for why Microsoft is currently sticking to Windows 11 instead of moving on. One such suggestion is  that Microsoft is reluctant to split its PC user base even more with a third major Windows version on the market. Its user base is already somewhat split with many users preferring to stick to Windows 10 (reportedly outnumbering Windows 11 users more than twofold). 

Meanwhile, Windows Central suggests multiple (very reasonable) reasons why Microsoft is currently sticking to Windows 11. First off, Windows’ and Surface’s former leader, Panos Panay, has departed Microsoft. Panay has headed up the Surface team since its inception, and led the development of Windows since 2020. 

It’s a major change-up for Microsoft internally, and along with Windows 10’s continued widespread popularity, the company is probably somewhat hesitant to release Windows 12 during this period. Microsoft is planning to end support for Windows 10 in 2025 to have a better chance of consolidating its user base, and it’s probably waiting at least until then to introduce Windows 12. 

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Microsoft’s next-gen version of Windows, whatever that might be called, is set to pitch up in the middle of 2024.

The Register reports that Qualcomm’s CEO, Cristiano Amon, made the revelation in an earnings call for the company. On the call, Amon mentioned the next incarnation of Windows when talking about the incoming Snapdragon X Elite chip, which is going to be the engine of some of the AI-powered laptops Microsoft keeps banging on about (this is the year of AI PCs, remember?).

Amon said: “We’re tracking to the launch of products with this chipset [Snapdragon X Elite] tied with the next version of Microsoft Windows that has a lot of the Windows AI capabilities … We’re still maintaining the same date, which is driven by Windows, which is mid-2024, getting ready for back-to-school.”

So, the release date of the middle of 2024 for the laptops driven by Qualcomm’s chip is pitched there because that’s when next-gen Windows will come out.

This echoes previous chatter from the grapevine that the middle of 2024 should be the release date for the next iteration of Windows, including a specific mention of June from one source (add salt, naturally, as even if this is Microsoft’s plan right now, it may not pan out).

Analysis: Navigating the nuances

There’s a lot of nuances to all these rumors and official declarations about the launch of next-gen Windows (we’ve also heard from Intel, as well as Qualcomm). Firstly, let’s clarify: will the next desktop OS from Microsoft be Windows 12, or Windows 11 24H2?

The simple answer to this is we don’t know, but all the current evidence is stacking up to indicate that the next release will be Windows 11 24H2 – although that doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of Windows 12. On balance, Windows 12 is probably more likely to arrive in 2025 though (if that’s what it ends up being called – the point is, this will be an all-new Windows, not just an update to Windows 11).

However, there will be a different kind of all-new Windows arriving in 2024, even if we get Windows 11 24H2 this year, and not Windows 12, as seems likely. Confused? Well, don’t be: what Microsoft is ushering in – for the middle of this year – is a new platform Windows is built on. This new take on the underpinnings of the desktop OS is called Germanium and it brings a whole lot of work under the hood for better performance and security. The kind of things you won’t see, but will still benefit from.

Germanium is the platform that AI PCs will be built on, and when Qualcomm’s CEO mentions Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops arriving in the middle of 2024 with the next version of Windows, that’s what Amon is really talking about: Germanium.

In short, this doesn’t mean we’ll get next-gen Windows 12 in mid-2024, but that if it’s the Windows 11 24H2 update – which as mentioned is most likely the case, going by the rumors flying around – it’ll still be a new Windows (the underlying platform, not the actual OS you interact with).

The other twist is that Windows 11 24H2 (or indeed Windows 12, if that slim chance pans out) won’t be coming to everyone in the middle of the year. The plan is to bring out the new Germanium-powered Windows, whatever it’s called, on new laptops (AI PCs) first – perhaps in July, going by previous buzz from the grapevine – but it’ll be a while before existing Windows 11 PCs get the upgrade. That rollout to all users is rumored to be happening in September, but whatever the case, it’ll be later in the year before everyone using Windows 11 gets the upgrade.

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We might have just caught our first glimpse of Windows 12, although we can’t be sure about that – but what we do know is that Microsoft is making a big change with test builds of Windows.

XenoPanther on X (formerly Twitter) noticed that the internal Canary versions of Windows 11 – those in the earliest testing channel, in other words – were just forked with a new build 27547 coming into play.

The most recent Canary channel build is version 26040 as you may be aware if you follow these preview releases (which comes with a new Voice Clarity feature to improve video chats).

So, now we have builds in the 26XXX range and also the 27XXX range, prompting the obvious question: Is the latter Windows 12 in its first test phase? Let’s discuss that in more depth next.

Analysis: I’m giving her all she’s got, Captain!

As Zac Bowden, the well-known Microsoft leaker (of Windows Central fame) points out, the likelihood here is that the next release of Windows is the 26XXX branch, which is currently rumored (by Bowden) to be Windows 11 24H2 coming later this year.

That means the 27XXX preview versions could be the next incarnation of Windows after that, the one arriving in 2025 (and these builds probably won’t go into testing with Windows Insiders for some time yet). Hence the (tentative) conclusion that this might be Windows 12, or an all-new Windows, whatever it may be called.

(Although we should further note that technically, Windows 11 24H2 will be all-new. Not the front-end mind, but the underlying foundations – it will be built on a new platform known as Germanium, which will offer considerable performance and security benefits deep under the hood).

At any rate, this pretty much underlines the idea that Windows 12 (or next-gen Windows, whatever the final name) is not coming this year, and will probably arrive next year. After all, Windows 10 gets ditched in 2025, so it makes some sense that a new OS comes in as one shuffles out the exit door (in October 2025 to be precise).

As we’ve discussed before, one of the dangers of bringing in Windows 12 this year is that the move would fragment the desktop user base into three camps, which is clumsy and a headache for organizing updates. So that scenario is neatly avoided if Windows 12 doesn’t turn up until 2025.

As a side note, Microsoft has codenames for its OS development semesters, and the next one should have been arsenic – but due to it being perceived as “scary and violent” Bowden tells us, the software giant has avoided it, and is instead using the codename Dilithium. Which is pretty cool for Star Trek fans (maybe Duranium will be next in line when another unsuitable real-world element pops up).

Via Neowin, Deskmodder

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Microsoft’s major update for 2024 will be Windows 11 24H2, we’ve again heard, but it’ll be a big old drop of multiple features – plus foundational changes – that’s expected to arrive in September.

That’s the latest from Microsoft rumor-monger Zac Bowden of Windows Central fame, a generally reliable source for all things Windows.

Bowden has previously asserted that Microsoft is going to keep Windows 11 and push out a 24H2 upgrade later this year – rather than launching Windows 12, or whatever an all-new version of the OS might be called – so this concept is nothing new.

Also fully expected is that the update will be heavily focused on next-gen AI experiences (for those AI PCs Microsoft keeps banging on about), and we’re told by Bowden that the 2024 Update will be a much larger affair than 23H2 (which was pretty minor, so again, that’s no surprise).

However, according to Bowden, 24H2 will represent a seriously big change in direction, and will be built on a new version of the Windows platform that’ll usher in various performance and security updates alongside a raft of new features.

What new features? Well, given the mentioned weight on the AI side of the equation, obviously there’ll be upgrades for Copilot. We’re told the desktop assistant will enhance the Windows interface and find ways to boost productivity in terms of apps, search, and more besides.

Bowden doesn’t go into any real specifics that haven’t been mentioned before, but in short, Copilot will help you do more stuff in a swifter and more convenient manner in Windows, as well as all the existing Bing Chat-style chops the AI has.

The leaker does expand on one point, though: that Microsoft is planning a Copilot timeline/history feature that’ll allows users to locate any file, image, app, basically anything that has been previously opened on their PC, using the AI. A history-based super-search, in other words, that’ll likely allow you to do things like request ‘that file where I wrote about Nvidia’s new RTX Super graphics cards’ or similar more natural language-based requests than traditional search. (We’ve heard rumors along these lines before).

We’ve already seen other incoming features in test builds of Windows 11 such as the new ‘energy saver’ capability and AI-powered Snap Layouts to pick out a couple of examples.

All the stuff you see in testing in early channels is likely to be for 24H2, and there are other additions coming, too. For example, Phone Link improvements are inbound, including being able to use your smartphone as a makeshift webcam for the PC (pretty nifty).

Analysis: Possible twists in the tale

Some still believe that this will be Windows 12, or some incarnation of next-gen Windows (Windows AI?) rather than just a 24H2 update for Windows 11. That’d make sense in some ways, given that this is Windows built on an entirely new platform (called Germanium) and it’s a big thing coming alongside those AI PCs we keep hearing about.

Bowden thinks a full name change is unlikely, though, and still maintains this will be the 24H2 update even though it ushers in extensive changes.

One reason Microsoft may not want Windows 12 is that it would fragment the user base into Windows 10, 11, and 12, which could be confusing for users, and a pain for Microsoft to handle in terms of development and patching. Remember, Windows 10 isn’t dead anymore, and Microsoft recently reversed the decision to freeze new features coming to the older OS, and is now piping fresh functionality across – including, most importantly, Copilot.

All of this is just speculation, mind, and even Microsoft itself may not have made the final decision as to whether this will be another update for Windows 11, or an all-new next-gen Windows.

Bowden lays out the development timeframe and as mentioned, the projected release for the theoretical 24H2 update is currently September (though it could be later in the year).

There’s a slight twist, though, in that the platform it’s built on, Germanium, will apparently be ready in April, after which work on finalizing the Windows 11 2024 Update will begin. It’s possible that new AI PCs with 24H2 on board could appear as soon as July, but the upgrade won’t come to existing Windows 11 installations until September at the earliest.

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If Microsoft is still pondering what its New Year resolution for 2024 should be, I have a suggestion: fix Windows 11.

Now, to be fair, Windows 11 is fundamentally a solid operating system. I run it on four PCs, and generally speaking it does the job fine – though one of my PCs crashed with a Blue Screen of Death without me actually doing anything on it at the time, giving me a flashback to the Bad Old Days when Windows PCs were less stable than a bouncy castle filled with Jell-O.

However, Windows 11’s problems run a lot deeper – and Microsoft needs to be bold if it wants its latest OS to be a success. Windows 11 may be a solid operating system, but it’s unexciting, and that means many people don’t feel compelled to upgrade from Windows 10 – which for most people does the job perfectly well. As recent statistics from Statcounter show, Windows 10 remains by far the most popular version of Windows, installed on 67.42% of surveyed devices as of December 2023.

Meanwhile, Windows 11 is installed on just 26.5%. After two years of availability, that’s a pitiful uptake – and even worse for Microsoft, that market share dropped slightly last month. It’s clear that Windows 11 remains unloved – and with rumors swirling that Windows 12 could release in the near future, Microsoft could be running out of time to change the narrative that Windows 11 is anything other than a disappointment.

But what can it do?

Be bold – no more tweaking around the edges

One of Windows 11’s biggest problems is that it just does not seem like a worthwhile upgrade over Windows 10. The older – and more popular – operating system, which was launched on July 29, 2015, continues to work well and supports modern hardware. If someone is running Windows 10 on their PC without any issues, why would they want to upgrade?

Windows 10 benefitted from coming after the unpopular Windows 8/8.1, and by bringing back some much-missed features, such as the Start menu, and refocusing the OS for desktop PCs, there was a clear reason to upgrade to Windows 10.

Windows 11 doesn’t have that benefit, and when it launched, the changes it brought were relatively minor – such as centering the icons and Start menu on the taskbar, and bringing back desktop widgets. These were hardly new features worth upgrading for, and while some, such as the widgets, seem to have already been forgotten about by most people, the taskbar changes weren’t just slightly useless – they meant that some features (such as the ability to move the taskbar) were actually dropped from Windows 11.

So, to get people to want to upgrade, Microsoft needs to add some bold new features that only Windows 11 can offer. Some may point to the company’s enthusiasm for adding Artificial Intelligence features – but I don’t think that’s enough. For a start, a lot of those AI features are also coming to Windows 10 as well.

And, to be brutally honest, will people use those AI features that much? I don’t think so – and adding a dedicated button to new keyboards for the Copilot AI assistant probably won’t change that. From my time using the latest build of Windows 11, I’ve used the AI features maybe once or twice. Interesting to try out, but they do not impact my day-to-day use of my PCs. If Microsoft shows how AI can really make a difference in our daily lives, rather than just being a gimmick, then we could be getting somewhere.

CES 2024, the huge tech event that’s happening in Las Vegas next week (it runs from January 9 to January 12, and we’ll be reporting live from the show floor), could be the ideal time to do just that. With component makers such as Intel and AMD expected to show off products that emphasize AI capabilities, alongside laptop manufacturers showcasing the devices that will be running on those components, this will give Microsoft an excuse to showcase why Windows 11 is essential.

There is an issue with this plan, however. If device makers show off exciting new AI features for Windows 11 laptops and PCs that need new hardware, Windows 11 users on older hardware may feel left out. Microsoft doesn’t want to have two tiers of Windows 11 users – and strict hardware requirements for Windows 11 has backfired in the past, with the confusing TPM 2.0 debacle putting a lot of people off Windows 11 in the first place.

One solution to this would be to release Windows 12 and have that come with all the AI goodies instead. I have a feeling laptop and PC makers would prefer this option – a new version of Windows with exclusive features could give the laptop market a much-needed shot in the arm.

But that would leave Windows 11 being even more neglected. Should Microsoft just cut its losses and turn its attention to Windows 12? Sadly, that might be its best option.

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When you look back at 2023 for tech, it may be hard to think of anything else than AI. Indeed, the platform has become a behemoth in how artificial intelligence can supercharge methods such as creating images, transcribing podcasts, and more.

The platform allegedly caught Apple off guard, and they’re now catching up. Microsoft, however, has already built its AI take called Copilot, into Windows 11. Reachable from a sidebar, you can ask the assistant to toggle certain features, generate images for you, and much more.

Granted, while this has superseded assistants like Microsoft’s own Cortana and Apple’s Siri, we’re still in the very early days of AI. There’s so much potential that Copilot can achieve for users on Windows — so with this in mind, here are five ways that it can do just that.

Generational Convenience

An AI should be a companion that can help at any opportune moment. Most of us have experienced a moment when we’ve tried to rename a bunch of files to put them into the right album or folder. Yet this is mostly a manual job, and it can take valuable hours to rename so many files. For Copilot, this could be an instant win — imagine asking the AI to go to a certain folder, and ask it to rename the hundreds of images within. In moments, the files are renamed, and, if the AI wants to show off, it attaches them to an email, ready to send.

It’s that kind of convenience that can help elevate assistants like Copilot, instead of pushing a notion that users have, that it can simply generate images and give you information about certain events. Having this new assistant in Windows take up jobs like this could help justify it to many who may be hesitant to use the AI — it can become your companion for convenience, rather than being known as an all-seeing, all-knowing feature on a sidebar.

Accessible on other devices

Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, has long pushed the notion that Windows is a service — that it should be accessible on as many devices as possible. The same should apply to Copilot but with the added benefit of knowing that it’s you. Granted, it may help that Copilot can be accessed in different places already, such as Bing. Yet to have it remember your past queries to build up a knowledgeable history could result in more accurate task completions from Copilot.

So let’s see this be made available as an app on iPhone and Android — but don’t stop there Microsoft. Have Copilot be made available as an app on Google’s Webstore for its Chrome web browser — extend that to Opera and Firefox too. Go even further — have Copilot be made available as an option on smart speakers like Alexa and Sonos. Have the AI be tied to your Microsoft account, so wherever you access Copilot, it will remember what you’ve requested of it before.

It gives Copilot the advantage of being easily accessible on most of the devices you own whilst making you wonder how it is as an integrated part of Windows, especially if you're looking at a new PC in the holiday sales.

A supercharged OOO

Copilot is already impressive in what it can do for Bing, Paint, and other apps — but it can go even further when it comes to your workflow. It’s likely, as you’re reading this, that you’re off for the holidays, and you’ve enabled the ‘out of office’ setting for your work email. For anyone unaware, this sends an automated message to anyone who sends something to your work email.

However, there can be times when you return, and while looking through the masses of unread emails, you mistakenly miss an important one. This is where a ‘supercharged’ Copilot comes in.

Imagine the AI taking charge of this while you’re away. If an important email is sent, Copilot could send a personalized email to them, acknowledging that you’re off, but the meeting time that they’ve requested, will be fine, and the AI will also add this to your calendar.

Copilot could go even further. If it notices that there are more than 100 unread emails and you’re not due to come back for another week, it could move a bunch of irrelevant emails, into the Trash folder. By the time you return, you’ve got new meetings to attend, and only the most important emails to follow up on.

This is just one example. Yet it’s something that could free up your workflow, especially if you put time aside each week just to sort emails. As mentioned before, Copilot is still in its early throes, but having it integrated into Windows Mail, or other mail clients as a plugin, could prove its worth as a useful assistant.

Offline

In early 2023, there were efforts by a group of developers to try and package up OpenAI’s ChatGPT into an app for iPhone. The download size was 4GB, and even then, it proved to be slow to use, as the app was struggling to generate the result, while also using cellular data to make sure that it had the latest information.

