Is Microsoft releasing Windows 12 next year?

More and more leaks suggest that Microsoft is working on a Windows 11 successor, that it will be named Windows 12, and that it will be released in the second half of 2024.

Note: these leaks should be classified as rumors at this point, as Microsoft has not commented on any of them.

Rumors and leaks about Windows 12

It is early 2023, and rumors and leaks suggest that a Windows 12 release is going to happen in the second half of 2024. Here is a recap of what happened so far in regards to Windows 12.

It all started with last year’s report by Windows Central that Microsoft was already working on Windows 12. The site did not name any sources, only that the sources were close to Microsoft. The author claimed that Microsoft planned to release a new version of Windows every three years going forward.

This year, eagle eyed users of VMware vSphere 8 noticed that the application listed Windows 12 (64-bit) as one of the available guest systems.

Now, information on Intel’s upcoming Meteor Lake platform was leaked on Twitter.  Revealed by Twitter user leaf_hobby (via Neowin), and later deleted, specs of the upcoming platform included Wi-Fi 6 debut, chipset information and other technical details. Windows 12 was listed as one of the supported operating systems, according to the leaker.

While Microsoft prefers to be tight lipped when it comes to future versions of Windows, it needs to communicate with its partners, hardware manufacturers as well ass select software companies and organizations.

Will Windows 12 be released in 2024?

Neither Microsoft nor Intel have confirmed the leaks or that Windows 12 is in development. Still, 2024 will be an important year for Microsoft.

Windows 10, the dominating Windows version right now, will be retired in 2025. Windows 10 has a market share of over 70% at the time, while Microsoft’s newest operating system Windows 11 has not even crossed the 20% mark yet. At its current pace, Windows 11 may cross the 40% mark in late 2024, as it is increasing by roughly 1% each month currently.

This would still give Windows 10 a commanding lead at the end of 2024, and the operating system would still be used by millions of customers when it reaches its retirement age in October 2025.

The release of a new version of Windows, Windows 12 in this case, could persuade more Windows 10 customers and organizations to upgrade their devices or make new purchases.

A 2024 launch would also means that the new operating system would have matured in 2025, as it would likely have received its first feature update by the time Windows 10 runs out of official support.

It is unclear at this point if Windows 12 will have the same minimum system requirements as Windows 11. It seems highly unlikely that Microsoft is going to relax system requirements in Windows 12. The same or even stricter requirements would prevent a good portion of Windows 10 devices from official upgrades to either of the operating systems.

To answer the title question: there is a solid chance that the rumors and leaks are indeed true, and that Microsoft will release Windows 12 next year.

Now You: what would you like to see in Windows 12?

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