- Windows 12 is now rumored to be released at some point in 2025.
- Microsoft is still expected to roll out a new version, but it’ll be an upgrade for Windows 11.
- This new feature update will focus on AI integration as well as other significant changes.
Microsoft is reportedly planning to delay “Windows 12” until some point in 2025, and in 2024, the company is now expected to give Windows 11 another upgrade with the rollout of version 24H2. According to a new report from Windows Central, the software giant will offer a major refresh for its operating system, but as an upgrade for Windows 11 instead of a new version with a different marketing name.
However, this won’t be another update like version 23H2. Instead, this update is expected to be a significant rollout, much like those feature updates we used to see that even required complete reinstallation. In other words, you can now expect everything we have heard about Windows 12 to arrive as Windows 11 24H2 instead.
So, the next feature update for Windows 11 will continue to focus heavily on AI integration, meaning that in 2024, you can expect Copilot and other AI features to be more integrated into the operating system.
As I previously noted, Windows 11 24H2 is set to introduce new features and several visual changes, including a more advanced version of Copilot that will enhance search, help you understand context, and help you jump-start a new project quickly. This update may also include features such as Timeline, Super Resolution, and desktop background powered by AI.
The report points out that the company plans to finalize the feature update sometime during the summer, which is when many computer manufacturers will start introducing their new devices with more capabilities focused on AI.
In other words, the improvements and the new innovations on AI that we have been hearing about are still on the table to ship in 2024, but they will now roll out as an update for Windows 11 (version 24H2) instead of the company releasing the so-called “Windows 12.”
One of the reasons for keeping the “Windows 11” branding is that there is currently a fragmentation of versions, and the software giant wants to stop the further division of devices based on product releases due to users’ slow pace of adoption. At this point, the operating system has around 1.4 billion active users and only 400 million are running Windows 11. The remaining billion are still on Windows 10, primarily due to unsupported hardware that doesn’t allow users to upgrade.
As a result, if the company rolls out Windows 12, the fragmentation will increase, and the adoption rate could drop even more.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.