So admittedly we are a ways off from using these AI platforms without an internet connection —but you can be sure that companies like Apple and Microsoft want to make this a reality. So let’s see the ability to use Copilot in Windows 12 without an internet connection. It doesn’t have to be the fully-featured version, but it could at least be available to help around the operating system for you. It could batch-rename a bunch of files as mentioned before, it could sort your playlists in Windows Media Player, and it could generate certain images based on the media that are locally stored on your PC.

A great way of giving confidence to assistants like these is to make sure that it’s not reliant on a connection to the web. Having it available when offline, but also letting you know that it’s unable to do certain tasks at the same time, can give users confidence in its reliability.

Windows Media Player DJ

If, like some of us, you have countless music tracks that span across decades and genres, and you’ve spent many hours sorting these into playlists that you can summon for moments when running, exercising, and more.

With the heralded return of Windows Media Player in Windows 11, it should go a step further, and have Copilot act as your own personal DJ in Windows 12. A great way to get an idea of this is Spotify — while they currently offer an AI DJ in beta, there is also an ongoing test of this AI, where it’s helping users discover new music in new playlists it curates for them.

It’s a fun way of helping users discover new music — but not for the music you already have. Instead, let Copilot be responsible for both of these aspects. Send it a request to sort tracks that made the number one spot in the charts, into a new playlist for example. Or have it discover from your calendar that you’re planning a long trip in the car, so it will create a playlist that will last however long the approximate journey lasts.

As an aside, it would be great to have podcasts be a part of Windows Media Player for Windows 12 — so this could also work great for Copilot. Have it create a playlist that is a mix of music and podcasts, so you almost have a radio station that’s curated for you.

Ultimately though, Copilot and Windows Media Player feel like a match made in music heaven — having this available as soon as Windows 12 is made available, could entice plenty to upgrade, especially if Copilot helps users sort out the thousands of tracks that they’ve had for years.

There was a time when Accessibility in software was more commonly labeled as a ‘hidden feature’ or a ‘hack’ to speed certain methods up, such as Voice Control in iOS 13 or Back Tap in iOS 14.

The world has (thankfully) moved on from this, and we’re now seeing real benefits in how accessibility can be used for the greater good. Indeed, both Apple and Microsoft should be given high praise for how accessibility is being thought of with almost every new feature we see. For instance, the redesigned theme that came with Windows 11 in 2021, allowed for bigger fonts and inverted colors to work much better for visually impaired users.

Despite these noble moves by Microsoft, Apple has been leading the way in how it can offer its features and devices to those with accessibility needs. Take iOS 17 — Assistive Access transforms your iPhone’s home screen into a series of large icons, followed by apps like the Camera which also adapts to this simpler design, making it easier for visually impaired users to take photos and videos.

Already though, Microsoft’s take on Personal Voice is already being worked on, but there’s still much to be done.

With Windows 12 allegedly arriving by the end of 2024, Microsoft would be wise to look at these five features for inspiration to include in the next major upgrade of its operating system.

Live Speech

This is a simple feature, but an incredibly useful one. As long as you have a Mac, iPad, or iPhone running the latest software versions, you can type in a phrase during a FaceTime call, and Live Speech will read this out for you.

For users with auditory impairments, this is a fantastic feature that can help include so many during a video call. When it comes to Windows, however, you’d be hard-pressed to find a similar feature.

While you can enable captions during video calls, as long as your PC has the 22H2 update installed, there’s no way to have Windows speak out a phrase you’ve typed. So for Windows 12, let’s see both Skype and Microsoft Teams incorporate Live Speech into video chats.

Detection Mode

Granted, we’re not expecting you to hold up your 15-inch laptop to detect objects around you, but for tablets and Surface Duo devices, it’s a perfect feature. For those unaware, Detection Mode is part of Apple’s Magnifier app, which can be used on iPhone and iPad. This uses AR (Augmented Reality) to scan the room you’re currently in and will let you know how far a door is from you.

When it comes to images, text, and people, though, this is where this mode really shines. Detection Mode can also read out what it sees - so if you hold your iPhone towards a plant, it will tell you what this plant looks like with a short description.

There’s nothing like this on Windows — but again, Microsoft might not want users to hold up their desktop PCs, in order to see how far away a door is. For its Surface Pro and Duo devices, however, it could be great to see a similar feature, where you can open up an app or ask Copilot how far a light switch is.

Point and Speak

This is another feature of the Magnifier app, but it’s something that deserves its own mention, especially for Windows 12. Imagine being at an ATM near a store — it’s dark, it’s windy, and your poor eyesight is making it difficult to see where the numbers are to input your PIN number.

If you hold your iPhone at this keypad while pointing at certain numbers, this feature will read out what you’re pointing at — making it so much easier to tell where certain numbers are. Now, this won’t help if you have a large tablet for these situations. Yet this could be a perfect feature for Microsoft’s Surface Duo phones as an ‘exclusive’ Windows 12 feature. 

Holding this at a sign, a menu, and other objects would be very useful for those with visual impairments, and being able to use this on a phone, and a Surface tablet would appeal for so many users.

Assistive Access

This is a feature that arrived in iOS 17 in the fall of 2023, and it completely transforms your home screen, and some apps like Camera and Messages into simpler designs. When you go to Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access > Start Assistive Access, a message will appear, confirming that your iPhone will need to restart to boot into this mode.

Once it has, you’ll be brought to a screen where there are four large icons on a grid, which you can change to a row if you wish. When you open an app that’s been designed for this mode, such as Camera, you’ll be brought to a screen where the ‘shoot’ and ‘video’ buttons are huge, but you can still use the features as before.

This mode is a huge win for those with visual and motor impairments. It allows users to select the right app and the right feature they wish to go to, all in a large, colorful grid.

This is why a similar mode should come to Windows 12. Have this feature change the look of Windows so that’s easier to read, and perhaps have a ‘shortcut’ menu that displays at all times. It can also fit with the form factors that Microsoft has been working on for Windows.

From tablets to foldable devices, its take on ‘Assistive Access’ could fit many forms where a simpler design of Windows 12, where apps are accessible from a large grid, could easily work. It can easily apply to Microsoft's Surface Duo and Studio devices. One could use apps like Paint and Windows Media Player in a similar design to Apple’s Camera and Messages app.

Assistive Touch

If you’ve used this feature on your iPhone or Apple Watch, you know how useful it can be. For those unaware, Assistive Touch appears as a button on an iPhone or iPad. You can enable it by going to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch. If done correctly, a small menu will appear, allowing users to access gestures and controls. Yet it goes further than that. You can have three-finger gestures in Assistive Touch, or record your own, so you could press a button that could ‘pinch out’ of a photo for example.

This is a fantastic accessibility feature that can cut down the steps for certain features when you’re in an app — and as it displays at all times, there’s no fear of this disappearing at any point.

This is why something similar should appear in Windows 12. Imagine a menu that’s always active on your display, which can show recently used apps, contacts, gestures, and even bookmarks in Edge and Chrome for example, without having to go into the apps themselves. 

Assistive Touch perfectly ties into the ‘Assistive Access’ feature that Apple offers, and which could be adapted for Windows 12 — but also adds to the fundamentals of what Windows has been offering for Accessibility up to now. This gives users new ways to look at other features of other apps that could have felt overwhelming to them, because of the amount of features offered for example. Yet with Assistive Touch, it could easily give users with certain impairments, the confidence to use these apps as well as anyone else.

Microsoft is cooking up a next-gen Windows – and it may not be called Windows 12 – with some huge new AI tricks, according to a new report.

This comes from Zac Bowden at Windows Central, one of the more prolific Windows leakers out there – and a good source for rumors in our experience – who has plenty to say about what Microsoft is planning to do with AI in the next version of Windows for 2024 (which is codenamed Hudson Valley).

Some heavy-duty work is planned to integrate AI throughout the Windows interface more deeply, bringing in a whole load of features, some of which are described as “groundbreaking”. According to Bowden’s sources, the cornerstone of this work will be an AI-powered Windows Shell.

This will benefit from an ‘advanced Copilot’ AI that’s constantly working away in the background, looking at your searches and what you’re doing, trying to understand the context and help appropriately.

Some examples are given, such as being able to use more natural language in a search in Windows, like “find me that file Karen sent to me on WhatsApp earlier this week.”

There will also be a timeline feature that allows you to scroll back through all your recent app and website usage which Copilot records, and you can search within that for any term.

We’re also told to expect an AI-supercharged version of Live Captions, capable of translating to multiple different languages in real-time, not just for video (or audio) playback, but also on a live video chat.

The slight catch is that some AI features will require NPU hardware – a Neural Processing Unit which is a partner chip for the CPU/GPU, one that specializes in accelerating AI tasks – and those will be more heavyweight capabilities. One example given is AI-powered upscaling of the image quality of videos or indeed games.

Bowden also contends that we could even get fancy wallpapers driven by AI, and indeed we’ve heard leaks previously about backgrounds that will use a parallax effect – one that interacts with the cursor, or gyroscope in Windows devices that have one, and looks like it’s popping out of your screen.

Away from AI – which will be the major focus of next-gen Windows, though we’d already guessed that – Microsoft is also planning changes to the interface. That includes a ‘Creator’ panel for the Start menu and File Explorer, which will be a hub for launching anything related to content creation in Windows. Bowden describes it as a kind of ‘launchpad for Microsoft 365’ bristling with shortcuts to your latest Word documents, PowerPoints, and so forth.

Furthermore, there’s even talk of shifting around bits of the core layout of the desktop, like putting the system tray (bottom-right) at the top of the screen – but more radical moves like this are likely for the future, not next year.

Finally, another major enhancement for next-gen Windows will come to energy saver (recently spotted in testing), with Microsoft seemingly looking at beefing up battery life by up to 50% in certain scenarios – which would be huge for laptop owners. And apparently, a new ‘green power’ option will be capable of detecting when the electricity it’s being fed from the socket is derived from renewable sources, and it’ll initiate charging if that’s the case. Pretty nifty.

When might we get all – or at least some – of these goodies? Bowden reckons that Microsoft is aiming to complete work on next-gen Windows in August 2024, and it’ll be rolled out around September or October, the typical time the big annual update is expected to arrive.

As we said at the outset, Bowden is also somewhat doubtful about whether this next version of Microsoft’s desktop OS will be Windows 12 – and we’ve already been discussing that in-depth elsewhere this morning (plus there’s some juicy new info on changes Microsoft is apparently planning for the release cadence of Windows).

Analysis: Game-changing possibilities

This is just talk – chatter from the rumor mill – so we must apply the usual skepticism, and consider that some of it might be fanciful, wishful thinking. But it does sound like AI really will make a big difference to the next incarnation of Windows.

Having a search function that allows for more natural use of language – “find those images I put on Google Drive from that Microsoft press kit last month” – would be hugely powerful. Not having to remember the exact name of a file you’re hunting out will be a huge boon in itself. (And hopefully, we can avoid Copilot inquiring: “Oh, and by the way, why aren’t you using OneDrive?”).

There are several game-changing possibilities mentioned here, like real-time captions delivered for video chatting with multiple language options. And in a very literal sense, NPU-powered upscaling for games could be very useful where Nvidia’s or AMD’s upscaling tech isn’t present, or supported – and it’ll be great for videos and watching Netflix, or your preferred streaming service, on your PC too.

What isn’t mentioned here, and would seem to be an obvious avenue of potential improvement, is Voice Access. Powering up speech recognition tech with AI seems like a way to make next-gen Windows truly innovative – Voice Access has already come a long way (since incorporating Dragon’s excellent tech), but surely there’s scope for AI to make it all the more powerful. And for spoken conversations with Copilot to become the norm, with no typing needed, and no misinterpretation.

In recent times, accessibility has been an area Microsoft has been laudably keen to make improvements with, and surely that theme will continue with AI helping to push the boundaries therein.

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Windows 12 may not be happening after all, or at least that seems to be the way the rumor mill is suddenly tilting – and Microsoft is also changing how it’ll update its desktop OS in the future, we’re told.

This fresh info comes from Zac Bowden of Windows Central, a well-known leaker on all things Microsoft.

Bowden tells us that the next version of Windows (codenamed Hudson Valley) will be highly AI-focused (quelle surprise) and Microsoft is planning to launch it in September or October 2024 – but the final name is a marketing decision that hasn’t yet been made.

However, the leaker claims that sources inside Microsoft are doubtful as to whether it’ll be Windows 12. The reason? Microsoft is apparently wary of fragmenting the user base further with another release that has a different name – and we totally get where that line of thought is coming from (we’ll return to discuss that shortly).

This doesn’t rule out Windows 12, of course, but it certainly sounds like Microsoft is edging towards sticking with another release of Windows 11 for the next incarnation.

Bowden also chews over purported changes to the way Windows updates are delivered, and sources inside Microsoft have indicated that there’ll be a return to a big annual feature update – with fewer ‘Moment’ (smaller) feature updates.

Currently, we’re getting a raft of Moment updates – we’re up to Moment 4 this year, with a fifth planned for February or March next year – and an annual upgrade (23H2 this year) which was somewhat smaller in terms of its feature count (as lots of features had been introduced with those Moment updates already).

Next year, with fewer Moment updates – we’re told these will still exist, but will be used “sparingly” – the big upgrade for later in 2024 (Hudson Valley) will be a chunkier affair. In short, Microsoft is putting more emphasis on the major annual update going forward, or that’s the theory.

Analysis: Two buckets are better than three

So, if Microsoft goes the route of making Hudson Valley an all-new release called Windows 12 (or another alternative – Windows AI, maybe), what’s the danger of fragmentation referred to here?

Well, if Windows 12 came out next year, we’d have a bunch of folks leaping to that OS, a bunch still on Windows 11, and a whole load of users still running Windows 10 (stuck behind a hardware upgrade barrier in many cases – either because they don’t have TPM functionality on their PC, or their CPU is too old).

This would be diluting the user base over three buckets instead of two, if you will, which does feel like a clumsy approach, and servicing all this will end up a clunkier, harder-to-manage process, too.

Funnily enough, we just saw a leak suggesting Windows 11 24H2 is incoming, which is what the name of Hudson Valley will doubtless be if Microsoft sticks with Windows 11 – so this lends a bit more weight to the speculation here.

Again, this doesn’t rule out Windows 12, of course – but it is starting to feel somewhat less likely.

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While the rumor mill has been putting some stock in the idea that the next version of Microsoft’s operating system will be called Windows 12, and it’s expected to turn up next year, a little doubt has now sprung up around this.

Regular leaker @XenoPanther on X (formerly Twitter) was digging around in Windows (policy definitions, pretty dry stuff) and stumbled upon a reference to ‘Windows 11 24H2.’

As the leaker notes, this could be a typo, as the references seem to skip from Windows 11 22H2 to 24H2, so maybe this is supposed to read 23H2?

If it is correct, though, it’s an early indication that the next version of Microsoft’s OS will be the 24H2 update for Windows 11 – rather than Windows 12 as rumored.

In other words, Windows 12 may not be coming next year, or at least that’s the conclusion some folks are rapidly drawing on social media thanks to this leak.

Analysis: Possible placeholder?

Putting the possibility that this is a mistake to one side – which it certainly could be – jumping to conclusions really is premature here. Even if it isn’t an error, a mere mention of Windows 11 24H2 could be a placeholder name for next year’s release, of course.

It is, however, at least a suggestion that Microsoft might not be going for a whole new version of Windows for next year after all.

That said, we’re not convinced of that by any means, as there have been quite strong signs that a next-gen Windows should be inbound in 2024. That includes most recently Taiwan’s The Commercial Times reporting on a new generation of Windows popping up in June of next year, and a bit further back, we witnessed an Intel exec talking about next-gen Windows for 2024.

Note carefully, though, that no one actually mentions Windows 12 as the name - instead, less specific terms like 'next-gen Windows' are employed.

It’s likely even Microsoft itself hasn’t decided on the final name yet, and so calling the next version Windows 11 24H2 could be a placeholder for next-gen Windows – which might end up being named Windows 12 – as much as it is a possible sign that Windows 11 will stick around for another year and another annual update.

We’ve previously bet on a future version of Windows being renamed due to its strong focus on AI (Windows Copilot, perhaps, even though Microsoft already used that name, or Windows AI even?). Whenever AI hits big-time for the OS, Microsoft will rename it accordingly to reflect that, we reckon – although in fairness, from the speed of Copilot development so far, that probably won’t be next year.

Via Windows Latest

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Christmas might just have come early for laptop makers, as a new leak suggests that Windows 12 could arrive as soon as June 2024.

The news, which Tom’s Hardware originally reported on and KitGuru later added to, emerged in Taiwan’s The Commercial Times, will be good news for the PC and laptop market, which has seen a decline since the Covid-19 pandemic.

When people started working from home, many bought new PCs or laptops, along with webcams and other accessories, but this boom was not to last. With so many people using new devices, it’s understandable that they wouldn’t be in any rush to go out and buy a new one.

This has resulted in a downturn in PC and laptop sales – but the launch of a new operating system could help reinvigorate those sales.

According to the report, the June 2024 date for Windows 12 was mooted at the recent Taiwan Medical Technology Exhibition in Taipei, where Quanta Computer Chairman Barry Lam is reported to have said “next summer, when Microsoft launches a new generation of Windows operating systems, AI PCs will also be launched one after another.”

While it’s not entirely clear from the report where the June 2024 date came from, and Microsoft has not officially revealed its Windows 12 plans, there will be many in the PC industry who hope this is Microsoft's plan. We've also heard other rumors about a 2024 launch date in the past.

A new, powerful, operating system with innovative features could – if done right – encourage people to upgrade to new hardware. Whether or not Microsoft can do it right, however, is another issue.

Windows 11 woes

Windows 11 hasn’t exactly set the world alight. It’s a solid operating system, but there hasn’t been a killer app or feature that has made Windows 10 users want to switch.

Microsoft’s attempts to get people to upgrade to new laptops or PCs for Windows 11, due to its controversial insistence on TPM 2.0 compatibility, annoyed more people than it converted as well. 

So, if Windows 12 is to be the saviour of Microsoft and the wider industry, it’ll need to be a big upgrade from Windows 11, and one that makes full use of cutting-edge hardware. No pressure, then.

AI to the rescue?

Microsoft hasn’t been shy about its ambitions for artificial intelligence (AI), and while it’s been pushing AI feature in Windows 11 (and even Windows 10), it’s looking likely that Windows 12 will have even more AI integration – and it’s here that the upcoming operating system could differentiate itself from its predecessors.

Acer CEO Jason Chen, who was also at the event, talked about how AI PCs will “continuously accelerate” the industry. These ‘AI’ PCs will likely come with Windows 12 preinstalled (as Lam suggested), and will rely on advanced hardware that’s been specially made for artificial intelligence.

Microsoft’s AI additions to Windows 11, in the form of its Copilot assistant, have been warmly received by users, but they still feel a bit like a gimmick. Nothing, so far, fundamentally changes the way we use Windows 11 or our PCs, as Microsoft has promised.

However, the thought of Windows 12 being built from the ground up to make use of AI, and debuting on laptops and PC with AI-supporting hardware, is incredibly exciting. If June 2024 does indeed usher in a new era of the best laptops and PCs, there certainly will be a lot of people who’ll be tempted to upgrade – including me.

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October 31 wasn’t just about Halloween - it was also Windows 11 2023 Update day. The update arrived with some big banner changes and features, making it one of the most interesting and ambitious Windows 11 updates yet. 

We’ve known about most of these features from an optional update, Windows 11 2023 Update (23H2), that was released last month. It packed a punch with features like the widely-publicized Windows Copilot artificial intelligence (AI) tool, Paint updates including the Cocreater generative AI bot, a revamped Snipping Tool app, a revised Photos app, RGB lighting support for gamer, a flashy new File Explorer, amongst other tweaks and changes. One other major update is the removal of the integration of Chat into Microsoft Teams.

Chat has now officially been absorbed into the free version of Microsoft Teams, which will now be pinned as a default app in your taskbar, as relayed by Microsoft’s VP of program management for Windows servicing and delivery, John Cable. 

He emphasized that Teams is now a more fully-fledged “mini communications experience” that allows for even more ways to connect and create community groups. This is a sensible move because Teams is widely-used and recognised, especially post-pandemic (where many people found themselves working from home, and used Teams to keep in touch with coworkers). 

Earlier iterations of the Microsoft Teams app also saw it included as part of Windows 11 and as a default app in the taskbar, but you wouldn’t be able to simply unpin it to remove it from the taskbar. Thankfully, that’s changed and you can now easily remove it if you don’t use it. 

Chat was a sort of FaceTime clone-app that clearly even Microsoft understood wasn’t seeing much use by many users. Chat was only available on the personal consumer version of Windows 11, so if users or organizations wanted to use it with or within Teams, there wasn’t a work or enterprise version to do that. 

More exciting changes coming to a Windows device near you

This Windows update also brings us some design changes to the user interface, specifically when it comes to app management. Windows 11 system component settings will now be grouped under a “System” label which can be found in the Settings app. Microsoft Store, Game Bar, Phone Link, and Tips apps will all be listed there, and The Verge speculates that Microsoft will allow users to remove these system components in a future Windows 11 update. 

This is likely the last major update to Windows 11, as we suspect we’ll see the next version of Windows, rumored to be Windows 12, soon. Exciting times for Windows fans ahead.

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We’re approaching ever closer to the next generation of Windows, which most people expect will be Windows 12, and at Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite event, which took place this week, we got a peek at some potential Windows 12 features. 

Qualcomm, a company that specialises in wireless-related semiconductors, software, and services, unveiled a flashy new processor chip, the Snapdragon X Elite and it’s made some bold claims. It’s been said that this chip will boost Windows on ARM devices in a big way, and will play a crucial role in the next generation of Windows devices’ functionality. 

At the event, Qualcomm shared the stage with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CVP (Corporate Vice President) Pavan Davuluri, to discuss the Snapdragon X Elite processor and the topic of NPUs (Neural Processing Units) in the context of future Windows machines. 

The discussion was more about broad strokes and less to do with specifics, as there were no demonstrations of the new hardware or even explicit mentions of “Windows 12”, but we did learn about some features that are in the pipeline, which many people felt were hints at what the next version of Windows could be like. 

What AI will look like in future Windows versions

As Windows Central reports, Nadella first described his (and Microsoft’s) vision for how AI is shaping computing. Nadella thinks that generative AI (gen AI, as he called it) can be as major as smartphones and mobile computing (something he’s previously declared at the Envision event we attended last week), the emergence of cloud computing, the internet, and the personal computer have been in the recent past. He thinks gen AI will impact human-computer interaction, potentially making it more intuitive and friendly to us and make it easier to change human behavior.

According to Nadella, gen AI will transform what operating systems (OSs) are as we know them, how a user interface (UI) looks like, how we engage with applications on devices, and more. UI changes are signifiers of bigger more fundamental change overall, and Nadella calls this “a big UI change." 

Nadella then went on to discuss Microsoft’s new reasoning engine, a system that “reasons” and mimics our own thought process. He cited the example of Microsoft’s Github Copilot, an AI coding assistant, which helps you brainstorm ideas and create. The overhaul of UIs and a modern reasoning engine will mean that, as Nadella puts it, “all software categories can be changed."

Microsoft's big hybrid computing wager

After that, Nadella highlighted hybrid computing, which Windows Central points out has been a continued topic of discussion in what next generations of OSs like Window 12s might look like, and is another major area of development for Microsoft. According to Nadella, Microsoft’s vision includes hybrid computing being crucial to improving computing capability for low-powered or older devices by processing some things locally on the device and making use of the cloud for others. 

This is apparently a critical area of innovation which makes use of the new generation of powerful NPUs to maximize the potential of local and cloud computing simultaneously. A hybrid approach to computing is also important because the scale of some AI processes and features require more processing power than a standard PC can handle. Hybrid computing basically expands the scale of what’s possible from your PC, particularly to do with AI, though it does mean you need an internet connection.

This is how Microsoft’s new brainchild, the AI assistant Windows Copilot, functions. Many of the functions it carries out happen in the cloud, and its functionality is a mix of on-device and in the cloud. Microsoft is also developing a new system architecture to make all of this happen that will allow developers to realize what Microsoft calls ‘hybrid apps’. Microsoft is looking to components like the Snapdragon X Elite chip to make this a reality.

High stakes and possible high rewards for Windows Copilot

Nadella calls Windows Copilot a “marquee experience,” so Microsoft is clearly placing big bets on it. It wants it to become the next Start button, which is certainly bold - that iconic element of Windows made a huge and lasting impact when it debuted in Windows 95. Nadella claims that you won’t even need to give it a direction or instruction - you can describe your intent and Copilot will pull up what you need. It could assist our workflows and activities like learning, creating, queries, and more.

Right now, you have to go to Start, find the application you want or navigate your File Explorer to find a specific file, and then get on with your work. With generative AI, the idea is that you state your intent (your wish, if you will) and your wish becomes reality with Copilot bringing you everything you need. 

We’ve already seen that Microsoft is putting a great deal of effort into Copilot, and showed us previews of the sorts of things it’ll be able to do. If you try Copilot for yourself, you’ll see that it’s not quite there yet, but the vision is intriguing. Rumor has it that Microsoft is developing natural language models (a type of logical and systematic model that props up what we currently call AI) that will improve file searches and better restore previous activity. Davuluri spoke at length about other platform-related developments to help facilitate app-emulation and how generative AI will help shape each user’s individual experience.

So, it’s a long discussion that gives an interesting look into Microsoft’s future, but keeps it nebulous enough to not spoil too many surprises. For example, we still don’t know what “Windows 12” will be named officially. What we do know is Microsoft’s clear intent with an AI-centric UI that could radically change how we use PCs and devices, context-aware AI functionality that will personalize user experiences, and a focus on incorporating hybrid computing. It all sounds very exciting and it’s great for buzz-word bingo, but I think users are eager to see some solid details about what they can expect in the next version of Windows OS.

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Ever since Windows 11 debuted in 2021, I've been using an app that has made the Start Menu, useful. And in order for the look of Windows to evolve, it only makes sense for Microsoft and Stardock to team up, which feels like an easy win for both parties.

For those unaware, Start11 can supercharge the Start Menu to change its appearance, customize the layout, and even lets you change the TaskBar itself to mirror a look from Windows Vista and above.

It pretty much removes most of the irritations that users on Windows 11 have had to bear since its release and subsequent updates, and as Windows 12 is allegedly due to arrive in 2024, it makes us wonder what the Taskbar could look like in this next major release.

With Stardock giving users the ability to change the look of Windows 11 in many elegant and easier ways, perhaps it’s something Microsoft should consider buying for its arsenal.

Docking into Stardock

Customizing Windows from top to bottom is nothing new. For years, you could download free apps that could change the start-up screen, the Start Menu, and plenty more.

But officially, there wasn’t much you could change. Back in the days of Windows XP, it could let you switch between a few themes where it would change the colors, but that’s as far as it went.

Fortunately, Windows 11 went further with how you could change up the look of your desktop. It finally gives you more detail in picking certain colors for the windows and Taskbar in Settings > Personalization, alongside being able to choose a dark mode across the operating system.

But Start11 does something different than the rest - it gives the confident impression that it’s been a part of Windows for years. You only need to go to its Settings screen, and it looks very similar to Microsoft Edge’s and Windows Media Player’s settings.

It offers you powerful ways to change the look of Windows in an approachable and easy-to-use way. Someone who isn’t experienced in using Windows’ settings could easily change the Taskbar’s look with Start11 - it’s that easy. So having Stardock being bought by Microsoft would be an easy sell to many, and it wouldn’t require much work to integrate it into Windows 12.

Asking for help is not a bad thing

Microsoft isn’t a stranger to acquisitions, with its Xbox division buying up companies constantly over the past few years, with its Activision-Blizzard deal being approved around the world by competition authorities.

And while there’s been nothing to show for it so far in the way of many playable, released games, it puts the company in a good position for its next-gen console at least. It gives Microsoft an arsenal of first-party, exclusive games that you won’t be able to play on other systems such as Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch - something it’s lacked for many years.

The same method should apply to Windows 12 and beyond. We’ve never heard of a period where Microsoft bought a company to help improve its operating system. We’ve heard similar acquisitions from Apple though, most notably its purchase of Beats Music for $3 billion back in 2014 where it helped to transform its Music app into Apple Music.

But these are competitive times - more than they’ve arguably ever been since the 1990s. Accessing apps and communicating with your friends and family is easier than ever now, while AI looks to be a tool for simplifying how you can manage your day-to-day tasks with a few simple clicks.

Microsoft has something great going with Windows now, arguably ever since the release of Windows 10, as it went back to basics by bringing back the Taskbar, Start Menu, and Desktop, and stopped trying to please everyone at once.

Windows 11 has only built upon this foundation, by refreshing the look and feel of the operating system, while also updating its core apps and bringing back old ones, such as Windows Media Player.

This is why Windows 12 should build on this further, by looking at buying up some talented developers like Stardock to build upon parts of Windows and bringing these features to the latest operating system without starting from scratch.

Stardock is a great candidate for this - and even if this is a scenario that never becomes reality, it’s at least an example of what Microsoft should be considering, to further push its narrative of having Windows be a service to its users - and at least, Start11 is a great example of that mantra.

Keen-eyed observers have spotted ISOs of the next version of Windows 11, Windows 11 23H2, on Microsoft’s servers. This suggests that the company is preparing the update for public rollout very soon. 

ISO files are digital versions or copies of a whole disk like CD, DVD, or Blu-ray - but all in a single smaller file. In this case, ISO files (or sometimes called ISO images) of Windows 11 23H2 have been seen on Microsoft’s servers. 

It’s also expected that Windows 11 23H2 will have all the new features from the recent “Moment 4” update to Windows 11 22H2, and introduce some new changes like an enhanced notification center, a System Components page, and Microsoft's shiny new AI assistant, Copilot.  While the Windows 11 23H2 update isn’t the most ground-breaking in Windows 11’s history, it’s still worth installing to get the new features and ensure your PC gets support from Microsoft.

With rumors that Windows 12 could be coming sooner rather than later, this may be the last major update we get to Windows 11.  The last major update to Windows 11 was version 22H2, which was released in September 2022, and has seen regular updates. Windows 11 22H2 Home, Pro, Pro Education, and Pro for Workstations editions will be supported by Microsoft until October 8, 2024, according to its lifecycle policy. Meanwhile, Windows 11 Enterprise and Education editions will be supported a little longer until October 14, 2025.

How to get the new Windows 11 update

Microsoft will continue to put out security updates, bug fixes, or technical support for the above versions of Windows 11 22H2 up until those stated dates. That means you shouldn’t wait too long to upgrade to Windows 11 23H2, as upgrading will ensure you get the latest features and fixes. If you want to make the change sooner, we hope to see it available as an optional update in Windows Update very soon - and we’ll let you know as soon as it’s available to download.

Windows Latest, which reported on the existence of the ISOs, concludes that update 23H2 will be the last major update for Windows 11, with Microsoft expected to announce the next generation of Windows (which many people are calling “Windows 12”, despite Microsoft being understandably tight-lipped about any potential successor to Windows 11). Windows Latest also states that it’s known for some time that we’re to expect Windows 11 23H2 at some point in October or November of this year, and that seems spot on now that the ISOs of the update have appeared on Microsoft’s servers over the weekend, suggesting the launch is imminent. 

Apparently, there are two versions of the update ISOs, English (United States) and China, and we can reasonably conclude that the update is done and dusted (at least for these languages), and being prepared for commercial dispatch to users. What’s left is to watch for Microsoft’s official communications about the update.

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It’s a safe bet to assume that Windows is going through a transition of sorts, which began with Windows 10 and is already going further with Windows 11 and its redesign of the Taskbar.

However, Windows 12 is rumored to carry on this theme and round off this 'trilogy' with more refinements and enhancements, while focusing more on different displays and, of course, integrating AI with Windows Copilot.

It makes sense that all three of these releases are the Apple equivalent of Snow Leopard - which was a macOS update released back in 2009 that focused on refinements and zero features. While some choices by Microsoft have been polarizing to its users, such as the look of Windows 11 and a sudden focus on AI, it feels like there’s a new foundation being set for the future.

With this in mind, here’s why Windows 13 is going to be the one to look out for that Microsoft is going to set the standard, for the next decade and beyond.

The next frontier

The errors of 8 - the success of 10 and 11 - the potential of 12. Every release since 2012 has shown how Microsoft has learned from its past mistakes of developing something like Windows 8 and deciding that a ‘no compromise’ approach fits all. 

With Windows 10 and 11 you can see how certain apps like Notepad and Media Player have been rebooted to help the user first and foremost, with features like dark mode and refinements of the user interface to both apps to help navigate the apps better.

This also extends to using other devices, such as an iPhone in Windows. You can manage your photos and music with ease, something that was a challenge even three years ago. It shows Microsoft adapting to users’ needs of being a service, something that CEO Satya Nadella propelled almost a decade ago.

But for Windows 13, Microsoft needs to build on this foundation by seeing how it can adapt to every user at almost every age range. When you first start up this version, it needs to know which device you’re loading it up from.

Is it from an AR headset? Is it from a web browser within Opera? Or what about a Surface tablet you're currently borrowing? The setup should be minimal for the user - Windows 13 should know who’s accessing the operating system and on which device.

Copilot can work best here as well, where it could work like JARVIS - the AI from Marvel’s Iron Man film. It could take the appearance of Clippy for nostalgia's sake, and ask you what you’d like to do for the day while giving you a quick overview of the tasks that need to be done.

These all build from what Windows 10 and 11 offered, but 13 could also go beyond with other features, such as Accessibility.

Accessibility and beyond

Microsoft’s efforts in this area have been nothing less than inspiring, with software and hardware being made available to make Windows a platform for almost everyone.

This is why Windows 13 can go beyond what Apple is offering in this category with Vision Pro, by making the operating system realize what your needs are before you’ve even reached Microsoft Edge to browse the web.

It should be able to ask you non-invasive questions about what your requirements are to use Windows as well as anyone else, while also giving you helpful tips as you start up apps like Paint and Photos for the first time.

Windows 11 is already fantastic in this category by offering great voice control to navigate around the operating system for example, alongside new contrast themes and magnifiers for those with visual impairments.

If Windows 13 can make this even more prevalent for users, it could take away the anxiety that many users feel when firing up a new version of something for the first time.

Dialing it up to 13

When you consider all of these points and more as to how Windows 13 can be set up for the next decade, it feels like Microsoft has a unique opportunity to offer something different to Apple and Google.

We’re on the cusp of seeing plenty of VR and AR headsets that will be affordable over the next few years, especially with developers being able to try out and develop apps for Apple’s Vision Pro headset. The same can apply to Microsoft.

Perhaps a Surface headset is on the horizon next, to best showcase how a Windows 13 could work in spatial computing - from AR to VR.

Windows 10 and 11 have created a great foundation after Windows 8, and with Windows 12 rumored to be another refinement of features in different ways, 13 can go the distance and offer an experience to plenty more users around the world who may have been unable to after all this time.

Accessibility in its many forms should be the goal here for Microsoft - and if it gets Windows 12 right in this, 13 can be the new standard for Windows devices for many years to come.

I have something to ask of you - tell me the first podcast app that comes to mind for you on Windows 11. Can you subscribe to your favorite shows as soon as you set up your new Windows PC? If you’re still struggling for an answer, that's exactly why Microsoft needs to introduce its own for Windows 12.

Apple has arguably been leading the charge with podcasts, ever since it introduced the category into iTunes 4.9 back in 2005. Since then, it’s expanded into its own app on all of its platforms, with the Podcasts app still receiving new features as recently as WWDC 2023 earlier this year, such as support for individual episode art and a redesigned Now Playing screen.

And that’s without even mentioning the plethora of third-party podcast apps that you can download - from Overcast to Pocket Casts, and even Spotify as it hosts its own exclusive shows by Louis Theroux and more to tempt you to subscribe.

But for Windows users, it’s not as straightforward – similar to how I think MSN Messenger should come back to be a rival to iMessage and WhatsApp, it’s time for Microsoft to look at something similar for podcasts as a dedicated app.

Tap to Follow

If you go to the Microsoft Store in Windows 11 and type in ‘podcasts’, you’ll be greeted with a bunch of free and paid podcast apps that don’t quite fit the brief for Windows.

Some, like Grover Pro, offer a focused experience, reminiscent of Groove Music before it was remade back into Media Player in 2022, but its updates are few and far between, and its name and design harkens back to Windows 8 - something Microsoft likely doesn’t want to reference again.

Oddly, it turns out Microsoft has a bunch of its own podcasts, but not a dedicated app to showcase them all.

Right now, the only app that offers something close to an integrated experience for Windows users is Spotify - and that’s not good enough for a company as big as Microsoft.

While Media Player can play videos as well as music in Windows 11, it would be great to see a new, standalone app that only focuses on podcasts in Windows 12. We’ve seen before how an app, such as iTunes, can have too many features - making it feel bloated and slow.

My advice for Microsoft? Adapt some of the design tropes of Media Player, and simply call it ‘Windows Podcasts Player’ - it fits with the name of the existing music app, and it tells you exactly what the app does and who it’s designed by.

Using your Microsoft account could be useful here. As it keeps tabs on the media you’ve bought in the past, such as movies and games, it could also keep a record of the shows you’re subscribed to through this app. So if you download the app on an iPhone for example, you'd just have to sign in to your Microsoft account and it could download a record of the shows you’ve subscribed to alongside the latest one you’re currently listening to - just like other podcast apps, like Overcast.

This can also work well when you buy a new device or upgrade to Windows 12 for the first time. During the start-up screen when you’ve signed into your account, it could already fetch the podcasts you’ve been listening to, and have them ready before you’ve even reached the Desktop.

This is where it leads into Microsoft’s mantra, long held by CEO Satya Nadella, of why it should also be available on as many platforms as possible. But Nadella's also got a trump card.

Podcasting, the Microsoft way

Microsoft has a unique opportunity on its hands - it offers Xbox, its Surface tablet and desktop line, alongside its Android smartphone called Surface Duo. Nadella has consistently pushed the objective of Windows being a service, and a podcasts app can fulfill that brief, and more.

Having a dedicated podcasts app that can sync across all of these devices would be very appealing - more so if you can control the playback of shows as you’re playing Dead by Daylight: Nicolas Cage for example.

The majority of podcasts are hosted through what’s called an RSS Feed - this is essentially a ‘live’ link that will refresh when new content appears within it. This is how a podcast can upload new episodes to it, and apps that work with this, can display the episode and the artwork, and show notes to links for it.

But some apps, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, can allow creators to offer ‘premium’ feeds, where there could be episodes with no ads included, or it could have exclusive content that you pay a monthly fee for it.

Microsoft’s Podcast Player could also take advantage of this while taking a small cut of the proceeds. It’s a win-win scenario for the company and these hosts, especially if the rates for these creators are better than what Spotify and Apple offer on both their own platforms.

Another easy win for Microsoft - if it decides to

It’s still amazing that in 2023, it’s a category that Microsoft simply hasn’t shown any interest in making easier for its users. Podcasts are everywhere, and if you’re on Android or iOS, it’s easily accessible in a few taps.

But you’re currently stuck with third-party options, and that’s if they work without issues on your Windows 11 machine. Then you have to manage another app on another device. It’s a headache no one wants, and it’s not needed in an age of the cloud.

For Windows 12, using a ‘Windows Podcast Player’ could be another resolved pain point that would appeal to plenty of users who listen to shows daily, all within the Windows ecosystem, which could be synced across all your Microsoft devices.

It gives the company a lot of opportunity here, and it goes back to the mantra of having Windows as a service on as many devices as possible - so let’s see the same for an open podcast platform in Windows 12, and see it succeed as well as iTunes did with the category back in 2005.

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We appear to have got our clearest indication yet that a whole new version of Windows will be coming next year.

Windows Latest reports that at a recent technology conference, Intel’s chief financial officer, David Zinsner, confirmed that the next iteration of Windows is indeed due to land in 2024.

Zinsner commented: “We actually think 2024 is going to be a pretty good year for client, in particular, because of the Windows refresh.”

Clearly, then, Intel has been informed that there’s going to be a new version of Windows next year.

Although there’s no mention of the name Windows 12, or any other name for that matter – ‘Windows refresh’ is obviously not the title Microsoft will plump for when it comes to the successor to Windows 11.

Analysis: Playing the name game

Of course, there are already plenty of rumors around Microsoft bringing out a next-gen Windows in 2024. And there’s plenty of speculation that it will be called Windows 12, too, but the reality is that at this point, Microsoft may be deep into working on this next version, but probably doesn’t know what it’ll be called itself yet.

Windows 12 just seems the most likely default option, naturally. About the only other possibility that occurs to us is that Microsoft may want to jam Copilot into the name, or maybe ‘AI’ or something along those lines, given that this is the latest big thing (TM). And Copilot will certainly be considerably developed in a year’s time.

You may recall that Intel was previously the source of a leak about next-gen Windows, one that actually used the name Windows 12 when talking about support regarding upcoming processors. This info was quickly retracted when reported on, though, and we wouldn’t read anything into the use of the name, as we just mentioned.

Next-gen Windows, whether it’s Windows 12, Windows AI – or insert your own guess here – is expected to arrive later in the second half of 2024 (work theoretically began on the new OS at the start of 2022).

We’re expecting it to be built around big advances with Copilot which will doubtless be used to push it as a compelling upgrade. Microsoft will be looking for a sizeable carrot to dangle in front of would-be upgraders, especially considering that Windows 11 has failed pretty miserably to gain all that much traction in its two years of existence thus far.

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Last week Microsoft hosted an event in New York, and while many of us hoped the company would show off a range of new Surface devices that could take on Apple and its MacBooks, what we got instead was a bit… boring. But is that a bad thing?

Well, for fans of Microsoft’s Surface devices (there must be some of you out there), the event was certainly disappointing. While rumors had hinted at a range of new products, Microsoft only showed off the Surface Laptop Go 3, a budget laptop that got a slight specs bump and a higher price tag, and the Surface Laptop Studio 2, an interesting laptop aimed at creative professionals, but not a mainstream device (basically, don't expect it to appear on our best laptops list).

As far as new Surface products shown on stage, that was it. Weirdly, Microsoft also sneaked out press releases unveiling the Surface Hub 3 (a big, interactive whiteboard, essentially), and the Surface Go 4, an affordable 2-in-1 tablet that, weirdly, is only being made available for business customers. The much-rumored Surface Pro 10, the flagship follow-up to Microsoft’s premium tablet lineup, was nowhere to be seen.

Anyone hoping this event would usher in a new, exciting, era for Surface devices, probably left the event wondering if Microsoft is even interested in hardware anymore. This feeling wasn’t helped by the high-profile departure of Panos Panay, who for years was essentially the face and driving force behind Surface products.

In the end, despite many people assuming the event would be a Surface showcase, only the last 20 minutes or so were actually about the new hardware. The majority of the presentation was instead focused on Copilot, Microsoft’s AI (Artificial Intelligence) tool that’s coming to Windows 11, as well as various services and software from the company.

Back to its roots

Microsoft’s focus on software over hardware at its latest event is a major hint that the company could be returning to its roots. It’s often been remarked that Microsoft’s current CEO, Satya Nadella, is more of a software enthusiast than hardware – his career at Microsoft before ascending to CEO saw him working mainly in Microsoft’s cloud computing and online services teams.

If Nadella is indeed repositioning Microsoft as a software-first company, I think this is a wise move that plays to the company’s historic strengths. Sure, Windows 11 isn’t perfect, but there’s a reason why Windows remains the most-used desktop operating system in the world.

Microsoft Office also remains an important part of its business, and its foray into AI, including integrating it into Bing search and its Edge web browser, has scored it some rare positive coverage.

Meanwhile, its hardware hasn’t taken off the way many had hoped. Its Surface lineup of devices have often been impressive, but they appear to have struggled to gain mind- and market-share compared to arch rival Apple and its MacBooks.

Many of the more innovative Surface products, such as the Surface Earbuds and Surface Duo foldable phone, have been dropped after poor sales. When Surface devices were first pitched, they were supposed to be examples of what Windows devices could be capable of – and inspire other device makers to push the envelope as well.

With Panay, one of the biggest cheerleaders at Microsoft for producing innovative, yet unloved, Surface products, gone, we could be in for a future where Surface products are rather bland.

However, if this means that Microsoft spends more time on improving its software products, especially Windows, then I think this is a sacrifice worth making.

Rumors suggest that Windows 12 could be here as soon as 2024, and this is an ideal opportunity for Microsoft to overhaul its operating system and come up with something truly unique and innovative. With no hardware distractions, it could go back to basics and take the fight to Apple and Google on the software front – where it has an advantage.

If the price we pay for an ambitious Windows 12 is the death of Surface, I don’t think I’d mind at all.

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Microsoft seems to be on a mission to look at every aspect of Windows in recent years, with Paint, Notepad, and Windows Media Player all getting their own glow-ups. But its messaging side could do with some attention.

If you remember the late 2000s, a big way of messaging friends after school, at least for me, was using MSN Messenger on Windows XP. Between 2001 and 2007, it was the go-to way of keeping in touch with many, a messaging tool where you could add emojis to your name, which was way ahead of its time, alongside much more.

While Windows already has messaging apps, such as Skype, it’s not hit the ground running like WhatsApp or Apple’s iMessage service has. So instead, Microsoft should use this opportunity to position a rebooted MSN Messenger as its main Windows 12 messaging app, alongside making it available on as many platforms as possible.

Why is MSN Messenger still highly regarded?

Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, and even loading up version 6 of Messenger from 2004 on Windows 11 back in 2022 brought plenty of memories back for me. Logging on after school and talking about nothing in a bunch of group chats was something many of us did.

But for others, it was also a great way to catch up on some work from days that may have overrun, especially as you could transfer files to one another.

As this was before social media was even a thing (well, MySpace was trying), MSN Messenger was a big factor in changing perceptions of exactly what a PC was. It was slowly changing from being something individuals used in a darkened room, to kids asking parents if they could use the family computer to talk to their friends.

It was a rare time when Microsoft was ahead of the curve, and it would quickly bring in updates that came with more emojis, Nudges that would send screen-shaking popups to your conversational partners, and the ability to ‘Appear Offline’, so you could stay online but be invisible to others - as well as webcam support, a rarity in those days.

But of course, Microsoft 'did a Microsoft', and started rebranding the app with a different name in 2006 with ‘Windows Live Messenger’, alongside a new look. But this only hastened its decline, and combined with MySpace, Facebook, and Bebo coming to the fore, it was discontinued in 2013.

Nowadays, messaging apps are all around us, and while social media platforms seem to be either chronically mismanaged or drawing only boredom from existing users, it could be the perfect time when MSN Messenger is rebooted and relaunched as the main messaging app on Windows.

Make it the iMessage of Windows 12

When you first boot into an Apple device, whether that’s a Mac or an iPhone, you’re able to send a message to someone in less than five minutes. Try doing this in Windows 11, and you’ll have to try and log into Skype, or WhatsApp for desktop - but these both require you to download the apps first.

That’s a problem for those who want to use a new laptop or tablet to communicate right away - that ease and speed of use for messaging simply isn’t there in Windows. But for a new MSN Messenger in Windows 12 that’s pre-installed, just like Apple’s Messages app, there could be.

Apple has been digging its heels in about not allowing iMessage on Android and Windows, and for good reason. As some emails have said from Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President (SVP) of software engineering at Apple, it would be one less reason for some users to switch from Android and Windows.

But this could be an opportunity for Windows. Its CEO, Satya Nadella, has always been a big proponent of having Windows as a service, and the same can apply here to MSN Messenger. Having an app that takes the privacy of Apple, the design of Telegram, and the nostalgia of what Messenger was in 2002, could be a great draw for many.

Yet this could just be the start of this new app. It would mix in well with its Surface line, especially the Surface Duo 2 smartphone, and nudges and winks could be resurrected as notifications and message effects, working across a bunch of devices and platforms.

It's time for Microsoft to take Messaging seriously

While Windows 11 has had its fair share of fans and foes due to its redesign of the Taskbar, Explorer, and plenty else, it also acts as a good feedback form for Microsoft to see what users want in Windows 12.

Seeing Media Player finally get a return in 2022 was a sign to me that Microsoft isn’t afraid anymore of going back to apps from the past that worked well. This is why MSN Messenger could give its messaging arm a big level up.

While it offers its Microsoft 365 Office Suite, Xbox gaming app, and music offerings, there’s no consumer messaging app to help tie it all together - no matter how hard it tries to push Teams. I'm not going to use Teams, Mr Nadella.

So let’s see Windows 12 launch with the return of MSN Messenger, where you can start messaging friends and family with a nudge and a wink for the modern age - all while being able to access it on your Android and iPhone devices, and perhaps soon, your Vision Pro headset.

Windows 11 has barely reached its second birthday and already its successor, Windows 12, has a codename that hints toward another big redesign.

The device that you’re using right now has likely had a codename attached, which would've been known to a select few back in the days when it was in early development. For instance, the very first iPhone was known as ‘Project Purple’ for three years, while Windows XP was called ‘Whistler’.

Some software releases also have certain codenames attached to them, so internal teams can tell the difference and keep leaks to a minimum. At Apple, codenames for iOS are named after ski resorts, while watchOS updates are named after beaches. It helps teams know which codename means what, without being so explicit as to say that it’s iOS 17 or watchOS 10.

With recent Windows releases, many have been named after certain valleys, and before that it was scattered, with Windows 10 being named Threshold and Windows Vista called Longhorn. Even the ill-fated Windows 9 was given a codename before it was scrapped and redone as Windows 10 - but what’s in a codename over at Microsoft HQ?

A Hill Valley

Microsoft loves a codename, but it’s usually never associated with certain products as Apple does. Sometimes a codename even becomes its actual name. For example, Xbox was known as the DirectX Box during its initial development, based on Microsoft’s DirectX game tools for graphics, sound, and controller inputs.

But it was a codename that alluded to what the Xbox would be - all about games, and made by Microsoft. It made sense, and it’s still a name used in its gaming lineup today, with the Xbox Series X and Series S widely available.

But it wasn’t until Windows 11 that Microsoft decided to stick with a codename theme for its subsequent updates. Sun Valley is the codename that was used for Windows 11 - and this, alongside certain metals, has also been the name for subsequent updates that have brought dark mode to apps like Paint and Notepad, alongside refinements to the Taskbar. 

Sun Valley 2 Nickel (also designated as 23H2) was released in November 2022, and Sun Valley 3 Copper is an upcoming update that could be bringing out more refinements to the Windows 11 Game Bar. But Microsoft looks like it's had a change of heart and is slowly rolling these out as smaller 'Moment' updates across the year.

But with Microsoft’s commitment to bringing out a major release of Windows every three years, and the next one is allegedly due for 2024, so it’s no surprise that we’re already hearing what Windows 12 could entail.

A Hudson in the cloud?

Microsoft apparently showcased what it was working on with Windows 12 back at Build in May, with an image of a floating Taskbar alongside rounded corners in app windows.

Alongside rumors that its memory requirements could increase to 8GB, double that of what Windows 11 requires, what could its codename really mean?

Hudson Valley seemingly originates from a place in New York, known for its scenery, its architecture, and even a marketing term called ‘Tech Valley’, created in 1998 as a way to promote the area for businesses such as GlobalFoundries (a spinoff of AMD) to house operations there, essentially making it a riff on the well-known Silicon Valley in Seattle.

This seems to signal that another redesign is indeed coming to Windows 12, and as leaked documents show in the ongoing trial that Microsoft is currently in to argue its point about acquiring Activision-Blizzard, Windows in the cloud is one of its long-term goals.

While the Windows 365 software suite already offers cloud functionality, it's mainly available to businesses, and it seems as though Windows 12 is going to go a step further with this for consumers like you and me.

Imagine a situation where you log in to a random PC at a library or an office, and you’re brought to the same desktop that you use on your PC at home. It could also adapt to different screen sizes and inputs, such as foldable phones and tablets, so you get the same experience regardless of which device you're using.

This could be a huge feature that changes how we Windows and all of its services, especially with gaming - after all, you can use Game Pass in the cloud already. Perhaps that was a hint towards what Microsoft wants for the cloud and its services.

While Microsoft is clearly missing a trick by not naming one of its releases after the location of the Back to the Future film series, all signs are pointing to a big release with Windows 12 already, and there could be a future where you’re accessing the operating system seamlessly between your Pixel Fold and work MacBook throughout the day - at least, if companies like Google and Apple are willing to play nice.

It's an exciting prospect, and with Microsoft's committed timeline to bring out a major release of Windows in 2024, we may not have long to wait to see what it has planned up its sleeve for Windows 12.

It seems Microsoft is gearing up to unveil its next big operating system Windows 12. While the company has been keeping things hush-hush on when exactly we will get the new OS (or even if it exists), the next generation of Windows did make a cameo appearance at Build 2023, the company's annual developer keynote.

Of course, there’s been a lot of hype surrounding Windows 11’s successor, as users across the globe gear up for their PCs to get a fresh new look. During the Build 2023 developer conference, the company spent a lot of time showcasing upcoming Windows 11 updates, including teasing the fact the company is working on Windows 12.

During one of the keynotes, audiences noticed a screenshot that mentioned a session called “next-gen of Windows” during one of the keynotes and sparked curiosity in the computing world.  The company mentioned “Next Valley Prototype Design”, which could be a term referring to Windows 12. 

Big promises

Rumors have suggested that Microsoft is planning to integrate AI into the new OS to enhance how the operating system works, and we could see a floating taskbar rather than the classic one we use now, is in Windows 11 is anchored to the bottom of the screen.

We’re still likely to see the Windows 12 update sometime in 2024 (unless you want to pleasantly surprise me, Microsoft …) and the TechRadar crew are excited to see how Windows 11 will be improved upon with the new upgrade. We have high hopes for what we could potentially see, including ‘live’ wallpapers that’ll let you have moving and dynamic wallpapers on your desktop, and a push towards themes and more comprehensive customization options.

Overall, the buzz around Windows 12 is positive and we’re anxious to get more, less sneaky, looks at the new OS and how it’ll change the way we interact with our PCs. Microsoft has made many… questionable choices with Windows 11, so there are plenty of lessons to be learned and places to improve. 

We’re on the eve of WWDC 2023, where Apple is allegedly about to unveil its own VR headset - but I’m hoping for another show of Microsoft’s hand later this year, namely an attempt to take on Apple Music.

On June 5, Apple’s developer-focused WWDC event is where you’ll usually see it announce a bunch of updates to its iOS, macOS, and iPadOS software. We usually see some surprises shown off too, though, with this year most likely being Apple's Reality Pro headset and some new Mac products.

But Microsoft Build has been and gone with the headline announcement of Windows 11 getting an AI ‘Co-Pilot’ feature in the near future, and there are rumors that the next major version of Microsoft's flagship OS is already underway.

With the successor to Windows 11, tentatively rumored to be Windows 12, and the revival of Windows Media Player in 2022 after so many years of abandoning it, it’s a great opportunity for the company to look at making Media Player a true rival to Apple Music.

Letting the groovy beat go on for too long

There’s a good chance that, if you’ve used a PC in the past 30 years, you know what Windows Media Player is. But as a refresher, the first version launched back in 1991, as a simple way to play audio files - and later, videos too - either from a file on your computer or by streaming one from the internet.

iTunes grew in popularity on Apple's platform and eventually Windows itself thanks to Apple’s mega-successful iPod, as it was the only way to manage your music with the device back in the early 00s. In the meantime, Media Player slowly disappeared into the background - and once Windows 8 arrived, it was mostly forgotten about, with unimpressive apps like ‘Music’ and later ‘Groove Music’ struggling to take up the mantle.

As it stands in 2023, Apple is going strong with its Apple Music service. You can sign up to have curated playlists of your favorite music, listen to unique radio stations, and use it across your Apple, Android, and Windows devices.

So you may think that the battle has already been won - after all, you can use Apple Music on Windows 11 just as you can on your iPhone and Mac. But is the musical war truly over?

Super Windows Media Player

Microsoft surprised a lot of users in 2022 when it brought out a new-and-improved Windows Media Player, myself included. It was an odd dose of nostalgia as I clicked on the icon, but there it was - even the user interface felt like the Media Player of old, newly updated for touchscreen displays.

But since its debut, there’s not been a major update since the end of 2022. This is how Microsoft should start to give it some love:

First of all, partner up with a major player like Google or Amazon, as it has before with its Microsoft Store in bringing those platforms' apps to its own storefront, and create a Windows Music Store, while making it accessible from the Media Player app only.

Introduce a subscription, and implement the new Co-Pilot AI to give you curated playlists based on the information you give it, as well as letting it access your time and location data to help generate playlists for you. So for example, if you’re on vacation to Paris, you’ll be greeted with a playlist of French artists, custom-tailored to your favorite genres.

Make the app available everywhere - from Apple's App Store, to Google Play, and even on PlayStation 5 and Xbox. Wherever Apple Music is, Windows should follow. That way, all of your music will be available to play, and so will podcasts.

Speaking of podcasts: that’s an area that Microsoft has clearly been lacking in, bizarrely so. If you go to the Microsoft Store now, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a podcast app that works as well as Apple’s Podcast app does on Mac. The close alternative would be Spotify, but that’s a closed system, as you have to obviously only use its app.

The name ‘Windows Media Player’ means, at least to me, media all-encompassing, so that means music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

Introduce the bulk of this in the next major update to Windows 11, so that it can debut before macOS 14 and iOS 17 arrive - presumably in the fall once the iPhone 15 is out. This could give Apple a true competitor to its music services, but also gives Windows users another reason to use their Windows devices for music.

And once there have been enough uptake and minor features and bugfixes have been rolled out, make it so that this new version comes baked in with Windows 12.

Spice up your Twelfth Life

One of the best features for the new version of Windows to showcase would be to herald the true return of Windows Media Player, complete with a proper Music Store, podcasts, and audiobooks - all synced across multiple devices.

Microsoft's ideology all comes back to Satya Nadella’s point of Microsoft as a service, so a new version of Media Player would be perfect for this. With Apple still following its schedule of major updates once a year at WWDC, Microsoft has an opportunity here to make Media Player the place for everything media-related on Windows 12, with a presence on other devices to expand its services and appeal to even more users. Update it through the Insider Program each month, bring it out, and keep improving upon it.

We’re barely hours away from Apple announcing its plans for the rest of the year - but Microsoft could still bring out a trump card to make Media Player the one app to go to, across many devices, and may even tempt you to download a remastered version of SpiceWorld once again - complete with a classic Media Player skin from 1996.

My good colleague John Loeffler recently discussed the fact that Microsoft - threatened, evidently, by Apple’s huge success with its M-series chips - reportedly wants to make its own chips for future Windows 12 PCs.

John didn’t like that idea one bit, but I’m choosing to be a bit more optimistic about Microsoft’s plans - even though the Redmond tech giant has stumbled majorly in the past.

Yes, I know the bespoke SQ1 processor powering the Surface Pro X was a hot piece of garbage. But not everyone can get it right the first time; Apple knocked it out of the park with the M1 MacBook Air back in 2020, but that’s a company that has built an empire based on watching patiently to see what everyone else does, then doing the same thing but slightly better.

Microsoft, on the other hand, is a company willing to fail until it gets it right. I mean, just look at Windows, arguably the tech giant’s greatest success. We all love Windows 10, but there sure were a lot of hiccups along the way. Vista, 7, and 8 were all (mostly) functional OSes, but who among us didn’t wish for a return to Windows XP?

Sure, Microsoft can sometimes go backward rather than forward - though I’m hoping that won’t be the case with Windows 12 - but the truth is that when it comes to custom-designed silicon, the only way to can go is up.

SQ3-ky clean

At the end of last year, we reviewed the Surface Pro 9 5G, a version of Microsoft’s latest professional-grade Windows tablet equipped with the third-generation SQ3 chip as opposed to the Intel processors found in the standard iteration. And it was much better!

The SQ3 - like its predecessors - is an ARM-based chip, which had plenty of advantages but plenty of drawbacks too. 5G LTE functionality was the big benefit, but the ARM system also brought improved eye tracking, gaze correction, noise suppression, and better background blur functionality to video calls. Battery life was also strong, thanks to the SQ3’s lower power consumption.

The performance was reasonably good, too - it didn’t fall into the same pit as the Surface Pro X, which we felt was sorely lacking in power given its price point. But as our editor-in-chief Lance Ulanoff noted in his review, the choice to go with an ARM chip led to “system compatibility and stability issues”, with the main takeaway being that a lot of software simply wouldn’t run on this version of Windows.

I’ll explain this without getting too granular: it’s because ARM is ‘RISC’, or Reduced Instruction Set Computing, while the Intel and AMD processors that power most Windows devices are CISC-based which, you guessed it, stands for Complex Instruction Set Computing. Windows as we know it is inherently built for systems running x86 instruction sets, so getting it to work on ARM hardware requires some finessing - and comes at the cost of the wider software compatibility afforded by x86.

ARMed and dangerous

Here’s the thing, though: Microsoft isn’t giving up on its own silicon, even if the SQ series hasn’t been a resounding success. And I think it finally gets it: Windows doesn’t run well on ARM, but Microsoft makes Windows, so it has a very real chance to be the solution to its own problem.

Windows 12 is still being assembled behind the scenes, a whole new OS - and Microsoft has the opportunity right now to make sure that when it does finally arrive, it’s well-suited to run on ARM hardware.

This could be huge for one specific (but expanding) area: PC gaming handhelds. The Steam Deck is a popular choice for PC gamers on the go, but Valve wisely chose to make it run on SteamOS rather than Windows - a rather notable stumbling block for the recently revealed Asus ROG Ally handheld. Rumored features like a ‘handheld mode’ for Windows could be fully realized in 12, paving the way for some incredible Windows-powered portable consoles.

ARM has its benefits, after all; the significantly improved battery life is a big draw. Intel has been making a big deal out of the boosted power efficiency in its upcoming Meteor Lake laptop CPUs, and if Microsoft wants to get serious about putting its own silicon into the Surface product line, battery longevity will be a key factor.

The future of Surface is tied to the future of Windows

Will the SQ4 (or whatever Microsoft chooses to call it) be one of the best processors on the market? I don’t know - but I hope that Microsoft can finally produce something that lets it go toe-to-toe with Apple’s powerful M2 chips.

It doesn’t have the advantage of running a tightly-controlled closed ecosystem as Apple does with macOS, but if Windows 12 is properly built with ARM in mind, Microsoft could finally solve the big compatibility problem that has plagued its SQ-series tablets. Hell, Apple has even proved that gaming on processor-integrated graphics is a real possibility, even if I don’t personally think that MacBooks will ever become the future of gaming - Windows is just too popular.

Ultimately, in a time when shortages are making reliance on other chipmakers a tenuous proposition at best, I think Microsoft investing in its own silicon is a good idea, despite its previous fumbles. Previous SQ chips have been half-hearted: it’s time to commit.

Microsoft has just made a pretty remarkable admission, essentially conceding that it doesn’t have a solution for some Windows 11 problems.

As Neowin reports, some people using Windows 11 and Windows 10 have found a bug which prevents the Start menu, Windows search bar and some Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps from starting or working correctly.

It appears that the bugs coincide with damaged registry keys and data related to Microsoft Office apps, and apps that are integrated with Office software, as well as Windows and Outlook.

The bugs don’t affect everyone, but those who are encountering them first noticed something wasn’t right back in January of this year. If you were hoping that during that time Microsoft had figured out how to fix the problem, then I have some bad news for you.

Giving up?

On Microsoft’s ‘Health’ webpage regarding the issue, Microsoft notes that the “Windows search, and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps might not work as expected or might have issues opening,” and in a recent update it has provided a workaround for the problem.

Not only is the lack of a definitive fix disappointing, but the workaround isn’t great, with Microsoft stating that to “mitigate this issue, you can uninstall apps which integrate with Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar.”

Essentially, it seems like Microsoft is admitting that it’s as baffled as us by the problem, and that the only way to avoid the issue is to start uninstalling apps. That’s pretty poor, especially as Microsoft doesn’t list the apps that are causing the issue, just that they integrate with “Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Calendar,” which doesn’t narrow it down at all.

It’s also not a great solution for people who depend on any of the apps causing the issue, as uninstalling them may not be a viable option.

Microsoft claims that it is working on a resolution, and I hope it's able to roll one out that fixes the issue without making users uninstall certain apps. It's concerning, though, that there seem to be areas where Windows 11 (and Windows 10, which is also suffering from this problem) is so broken that Microsoft simply can’t fix it.

Operating systems like Windows 11 are complicated pieces of software that have to work with myriad combinations of hardware and software, but this still doesn’t make it any less embarrassing for Microsoft. It also doesn’t give me a huge amount of confidence about Windows 12, which the company is rumored to be working on – I’d rather Microsoft concentrated on fixing the current versions of Windows first.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been using the Windows operating system. It wasn’t due to any particular love of the software but more of a mix of habit and familiarity, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I’ve been feeling less inclined to go for Windows lately.

Microsoft’s recent stumbles with Windows 10 and Windows 11 are well-publicized – I’ve written about a fair few of them. There was a time when it seemed the company couldn’t release a Windows 10 update without causing all kinds of trouble for users while Windows 11, the latest version, has been difficult to get enthusiastic about, with its dropped features and some baffling design choices.

Meanwhile, Apple has been smashing it out of the park with its recent run of MacBooks. Dropping Intel and making its own M1 and M2 chips to power the laptops was a masterstroke and seems to have made the company fall back in love with MacBooks after a few years of seeming neglect in favor of iPhones and iPads.

That’s why I’ve found myself increasingly using my 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2 edition), especially when it comes to messing around with music-making software. Microsoft has moved enough things around in Windows 11 that it diminishes that once-powerful familiarity, so when it comes to macOS, I’m not that bothered by the culture shock.

It doesn’t feel like features and design decisions get in the way with macOS, whereas with Windows 11, I often find myself frustrated. Bringing up certain audio options to switch between speakers, for example, is now a baffling maze of windows and setting screens, where once it was essentially a few clicks from the taskbar. And I won’t even get started on Microsoft’s efforts to get me to use Bing and its Edge web browser with pleading messages.

So, is Windows dead to me? Not quite – as a PC gamer, there’s no chance I’d ever go fully over to the Mac side, but Microsoft has its work cut out to get me to use my MacBook less. The rumored launch of Windows 12 could be the perfect chance.

So, what are five ways Windows 12 could win me back on side?

1. Go back to basics

One of Windows 11’s biggest problems is that it feels like it’s trying to be two different operating systems: a desktop OS with unglamorous yet useful legacy tools and a flashy, modern OS for touchscreen devices.

By trying to be both, it fails to be either. That means some features and settings can be found in old-fashioned places like Control Panel, while others are placed in the newer, simpler Settings app.

This leads to a jarring experience and a frustrating one, as it can be hard to find certain things, and it’s been a problem since Windows 8.

So, for Windows 12, I want Microsoft to pick which OS it wants Windows to be – and stick to it. If it wants it to be modern, then it needs to be bold and drop all legacy tools, menus, and applications. Otherwise, Windows will continue to suffer from a personality crisis.

2. Take no for an answer

Look, I get it. Microsoft wants us all to use its Edge web browser. It showed ads and pop-ups begging me not to switch to the rival Chrome browser when I inevitably downloaded it. That would be fine, though still annoying, if once I'd downloaded Chrome and set it as my default browser that was the end of the matter.

However, in Windows 11, Microsoft will continue to try to make you use Edge. If you use the built-in search tool and click on a web result, it’ll open Edge, regardless of what your default web browser is.

Every so often, Windows 11 will download an update that, after it's installed, asks you to reconfirm some settings and again tries to get you to set the Edge browser as default. It’s a bit pathetic, but mostly it’s annoying.

With Windows 12, I want Microsoft to take the hint – if I choose another browser as my default, then respect my decision. I’m a big boy – if I change my mind later, I know how to switch to Edge.

3. Cut out the ads

Another hot topic recently has been Microsoft adding ads into parts of Windows 11. At the moment, these are restricted to Microsoft’s own products and services, but it’s still an imposition. It makes for an ugly and cluttered user interface, and it can be a bit galling if you’ve just paid for a new laptop, and it’s immediately prompting you to fork out more cash.

So, with Windows 12 – drop the adverts, please.

4. Make the taskbar useful again

Microsoft’s tinkering with the taskbar in Windows 11 is perhaps the most baffling and frustrating element of the latest operating system. In previous versions of Windows, the taskbar was incredibly useful, and for many people was the main way to interact with the operating system.

However, Microsoft for some reason cut a huge amount of features with Windows 11’s taskbar. You can no longer move or resize the taskbar, which is disappointing for anyone who liked to place the taskbar at the side or top of the screen.

You can’t drag and drop apps onto the taskbar to pin them there, nor can you drag files onto the taskbar icon of an app to open the file in the app – probably the feature I miss the most.

If – and when – Microsoft releases Windows 12, I want it to bring back the functionality of the taskbar.

5. Keep Windows open

This is actually something Microsoft does a lot better than Apple. Windows is a relatively flexible and open operating system that allows you to install programs from various different sources, and it doesn’t nanny you too much either – something Apple is guilty of.

It’s also a lot easier to download tools that radically change the appearance of Windows 11. If you’re a confident power user, you can still dig deep into Windows 11 and change things to your liking (to an extent).

Meanwhile, macOS feels a lot more locked down – it’s Apple’s way or the highway. And, while you are free to download and install apps from various sources, there’s a feeling that Apple would rather you used the Mac App Store – much like it forces users to use the iOS app store on iPhones.

Unfortunately, I get the sense that Microsoft looks at Apple’s walled-garden approach and is jealous. If it could get everyone to download and buy apps, games, and more through the built-in Microsoft Store, it would. I worry that Microsoft would be tempted to go further down that route with Windows 12.

If it could instead make Windows 12 more open and flexible, that would be a great way to get people like me – who like Apple products but don’t necessarily love the company and its control freakery over its devices – to come back to Windows.

Plenty of rumors have been circulating about the possibility of an imminent Windows 12 release, but these mockups of various Windows 12 taskbars offer a little something for everyone.

A YouTube video published on the Addy Visuals channel, and reported on by Neowin, showcases several different Windows 12 taskbar designs that we could see for the rumored new OS. The video initially images a brand new dock-like taskbar split by sections for widgets, pins, and quick settings. 

And then, interestingly enough, the video purports that since users would want to have other choices, Windows 12 could let us switch between default, joined, classic, or compact views, making it a perfect OS to flow between the best Ultrabooks with tight form factors as well as the emerging line of gaming laptops packing roomy, 18-inch displays. It’s an excellent idea that would satisfy the needs of many users who need and want varying things out of their UI experience.

There have been tons of other leaks and rumors concerning Windows 12 before, including an inadvertent disclosure from Intel that all but confirms that Windows 12 is inbound. There’s also a secret feature in Windows 11 that could hint at what Windows 12 might include once it launches. And, thanks to XenoPanther, a well-known Windows leaker on Twitter, we could even be getting Windows 12 testing soon through Microsoft’s Canary channel.

A possible bright future for Windows 12 

Personally, I absolutely adore this taskbar concept. It’s genuinely the best rumor to surface in recent weeks, and the only one that leaves me excited about what Windows 12 can offer. The redesigned Start Menu, for instance, is a breath of fresh air in terms of simplicity and functionality, compared to the convoluted Windows 11 version. I am also loving the redesigned File Explorer, which features a handy Drop Zone that lets you temporarily store your files and folders.

The concept of the Dynamic Taskbar that condenses widgets into a single small section on the taskbar makes it feel way less cluttered. Even better is the ingenious option to enlarge those same widgets as a sub-menu and even pin them to the desktop by simply dragging and dropping. Finally, being able to group apps into a folder that can then be pinned on the taskbar feels like an option that we should have already gotten for Windows 11.

These sorts of imaginings are something of a double-edged sword, though. On one hand, they offer great possibilities for what the next OS can bring to the table in terms of increased usability. But on the other hand, Microsoft might never give us anything close to what we see here, which inevitably sets us up for disappointment once the new OS actually rolls around. 

It would be nice if the tech giant maybe listened to the people who use its UI every day for once, and give us an OS that’s functional, consistent, flexible, and stable. Even if it’s not what Addy Visuals is proposing, I would still love for Windows 12 to be an actual improvement over Windows 11 in every way.

Microsoft could be set to kick off Windows 12 testing, or at least next-gen Windows testing, in earnest, if a well-known leaker is to be believed.

This is what we’ve heard from XenoPanther (via Neowin), one of the regular sources of Microsoft-related spillage on Twitter, who claims there’s a big jump coming in build numbers for the Canary channel.

The Canary channel represents the earliest test builds for Windows 11, and rumor has it that this will be the test platform that’ll effectively be used to build out Windows 12 to eventual release.

However, so far, the Canary channel hasn’t been around for long (only since March), and has not been much different to the Dev channel (which is the next step on from Canary). Basically, both these channels have been testing more minor changes that’ll all pitch up in a similar timeframe (in many cases, likely later this year, with the big 23H2 update).

So, the theory is that if XenoPanther is right, and Microsoft jumps from the current build series 253xx all the way to 258xx, what this could indicate is the start of a whole new development process of next-gen features for Windows. And that might just be Windows 12 (if indeed that’s what the next iteration of Microsoft’s OS ends up being called).

Analysis: Leaping up to Gallium?

If this pans out – and we have to very much stay skeptical about that right now, as this is just a vague, lone whisper on the grapevine – then Canary testers could soon be treated to some big overhauls with Windows 11. Major changes that might be the initial groundwork for Windows 12, as noted.

While all this speculation is a fair old stretch, we must admit, it’s not entirely without evidence elsewhere. Another Twitter leaker, PhantomOfEarth, further theorizes we could be set to jump from the ‘Zinc’ development semester to ‘Gallium’ (next-gen), and that the “258xx builds appear to be very new”.

Furthermore, PhantomOfEarth also points out that the new Canary build that’s just been released (25346 – which comes with nifty tweaks for laptop battery life) witnesses the return of work on the revamped File Explorer with its new details pane. Is that a hint of bigger things to come, as Microsoft gets stuck into the File Explorer overhaul which may be central to next-gen Windows?

Okay, so this is all very vague, but the takeaway is that an exciting buzz is in the air around what might be happening with Canary in the near future, and Windows testers in this channel (at the forefront of development) may soon be trying out some big changes.

In short, we might soon get a more concrete idea of what Microsoft is mulling over for inclusion in Windows 12.

Meanwhile, in the nearer-term, we’ve seen other moves in testing earlier today, in the Dev channel where Microsoft is trying out some nifty changes for Windows 11’s taskbar.

Microsoft is reportedly working on a new version of its ever-successful Windows operating system - but we’re not talking about Windows 12, no sir. Instead, this is ‘CorePC’, a new project from Microsoft designed to take on Google’s ultra-efficient Chrome OS.

That's according to the good folks at our sister site Windows Central, whose sources claim the idea is to create a modular iteration of Windows, which Microsoft could then tweak and customize into different ‘editions’ that better suit specific hardware. This new version of Windows would be less resource-intensive than previously, hopefully.

CorePC (bear in mind this is a codename, and will likely not be the name of the finished OS) is rumored to also have one more trick up its sleeve: AI. Of course it’s AI - we shouldn’t be shocked, given Microsoft’s current hyperfixation on shoving popular chatbot ChatGPT into everything from the Microsoft 365 suite to the Bing search engine. Details are thin on what exactly artificial intelligence will bring to the table here, but it’s claimed to be a focus of the CorePC project.

Opinion: This could actually be really good - if Microsoft stays the course

Though this is no more than a rumor at this stage, it makes a lot of sense. For starters, this wouldn't be the first time Microsoft had experimented with building a lightweight version of Windows. 

The Windows 10X program, for instance, was supposed to be a stripped-back version of Windows 10 that cut down on features in favor of faster operation and better system security. Unfortunately for us, it was eventually canceled in 2021 and the OS never made it to our devices. There was also Windows Lite, a 2018 effort to build a lightweight Windows, which also never really saw the ‘lite’ of day.

I genuinely hope that CorePC doesn’t meet the same fate; the idea of a low-system-requirement version of Windows is an attractive one right now, with Chrome OS slowly encroaching in the budget hardware space. Hell, half of the products on our best cheap laptops list are Chromebooks at this point, and I’m a lifelong Windows devotee - I even owned a Windows phone back in the heady days of 2015 (this one, for anyone interested).

If the CorePC project specifically has the aim of creating a modernized version of Windows that can be easily adjusted to run smoothly on any device, that would be welcome. While I don’t think it will lead to the glorious return of Windows phones (a man can dream though, right?), it’d be great to see Chromebook-esque Windows laptops and tablets.

What exactly can we expect from CorePC?

Digging into the details a bit, it seems that Microsoft has an internal version of CorePC Windows already in testing. It’s barebones, running only the Edge browser with Bing AI, the Microsoft 365 suite, and Android apps - similar to how Chrome OS got access to apps from the Google Play Store back in 2016. This version of Windows is designed for super-affordable PCs and laptops designed to be used in educational environments.

That might not sound very exciting, but here’s the good part: this test build supposedly uses as much as 75% less storage space than Windows 11 and uses a split-partition install process that allows for faster updates, safer system resets, and better security thanks to dedicated read-only partitions the user (or any third-party apps) can’t access. It’s unclear at this point whether this new version runs on a conventional 64-bit structure or if it’s a more limited ARM-based build.

Considering that Windows 11 already uses between 20 and 30 gigabytes of storage space and Windows 12 looks to be jacking up the system requirements even further, the idea of a super-compact Windows edition is quite attractive - especially for use cases in education and enterprise spaces, where security is vital and a limited feature set won’t be a hurdle to everyday usage.

We’ve already seen Windows 11 scaled down for low-end hardware in the unofficial ‘Tiny11’ OS, so it’s not entirely surprising that Windows is seemingly working on an official version. Though there’s no projected release date, speculation points to 2024 so the release can coincide with the expected launch of Windows 12. In any case, I've got my fingers crossed!

Windows 12’s system requirements are the latest speculation to be aired on the grapevine regarding the next version of Microsoft’s desktop OS, and the news is kind of good and bad.

Let’s start with the positive aspects here, which are that most of the recommended specs should stay the same compared to Windows 11, at least if a rumor from German tech site Deskmodder is correct (as flagged by Neowin).

The site’s unnamed sources – as ever, add your own seasoning, and maybe tablespoons rather than teaspoons in this case – claim that there should be no change on the security front. Specifically, the stipulation for the PC’s security needs will call for TPM 2.0 as is the case with Windows 11 currently.

Deskmodder clarifies that it’s too early to bring in Pluton, Microsoft’s security chip that has been included with some devices since last year, but not nearly enough to be requiring its presence.

Processor support, too, should remain unchanged according to this new info, so if your CPU is good enough for Windows 11, it’ll remain able to cope with any demands placed on it by the next-gen OS.

What may be different is that the RAM requirement could be upped to 8GB. We should note at this point that even the rumor couches this as a possibility, and as such it may not happen – the minimum spec could remain at 4GB, as with Windows 11.

However, it’s possible Microsoft could double up that RAM spec, and the reason for 8GB would apparently be the new ‘Cloud PC’ feature we’ve been hearing quite a bit about lately. The latter may be one of the key new features that Windows 12 is built around.

Other specs aren’t mentioned in the leak, but we can guess that the primary missing piece of the puzzle, namely storage, will probably be pretty much in line with Windows 11.

Analysis: But RAM, it’s an easy upgrade anyway, right? Well…

It’s not a big surprise that TPM 2.0 would remain in place and security demands won’t be beefed up, but it’s good to hear this nonetheless (even if it’s just rumored – all of this info should be treated with some caution, as we’ve already touched upon).

Similarly, it’s no shocker that the CPU requirements would stay the same. Windows 11 already set a pretty high bar here, and to raise it further definitely wouldn’t be well received.

The RAM is the fly in the spec ointment, though, with that potential ask of 8GB. The trouble with this is that there are still a lot of folks out there motoring along with Windows 11 and 4GB of RAM, the current minimum spec. Well, maybe not motoring, but certainly plodding along happily enough accomplishing basic tasks like emailing and web browsing without breaking a sweat.

It's true that for multi-tasking apps and more demanding work, ideally, you want 8GB of system memory these days anyway – heck, lots of Chrome browser tabs can be pretty demanding still (although Google has taken action on that front). But plenty of users out there won’t be happy about being frozen out of Windows 12 if it does raise the minimum RAM bar to 8GB.

But RAM is easily upgraded, you say? Well, yes, true enough. It’s one of the easier upgrades to carry out on a PC for sure, but it’s still something that might intimidate the less tech-savvy. And remember, it’s more complicated on some PCs, such as in cases where the CPU fan overhangs the RAM slots, thereby requiring the cooler to be removed to perform the upgrade, so the process then becomes a somewhat fiddlier affair.

There’s also the small matter of laptops, too – some of them can’t have their RAM upgraded, as it’s soldered on.

If Microsoft really is mulling a move to 8GB minimum, and perhaps soon – with Windows 12 rumored to be set to arrive next year – this could cause some bad feeling in terms of forced upgrades (or maybe devices locked out totally, in the case of laptops), pretty soon after the launch of Windows 11. Let’s face it, the majority of folks still haven’t made the jump to Windows 11 yet, and the next iteration of the OS is on the horizon already (maybe).

In a relatively short space of time – certainly in the world of operating systems – we’ve gone from needing 2GB of RAM for Windows 10 in 2015 (indeed, 1GB for a 32-bit installation originally), doubling up to 4GB for Windows 11 in 2021, and then potentially just three years after that, doubling again to 8GB? That feels like a steep rise when all other specs are remaining the same.

Is it time to upgrade your 4GB PC, then? Well, maybe – if that’s possible – but of course, let’s not get carried away quite yet. The theorized 8GB requirement may evaporate into the rumor ether, and we’re guessing there are a fair few folks that are hoping for such a vanishing act to happen.

If 1 in 20 gamers still have 4GB of RAM according to the latest Steam survey – with those who game typically being highly conscious of needing plenty of this particular system resource so frame rates run smoothly – we can only imagine how many everyday users remain in this boat.

We may have caught a glimpse of what the Windows 12 desktop could look like, or at least been given a rough idea of how it might eventually turn out.

Neowin spotted that an image shown at Ignite 2022, which as we reported at the time was thought to represent the successor to Windows 11 – generally assumed to be Windows 12 (but we certainly don’t know that for sure) – has just turned up again.

This is an enhanced version of the original leaked image, and now you can clearly see that it says ‘Next Valley Prototype Design’ at the top, which refers to next-gen Windows. And as you may recall, it shows a very different-looking desktop with a floating taskbar (MacOS Dock-style) that has no system tray.

As Brad Sams (VP and General Manager at Stardock Software) further points out on YouTube, this seems to indicate that the leaked pic from Ignite is not just some sort of vague concept Microsoft is toying with, but potentially more of a firm design that shows where Windows is actually headed down the line.

There is some evidence to back up this assertion as Sams observes, pointing to the recent tweaks in preview versions of Windows 11 where Microsoft is in the process of adding the ability to turn off the system tray clock and date (albeit this is still hidden in test builds and not yet realized).

Analysis: Windows 12 – being tested in plain sight?

In short, that piece of groundwork could be viewed as the first step towards the eventual jettisoning of the system tray from the taskbar, paving the way towards that floating taskbar as seen in the leaked Ignite image (which we now know pertains to the design of next-gen Windows thanks to the detective work in terms of enhancing that pic).

With these changes coming to Canary – the earliest testing channel recently ushered in by Microsoft, rumored to be the basis for Windows 12 – this begs the question whether Microsoft will openly carry out next-gen Windows development in the Canary channel.

That could well be possible, and Microsoft may do so without actually telling us that explicitly, at least not until a good way down the road. If the rumor mill is right, that road could be a pretty short one, too, as the theory is that Windows 12 – or whatever it ends up being called – is going to arrive in 2024.

Other major interface changes recently spotted for Windows 11, which could equally end up in the next incarnation of the desktop OS, include further work on the rumored photo gallery for File Explorer, and more flexibility with widgets which may get the ability to be plonked on the desktop.

New features hidden away in an early build of an upcoming Windows 11 update will allow users to configure their own ‘Cloud PC’ – and this could be our clearest hint yet at what Microsoft plans for the future of Windows – such as Windows 12.

As Neowin reports, Twitter user Albacore has been digging into Windows 11 Dev build 23419, which is rolling out to people signed up to the Windows Insider program, and is available on the Canary, Dev and Beta channels.

In a series of tweets, which you can see below, Albacore noticed that in the Windows 11 ‘Settings’ app, there are now options for how to access a Cloud PC – either via a dedicated app, or straight from the desktop.

The page also has a section allowing you to choose which ports, features, and accessories you share with your Cloud PC. So, you could share your USB ports, and that would mean a USB memory stick you plug into your physical PC will also be accessible on your Cloud PC. 

If you leave the PC on, you could then access the Cloud PC on a different device, and have access to the USB memory stick, or you could quickly copy stuff from the memory stick to the Cloud PC’s storage – making it available for any other device you use to access it.

It looks like you can also share the clipboard, printers, local hard drive, microphone, and more. Depending on Microsoft’s plans for Cloud PC integration, this could be a really useful feature and hints at what Microsoft plans for Windows 12 (if it exists).

Cloudy thinking

We’re not currently sure what Cloud PC integration will look like in Windows 11, but by the looks of things, Microsoft is keen to make switching between your local PC or laptop and the Cloud PC seamless.

If Windows 11’s Cloud PC feature will be like the Cloud PC included with Microsoft’s Windows 365 Business subscription, you’ll get access to a virtual PC stored on the internet that will work like a regular PC. No matter what device you use, be it a smartphone or Chromebook, as long as you have an internet connection, you can access the Cloud PC and use it as if you were sitting in front of it.

It’ll likely be tied to a OneDrive subscription in Windows 11, though you may be able to access a limited version for free, much like you can with Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage. Hopefully, if you aren’t interested in the Cloud PC feature, and don’t want to subscribe, it won’t be forced on you, though Microsoft’s desire to get people to sign up for OneDrive does leave me slightly concerned.

These features are well hidden at the moment. Not only are they in a version of Windows that’s only available to Windows Insiders who have signed up to try out early, experimental, versions of Windows 11, but you have to edit the "settingshandlers_cloudpc" DLL file to enable them.

Microsoft clearly isn’t ready to show off this feature, then, but it does give us a tantalizing hint at the type of operating system Windows 12 could be – and that could be very exciting.

A hint of Windows 12?

Microsoft has been very clear about its interest in taking Windows to the cloud. Not only has it added the functionality to Windows 365 Business, explaining that “Microsoft Cloud PC is a strategic, new offering that is built on top of Windows Virtual Desktop to delivering Desktop as a Service,” but Panos Panay, who is leading the Windows team at Microsoft, has been talking up how Cloud PC  will be the future of Windows – which many have taken to mean Windows 12.

As we reported earlier, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, also recently commented that “the boundaries between the PC and the cloud are fading away”.

We’ve seen an increase in rumors about Windows 12, including that it may launch as soon as 2024, and I’m becoming more convinced that we’ll see the next version sooner rather than later. These new cloud-based features that have been hidden away in an early version of Windows 11 may be our best look yet at what Microsoft plans for the next version of its operating system.

Some Windows testers are receiving the offer of a free flash drive from Microsoft, although exactly who is being given the chance to pick up a freebie USB stick is slightly confusing.

Windows Latest reports that they received an email from Microsoft regarding the new Canary Channel, which is the channel created for testing the very earliest builds. In other words, next-gen Windows (quite possibly Windows 12, though we don’t know that for sure, although the name has already been leaked by Intel).

That email offered the tech site a free flash drive (with at least 8GB of storage) with the goal of performing a clean installation of Windows, a task that is recommended to be undertaken with a blank flash drive from scratch.

Those getting this offer from Microsoft have to request the drive by filling out a simple form, and the company notes that: “Items are available on a first-come, first-served basis.”

There’s a limited supply, so those USB sticks could quickly run dry by the sound of things.

Analysis: Canary confusion?

What’s slightly confusing here is that we thought only those wanting to stay in the Dev Channel would need to reinstall Windows – and therefore might need a flash drive.

The way Microsoft has implemented this fork of testing channels works like this: the old Dev Channel has effectively become the Canary Channel, and anyway whoever stays in it gets moved to these cutting-edge earliest builds (with the most chance of hitting problems). Those who want to move to the new Dev Channel have to reinstall Windows 11, perform a clean installation of the OS, and then sign up for the new Dev path.

So, it would make sense that the latter are the folks who get a free USB stick if they need it for reinstallation media. That said, Windows Latest makes it clear that Microsoft is offering USB drives to “testers who want to support the road to the platform changes,” which presumably refers to next-gen Windows (Windows 12 possibly). And the screenshot provided as evidence is clearly on the topic of the Canary Channel.

What might be happening, then, is that a limited set of testers on either side of the fence – Canary and Dev – are being offered flash drives, or at least the chance to grab them before the freebie stock runs dry.

Whatever the case, if you get this offer emailed over to you and want to take advantage, we’d advise you act pretty swiftly. Microsoft notes that delivery of the USB stick could take up to 6-8 weeks, but hopefully that’s a seriously pessimistic estimate and the hardware may turn up a good deal quicker.

Microsoft is making some big moves for its Windows Insiders Preview program, which could be hinting at some major news later down the road.

According to Microsoft’s official blog and reported on by Windows Central, the tech giant will be using its newly made Canary Channel to test out Windows OS builds that will lay the groundwork for a new major version of the operating system. This new channel will be dropping down unstable and experimental builds on a regular basis, which most likely will be laying the foundation for Windows 12.

The Canary Channel will be used to test out features that “require longer-lead time” before getting to the public. Some of these include “major changes to the Windows kernel, new APIs, etc.,” and not every feature tested will be released to the general public.

As a result of these new changes, all Insiders in the Dev Channel will be transferred to the Canary Channel since the Dev Channel will be receiving 23000 series builds. Meanwhile, the Canary Channel will be getting 25000 series builds, so those who want to stay in the Dev Channel would have to reinstall Windows OS.

What we know about Windows 12 so far

There are plenty of rumors about Windows 12, including leaks from Microsoft and Intel themselves. One such leak is that Intel’s upcoming CPUs will support Windows 12, and before then it was reported that Microsoft would be switching to a new engineering schedule that would see a new version of Windows OS released every three years. 

The new OS might also be called 'Next Valley,’ and may be the first cloud-based OS. We even saw an image of the new OS at Ignite 2022, in which the design was supposedly meant to adapt to different devices and accessories. 

While the last rumor is a bit disconcerting, there isn’t much else we know about the upcoming OS right now. Hopefully, future builds from the Canary Channel will reveal even more information about Windows 12.

While there have been rumors abound about a possible WIndows 12 release, this latest leak seems to be the most concrete evidence we have yet of the new OS’s existence.

A tip from hardware leaker @leaf_hobby, reported on by The Verge, revealed details on Intel’s Meteor Lake desktop platform. According to those details, Intel reportedly mentioned that its upcoming CPUs will support Windows 12. Since then, the tweet has been deleted and both Microsoft and Intel have declined to comment to The Verge on the validity of this report and other rumors.

Previous to this leak, Zac Bowden of Windows Central reported that Microsoft would be switching to a new engineering schedule that would see a new version of WIndows OS released every three years. If this turns out to be accurate information, it would put the next release, Windows 12, at 2024.

Bowden also reported that the next Windows OS release is called 'Next Valley'. There was even an image shown of the OS at Ignite 2022, in which the design was supposedly meant to adapt to different devices and accessories. 

Another rumor that’s less than desirable

There’s also a rumor that Windows 12 might be the first cloud-based OS, which doesn’t sound particularly far-fetched. If this is true, it could be hosted off-device and bundled with computing and storage as part of a subscription package. Honestly, I find that future frightening.

We already have plenty of software, like the Adobe suite and Microsoft Office, that works on a subscription-based model. And that alone is difficult to deal with if you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford the expensive pricing. But at least these products can easily be replaced by open-sourced free versions.

Having an OS not hard installed on a PC is a completely different beast. A variation, virtual desktop setups, have been in use by businesses for years to support BYOD scenarios but it’s nothing compared to having the OS on any Windows PC or laptop based in cloud storage, with features that are supposed to be standard doled out at a premium price. 

Hopefully, this is one set of rumors that are disproven with time.

Windows 12 is likely to be the next major update to Windows 11 — with an even bigger push of Copilot to boot.

Microsoft announced a bunch of Copilot+ PCs with Windows 11 in May 2024, which brings AI to the forefront of the company's operating system. 'Recall' is an AI-powered feature that tracks everything you do on your PC, which can find any file or app you may have misplaced. Think of it like Apple's Time Machine feature on the Mac, but supercharged.

There's also Windows 11 24H2, the next major update that's getting ready to launch. This features better HDR support for supported displays, Wi-Fi 7 support, the ability to create zip archives in File Explorer such as 7-zip and TAR archives, as well as many more improvements.

But where does that leave Windows 12? Granted, Microsoft's yearly conference, Build, has come and gone for another year, with no mention of the number 12. With the company relentlessly trying to push AI into almost every facet of Windows, as shown by its latest updates to Copilot, it seems like Windows 12 may debut in 2025 instead.

Regardless of this potential change of date, there's still plenty to look forward to in this next major update to one of the most popular operating systems in the world. With that in mind, here's everything we've found so far about the next major update to Windows, alongside five features that we'd also like to see arrive in Windows 12.

Windows 12: Cut to the chase

• What is it? Windows 12 is the rumored successor to Windows 11
• When will it come out? Possibly 2025 due to the huge focus on Copilot
• How much does it cost? Should be free as Windows 11 currently is

Windows 12 release date rumors

We'd expect to see Windows 12 arrive in 2025, just beyond of support for Windows 10 ending. Furthermore, this has been the chatter on the rumor mill for a while now. We also caught a glimpse of next-gen Windows (called the 'Next Valley Prototype Design') at Build 2023, indicating that it might be on track for next year — although the plans may have changed after seeing Microsoft's announcements of Copilot+ PCs with Windows 11 at Build 2024.

It's worth mentioning, however, that an Intel executive previously confirmed the next iteration of Windows is expected to land in 2024 (although admittedly without mentioning the Windows 12 name).

Windows 12 supported devices

When Microsoft announced the availability of Windows 11 in 2021, the main requirement was for machines to have a hardware feature called TPM enabled, which is a piece of security functionality that can be found on most motherboards.

While the same requirement will most likely be requested by Microsoft again, it may be at a point where almost every PC has TPM enabled anyway.

There has been a rumor claiming that Microsoft may be planning to up the RAM requirement from 4GB (for Windows 11) to 8GB with the next-gen OS. Other than that, though, Windows 12 should support the same CPUs as Windows 11, and will likely have similar requirements:

• 64-bit processor
• 1Ghz clock speed
• 4GB of RAM
• 64GB drive
• UEFI, Secure Boot capable
• TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module)
• A display larger than 9-inches with HD Resolution (1366x768)
• DirectX 12 compatible graphics / WDDM 2.x 
• Internet connection

What we want to see

We don't know much about Windows 12 yet, or whether the rumored upgrade will even become a reality, but we do have a good idea of what we want from it, with the following features topping our list.

1. Merge Skype and Teams into MSN Messenger 12

It's no secret that Microsoft's efforts on video calling and collaboration through messaging apps have been less than stellar in recent years. In a time when people needed to communicate remotely more, it was Zoom that took the lead and Skype was bafflingly left by the wayside.

While there have been some new features brought to both Teams and Skype, there's still an air of confusion as to which one you should use. If you need to take part in a job interview that's on Teams, for example, chances are you'll quickly need to install the app and make sure it works.

Instead, let's see them both retire and mark a fresh start for Windows 12, with the return of MSN Messenger to do the job these two apps have limped on with.

Not only would we like to see the return of nudges, winks, and classic sounds if users want, but we'd also be keen on powerful features to make it go toe-to-toe with Zoom, Google Meets, and FaceTime. Perhaps have integration with Slack, so if a video meeting is needed, it can prompt in a channel and with one button, MSN Messenger will launch with the required invitees.

Microsoft needs to reboot how it perceives itself for messaging apps, and the return of MSN Messenger could be a great start to that.

2. Live wallpaper

A request by TechRadar's Senior Computing Editor Matt Hanson, and an intriguing one at that. There have been similar features in iPhones and Android phones for some years, with animations moving across these devices. But for PC and Mac, they've been relegated to third-party apps, such as Wallpaper Engine, to be able to have animated wallpapers with the ability to display information from your PC.

To so something similar in Windows 12, Microsoft could further push its efforts in themes, something that's seen improvements in Windows 11, thanks to its dark themes.

Having a dedicated section for wallpapers, where you can place static bytes of information on the desktop that works with an animated live wallpaper, could appeal to all kinds of users.

Microsoft could also bring back previous wallpapers, such as the hillside of Windows XP, but have it animated, alongside some clouds displaying battery status or the weather.

This can update the desktop substantially and make it much more up to date, without having to rely on widgets or a taskbar to showcase changes.

3. Dedicated podcast app

While it's been great to see the return of Windows Media Player from Microsoft, having additional features such as podcasts feels irrelevant for what Media Player is for.

macOS has had its own podcast app since Big Sur in 2019, but if you wanted to use a similar app on Windows, it's not clear where to start, as Microsoft doesn't offer a dedicated podcast app.

This is why Windows 12 should include a dedicated podcast app that could also be used on other platforms, such as iOS and Android, so your subscriptions could sync across all your devices.

Podcasts are massively popular, and managing them all in a first-party app would be great for Windows users. It's something that could really help spur the company's effort to make content available on almost every device.

4. Dedicated streaming app

A storming idea by our resident Computing writer Jess Weatherbed, as there is yet to be an integrated option in Windows to stream what you're playing.

For years there have been apps such as OBS and Twitch that offer ways to stream what you're playing or watching with others. However, these apps have always required extra effort to make sure that you're streaming to viewers in good quality, with low latency.

Then there's the additional aspect of the peripherals that streamers use to help show them in a better light, or Stream Decks to easily control their setups with shortcut keys.

It can be overwhelming to manage multiple apps just to control all of these, which is why Windows 12 could benefit from having one app that can manage your streams and the peripherals.

Microsoft has been pushing gaming in Windows 11 since its announcement in June 2021, with a redesigned Xbox app and HDR support. But countless gamers also stream these games through Windows, so there's a big opportunity here.

Having one app to control, say, ring lights and the streams for viewers is appealing, shifting the heavy lifting to one app. It could automate streams based on the schedule and the games being played, alongside different lighting scenarios for the different times of the day.

This could encourage more gamers to see Windows as a service, as the CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella has been stating since the release of Windows 10 in 2015, while also making Windows 12 an enticing prospect for streamers to earn more followers and income for their careers.

5. Companion app for Android

A suggestion by our Editor-in-Chief at TechRadar Pro, Desire Athow – this can be an expansion of Your Phone, Microsoft's effort to sync your mobile to Windows. But when you open this new app in Windows 12, it would have a layout reminiscent of Windows Phone and its tile layout, and would enable a desktop experience from your phone.

This would be similar to Samsung DeX, which can transform your Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S22 Ultra into a desktop once it's connected to a peripheral.

This new app would go beyond DeX and Microsoft's Your Phone efforts, though. When you connect to a monitor, it would become a fully-fledged Windows 12 desktop, showcasing everything from your main PC. And when you click on an icon, it would download the content from the cloud and display it in its native resolution.

It would be an innovative extension of the cloud, where you can access your files wherever you are. Here, you'd be carrying your desktop with you and all you'd need to do is to connect your smartphone to a monitor, either with touchscreen features or a keyboard and mouse.

As with the streaming feature above, this would again further Nadella's plans of seeing Windows as a service. Having your PC in an app is an enticing thought, and could help for those situations when you have a short window of opportunity to do some work with a spare monitor, keyboard, and mouse somewhere.

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Microsoft has allegedly showcased the next major version of Windows with a user interface that features a floating Taskbar alongside a translucent information bar at the top of a display.

According to Zac Bowden at Windows Central, the next major release of Windows is called 'Next Valley', carrying on the Valley naming convention that began with Windows 11.

An image was shown during a demo at Ignite 2022, where the aim for this design is allegedly trying to better adapt to different devices, such as tablets and mice peripherals.

Though Bowden says that no code has been finalized toward the next major release, we wonder if we're going to see something more final in 2023.

Turning it up to 12?

I've spoken before of what I'd like to see in Windows 12, such as the return of MSN Messenger and a dedicated podcast app, but if we're already seeing concept stages of the next major release, it could merely be an evolution of what Windows 11 has brought instead.

Seeing a floating Taskbar makes sense for when you're in certain apps, such as Microsoft's Designer app and even Paint but if this is for Windows 12, let's see it go further.

As the company has committed to a major release every three years, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the next major version showcased in late 2023, followed by a release for Insiders at the start of 2024.

With Apple releasing a major version of macOS every year since 2012, there's pressure on Microsoft to do something similar. However, with Windows accessible to millions of devices that the company isn't responsible for, it's not realistic to see a major update every year, which is why these 'Moment' updates make more sense.

It's a safe bet to imagine 2024 as a date for when Windows 12 can arrive, but whether it will include the floating taskbar is another matter.

Windows 11 22H2 looks like it’s going to be a major update that will bring plenty of changes and new features to your laptop and PC – and it looks like we could finally get it in September, 2022.

The Verge reports that sources have told it that "Microsoft is planning to mark the 10-year anniversary of Surface with new products this fall, and is planning to deliver the 22H2 update for Windows 11 in late September".

We’ve been getting tastes of what Windows 11 22H2 will bring, including a new-look Start menu, a better File Explorer with tabs, desktop stickers, and plenty more new features, many of which users have been requesting for a while now.

However, while we know what Windows 11 22H2 will likely add to our PCs, we're still waiting for an official release date. Because the name suggests it’ll come in the second half of 2022, September was always likely, as was October or November, which are months in which Microsoft has previously released Windows updates.

So, while this is still an unofficial release date (The Verge doesn't name its sources, so there’s no way to verify the claims), it’s the closest we’ve got to one so far, and it doesn’t seem out of the realms of possibility.

Windows Insiders, who are users that have signed up to test out early versions of the OS, have been trying out various elements of the update for a while now, which has given us an idea of what to expect. Some of the latest releases made available to Windows Insiders have also indicated that the update should be ready to release soon.

Analysis: The first major update for Windows 11 could also be its last

Windows 11 22H2 will be the first major update from Microsoft since the operating system launched in October 2021 – but it could also be the last. New rumors suggest that the next big update for Windows 11, codenamed Sun Valley 3 (Windows 11 22H2 was codenamed Sun Valley 2) has actually been cancelled.

Instead, rumors indicate that Sun Valley 3 features will be rolled out to Windows 11 in smaller updates known as 'moments'.

Rather than releasing any more major Windows 11 updates, it’s also suggested that Microsoft will instead launch Windows 12, which could arrive as soon as 2024.

After claiming that Windows 10 would be the last version of Windows, this rapid release of numbered Windows versions is quite a departure, and recalls Microsoft’s swift Windows release schedule in the mid-to-late 90s and early 2000s.

With Apple moving to a yearly numbering scheme, after years of macOS 10, and preparing to launch macOS 13 later this year, Microsoft may be concerned that if it doesn’t follow suit, its operating system may appear dated compared to its rival’s.

As long as Windows 12 is a free upgrade for Windows 11 users, and brings plenty of new features, then we don’t really care what Microsoft calls it.

As for Windows 11 fans (there must be some out there), it seems that the upcoming Windows 11 22H2 may be both the first, and the last, major update they're getting.

Via Neowin

Microsoft is making a big change with Windows, switching to a new plan of introducing a fresh incarnation of the desktop operating system every three years, with smaller and more regular feature updates in-between.

The move to a new engineering schedule is a rumor floated by Zac Bowden of Windows Central, who is well-connected at Microsoft, and has offered up reliable leakage in the past.

As mentioned, the theory of what’s happening in the future is that Windows will have a three-year release cycle, and as Windows 11 emerged in 2021, that’ll mean an all-new Windows – possibly Windows 12, maybe something entirely different – arriving in 2024 (Windows 24? Windows XXIV? WindowsOS, ahem?). And then another version will pitch up in 2027, and then rinse and repeat (unless Microsoft changes its mind, which is a fair bet, at some point, if recent form is any indication).

Of course, what Microsoft doesn’t want is a return to the not-so-good-old-days of having to wait ages for new features to arrive with a fresh incarnation of Windows, so the current version will be continually updated with new functionality throughout any given year.

So, instead of a big yearly feature update, Microsoft will issue smaller feature updates every few months, up to four of them per year, Bowden asserts.

This situation will come into play from next year, so we’ll still get the Windows 11 22H2 update (aka Sun Valley 2) later this year, of course, but Sun Valley 3 has apparently been scrapped. In 2023, we will instead move to those more compact feature updates rolled out quarterly (or thereabouts), and these will be called ‘Moments’, or at least that’s the working title, it’d seem.

Analysis: A logical extension of what’s already happening?

Let’s wind back the clock a minute. As you may recall, the original plan with Windows 10 was that it’d be the last version of Windows ever (not that we believed that), and it’d be continually updated on a rolling basis, twice per year. That original concept obviously changed with Windows 11 being launched, and big feature updates getting switched down to a level of once per year.

However, with those major feature upgrades having had their cadence slowed, Microsoft has already introduced ‘experience packs’, which might sound like they’re straight out of a plan to monetize an MMORPG, but are in fact Microsoft’s scheme to bring in more regular updates. Feature experience packs, for example, can be deployed to update legacy core apps for Windows away from a major feature update.

So really, what we’re hearing here is kind of what we already have – with Windows 11 following Windows 10, we could guess another version was likely coming down the line. And Moments are basically powered-up experience packs, and a way to bring in changes that improve the current interface without radically changing it, which are necessary to facilitate more regular tuning for the desktop OS if Microsoft is moving to a three-yearly plan for new versions of Windows – which is a big if. Whereas those entirely new versions of Windows will be where wholesale changes to the UI or user experience are debuted.

Another way to look at this is that it makes sense in terms of being a logical extension of the direction Microsoft has already gone in. And a three-year release gap aligns perfectly with recent history for the software giant, too, with Windows 7, Windows 8 and Window 10 having three-years between them all.

Still, we must regard this as just a rumor for now, even if a lot of it does make sense to us, and it’s from a more reliable source than most for Microsoft-related speculation. And besides, even if it is the current plan at Microsoft, that doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way – the company hasn’t been shy about chopping and changing the way the OS is produced in recent times, of course.

Earlier this week, Microsoft unveiled a bounty of upgrades for Windows 11, which has been positioned as the operating system of the hybrid working era. The additions included a new-look File Explorer, improved video conferencing facilities and various security upgrades.

However, implicit in some of the announcements were also clues as to how the company might shape its future operating systems. And if the rumors are to be believed, Microsoft has already started work on Windows 12.

The focus of the Windows 11 roadmap on enhanced mobility and the renewed emphasis on Windows 365, the company’s PC-as-a-Service offering, suggest the future of Windows lies firmly in the cloud, particularly in a business context.

Head in the clouds

In a world in which connectivity is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, it’s not outside the realms of possibility that Windows 12 could become Microsoft’s first ever cloud-only operating system, hosted off-device and bundled with compute and storage as part of a subscription package.

The system would be similar in many ways to traditional virtual desktop setups, which have been deployed by businesses for years to support BYOD scenarios, but offer simplified pricing and configuration structures and extend out to a wider audience that includes the consumer. 

Certainly, Microsoft is already interested in shifting towards a hybrid arrangement. Speaking at the event earlier this week, CEO Satya Nadella announced that “the boundaries between the PC and the cloud are fading away”.

At the moment, the idea is to streamline the transition between local and Windows 365 desktops, such that users are unable to tell whether their apps, compute and storage are coming from the cloud or their machine.

But the logical next step might be to take the whole lot into the cloud, à la Chrome OS. Microsoft has already announced it will allow Windows 365 customers to boot directly into their cloud desktop, bypassing the local OS, which feels only one step short of the cloud-only vision.

In a business setting, moving to a cloud-only system would give IT administrators tighter control over security configuration and identity management, and full oversight of how devices are being used. But in a broader context, shifting to a cloud setup is more about enabling new models of consumption.

Windows 365 is marketed as a service that provides professionals with unrivaled flexibility, in terms of the location and device they work from, but also the resources available to them. There are currently twelve separate Cloud PC configurations, each of which offers a different amount of resources, and customers can switch between the tiers at any time.

Microsoft could use a new cloud-based OS as the foundation for an even more concerted drive into PC-as-a-Service, normalizing the model on offer with Shadow and GeForce Now, whereby any PC can be turned into a powerhouse workstation or gaming rig. Under this arrangement, customers might pay for PC hardware in installments alongside their compute and cloud storage, similar to the way smartphones are often sold today.

The transition to a cloud model would also change the paradigm from a hardware perspective. With compute taken care of in the cloud, there would be little need for giant SoCs, which would mean more freedom when it comes to form factor. The main priority for device makers would instead become support for lightning-fast connectivity with as little latency as possible.

Getting ahead of ourselves

Ahead of this week’s Windows 11 event, we spoke with Wangui McKelvey, GM of Microsoft 365, and Aidan Marcuss, CVP Windows Device and App Experience, to hear about the company’s vision for Windows and the cloud.

Asked directly whether the logical conclusion to the current Windows 11 trajectory is an operating system detached entirely from the device, we were told this isn’t Microsoft’s vision for now.

The ambition is not necessarily to develop a wholly cloud-based OS, but rather to blend together the experience such that a broader number of use cases are supported and a broader range of users provided for.

“It’s not about the reduction to a single local or cloud-based solution, it’s about having the choice of both and enabling additional scenarios,” said Marcuss. “It’s our job to enable flexibility and land ready-made solutions for customers.”

An entirely cloud-based OS would admittedly throw up a number of challenges. For example, connectivity is not distributed equally across the globe, which means access to compute performance would be determined arbitrarily by location. Although next-generation networking technologies and large-scale satellite broadband projects aim to democratize access to connectivity, we’re not there just yet.

Service outages at an ISP or cloud provider level could also be a problem, temporarily turning our devices into useless husks, a state of affairs that would doubtless pique the interest of cybercriminals. Microsoft has announced functionality that will allow Windows 365 customers to access their cloud desktops while offline, but it’s not yet clear precisely which features will be available.

And there’s also the latency question. For use cases like competitive gaming, a cloud-based model may not be suitable, even if cloud gaming services are now beginning to make some headway.

Lastly, a wholesale shift towards PC-as-a-Service is likely to be met with resistance from computer manufacturers, whose ability to justify $1000+ price tags will be much diminished in a world in which we all run thin clients like this one.

However, none of these problems are insurmountable from a technology perspective. And although Microsoft has denied it’s working towards a wholly cloud-based OS, plans are never set in stone.

As an initial step, we anticipate a larger number of businesses moving over to the PC-as-a-Service model to support the needs of hybrid work, whereby employees no longer work from a single location, nor from a single device.

But later, we could see Windows 365 extended out to the consumer market too. Currently, only businesses are able to purchase subscriptions to Cloud PCs, but consumers also stand to benefit from the flexibility and alternative pricing structures the service facilitates.

Pressed on whether we might see a consumer-focused Cloud PC in future, McKelvey gave us a polite smile and took a moment to consider. “We’re thinking about all the opportunities we can enable with this technology. I’ll just leave it at that.”

• Supercharge your remote working setup with the best mobile workstations around

Microsoft has set the date for its Build 2022 developer conference, May 24-26, and decided, for the third year in a row, to make it all-virtual.

While Microsoft's desktop operating system, Windows, is often the star of the show, Microsoft Build is the Redmond, Washington-based company's chance to unveil updates across a wide array of software products, services, and development tools.

There's also usually a theme. At Microsoft Build 2021, it was about Tech Transformation and the responsibility technology has in shaping the future. Aside from "Designed for development" and "What's next in tech," the Microsoft Build site offers no hints about what to expect.

It does outline, though, one change: market-specific experiences for France, Germany, Latin America, and the UK. The FAQ goes into a tiny bit more detail, explaining:

"New for this year, experience market-specific content and connection opportunities for France, Germany, Japan, Latin America, and the UK in Regional Spotlights. Microsoft Build Regional Spotlights will include but will not be limited to: Keynote analysis, trending news, and topics for specific regions to help break down what’s new and what it means to you."

What about Windows 12?

For consumers, this might be their first chance to learn about the next version of some of their favorite Microsoft products, including Windows, Office, and the Edge Browser. Developers will get updates on C++, C#, Azure, and Visual Studio. Microsoft sometimes blends in forward-looking panels on bleeding edge technologies like the HoloLens (version 3?) and digital twins.

As for what we might expect from Windows, there is some speculation that we could get our first glimpse of Windows 12. We know, Windows 11 isn't even a year old, but Microsoft's platform update cadence may be quickening. Plus, whatever Microsoft shows us now will likely be no more than a glimpse, with the full Windows 12 launch easily more than a year away.

Even if we don't see that, the multi-day event will be packed with Windows 11 innovations and future feature promises.

Registration, which is free, opens up in late April, and TechRadar will feature wall-to-wall coverage in May.

• Even as Microsoft prepares to tell us about all that's new, it's constantly working to make Windows better and more appealing for its 1.4 billion users.

There's been much speculation that Microsoft is already hard at work on the successor to Windows 11, likely to be called Windows 12.

Some of us at TechRadar are all for a swift follow-up to Windows 11, and would like to see Microsoft matching the regular update schedules of macOS and other operating systems.

So what improvements and new features might Windows 12 bring with it? Users have been peppering Microsoft with feature requests, with some of these wishes set to be granted in upcoming updates to Windows 11, tentatively called Sun Valley 2.

The TechRadar computing team has come up with its own wish list of five features we'd like to see in a Windows 12 release, no matter how unlikely some of them may be.

Windows 12 release date rumors

This is still very early days for Windows 11 – we're not even at the one-year anniversary of the update having been announced. However, going on past releases, we'd expect to see Windows 12 arrive in late 2025, just as support for Windows 10 is ending.

Windows 12 supported devices

When Microsoft announced availability for Windows 11, the main requirement was for machines to have a hardware feature called TPM enabled, which is a security feature that can be found on most motherboards.

While the same requirement will most likely be requested by Microsoft again, it may be at a point where almost every PC has TPM enabled anyway.

Other than that, it will likely have similar requirements to Windows 11:

• 64-bit processor
• 1Ghz clock speed
• 4GB of RAM
• 64GB drive
• UEFI, Secure Boot capable
• TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module)
• A display larger than 9-inches with HD Resolution (1366x768)
• DirectX 12 compatible graphics / WDDM 2.x 
• Internet connection

What we want to see

We don't know much about Windows 12 yet, or whether the rumored upgrade will even become a reality, but we do have a good idea of what we want from it, with the following features topping our list.

1. Merge Skype and Teams into MSN Messenger 12

It's no secret that Microsoft's efforts on video calling and collaboration through messaging apps have been less than stellar in recent years. In a time when people needed to communicate remotely more, it was Zoom that took the lead and Skype was bafflingly left by the wayside.

While there have been some new features brought to both Teams and Skype, there's still an air of confusion as to which one you should use. If you need to take part in a job interview that's on Teams, for example, chances are you'll quickly need to install the app and make sure it works.

Instead, let's see them both retire and mark a fresh start for Windows 12, with the return of MSN Messenger to do the job these two apps have limped on with.

Not only to see the return of nudges, winks, and classic sounds if users want, but powerful features to make it go toe-to-toe with Zoom, Google Meets, and FaceTime. Perhaps have integration with Slack, so if a video meeting is needed, it can prompt in a channel and with one button, MSN Messenger will launch with the required invitees.

Microsoft needs to reboot how it perceives itself for messaging apps, and the return of MSN Messenger could be a great start to that.

2. Live Wallpaper

A request by TechRadar's Senior Computing Editor Matt Hanson, and an intriguing one at that. There have been similar features in iPhones and Android phones for some years, with animations moving across these devices. But for PC and Mac, they've been relegated to third-party apps, such as Wallpaper Engine, to be able to have animated wallpapers with the ability to display information from your PC.

To have something similar from Microsoft for Windows 12 could further push its efforts in themes, something that's seen improvements in Windows 11, thanks to its dark themes.

Having a dedicated section for wallpapers where you can place static bytes of information on the desktop that works with an animated live wallpaper, could appeal to all kinds of users.

Microsoft could also bring back previous wallpapers, such as the hillside of Windows XP but have it animated, alongside some clouds displaying battery status or the weather.

This can update the desktop substantially and make it much more up to date, without having to rely on widgets or a taskbar to showcase changes.

3. Dedicated Podcast app

While it's been great to see the return of Windows Media Player from Microsoft, having additional features such as podcasts feels irrelevant for what Media Player is for.

macOS has had its own podcast app since Big Sur in 2019, but if you wanted to use a similar app on Windows, it's not clear where to start, as Microsoft doesn't offer a dedicated podcast app.

This is why Windows 12 should include a dedicated podcast app that could also be used on other platforms, such as iOS and Android, so your subscriptions could sync across all your devices.

Podcasts are a great way of listening to interviews or the latest news that involve your interests, and managing them all in a first-party app would be great for Windows users. It's something that could really help spur the company's effort to make content available on almost every device.

4. Dedicated Streaming app

A storming idea by our resident Computing writer Jess Weatherbed, as there is yet to be an integrated option in Windows to stream what you're playing.

For years there have been apps such as OBS and Twitch that offer ways to stream what you're playing or watching with others. However, these apps have always required extra effort to make sure that you're streaming to viewers in good quality, with low latency.

Then there's the additional aspect of the peripherals that streamers use to help show them in a better light, or Stream Decks to easily control their setups with shortcut keys.

It can be overwhelming to manage multiple apps just to control all of these, which is why Windows 12 could benefit from having one app that can manage your streams and the peripherals.

Microsoft has been pushing gaming in Windows 11 since its announcement in June 2021, with a redesigned Xbox app and HDR support. But countless gamers also stream these games through Windows, so there's a big opportunity here.

Having one app to control, say, ring lights and the streams for viewers is appealing, shifting the heavy lifting to one app. It could automate streams based on the schedule and the games being played, alongside different lighting scenarios for the different times of the day.

This could encourage more gamers to see Windows as a service, as the CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella has been stating since the release of Windows 10 in 2015, while also making Windows 12 an enticing prospect for streamers to earn more followers and income for their careers.

5. Companion app for Android

A suggestion by our Editor-in-Chief at TechRadar Pro, Desire Athow – this can be an expansion of Your Phone, Microsoft's effort to sync your phone to Windows. But when you open this new app in Windows 12, it has a layout reminiscent of Windows Phone and its tile layout that can enable a desktop experience from your phone.

This would be similar to Samsung DeX, where you can transform your S22 or Tab S22 Ultra into a desktop once it's connected to a peripheral.

This new app would go beyond DeX and Microsoft's Your Phone efforts. When you connect to a monitor, it becomes a fully-fledged Windows 12 desktop, showcasing everything from your main PC. And when you click on an icon, it downloads the content from the cloud and displays it in its native resolution.

It would be an innovative extension of the cloud, where you can access your files wherever you are. Here, you're carrying your desktop with you and all you need to do is to connect your smartphone to a monitor, either with touchscreen features or a keyboard and mouse.

This would also further Nadella's plans again, similar to the streaming feature, of seeing Windows as a service. Having your PC in an app is an enticing thought, and could help for those situations when you have a short window of opportunity to do some work with a spare monitor, keyboard, and mouse somewhere.

• Our pick of the best Windows laptops so far in 2022