Windows 12: Leaks

 Windows 12 ‘first look’ 

Leaks, Rumours

Microsoft is preparing to discontinue support for Windows 10 in the near future, giving users the option to either upgrade to Windows 11 or wait for the anticipated successor, Windows 12. More AI-powered features and modular system design are just a couple of the leaks and rumours swirling around Microsoft's not-yet-announced Windows 12. Let’s be clear from the start, Microsoft hasn’t officially commented on whether it's developing Windows 12. Some leaks, rumours and other indicators suggest that we may get Windows 12 at the end of 2024, but it's looking less and less likely. Microsoft is focused on adding more AI functionality to Windows 11 at the moment, but we do have an idea of what Windows 12 could look like.

A late 2024 release would be much quicker than the move from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Six years passed between the launch of those two OSes, and Windows 11 appeared a little more than two years ago (in October 2021). But prior to Windows 10, major releases did arrive every three years, at least from Windows Vista on, so it's not out of the question for a new version of Windows to be coming relatively soon. A couple of concept creators have put their talents to good work imagining what the follow up to Windows 11 could look like. AR 4789 — who previously imagined a wildly popular alternative to Windows called MiracleOS — showed us what Windows 12 might look like being installed, and the features we can expect to see. He also recently gave us his intriguing take on Windows 12 Mobile. Fellow concept creator Addy Visuals recently put his creative abilities into imagining what Windows 12 Gaming Edition could look like, and before that, he gave us his take on a non-gaming version of Windows 12 — the end result of which was stunning.

Sources of Windows 12 Leaks

Most of the details about what’s presumed to be known about future developments in Windows come from a single source: Windows Central’s Zac Bowden, who has tentacles inside the company and a decent track record when it comes to Windows predictions. Highlights among his leaks about the next version of Windows include that the OS will have more artificial intelligence (AI) built in, that it will switch to a lightweight modular code, and that its codename is Hudson Valley. Another peek at a potential Windows 12 came at Microsoft Ignite, a conference that focuses on the IT community. The company let slip a Windows desktop interface with an altered appearance, which many have assumed represents what we’ll see in Windows 12.

Frankly, these design tweaks probably wouldn’t merit a whole new Windows version. They’re nowhere near as drastic as the interface update from Windows 10 to 11. And moving the system information—which is something Mac users are familiar with—seems an unnecessary disruption to ingrained Windows users’ habits. When Windows 10 launched, Microsoft stated that updates would come along in between the big updates in a steady stream, using the phrase "Windows as a service." Windows 11 has certainly followed this pattern, and Windows 12 will certainly not be a static, monolithic entity. It will change and add features on an on going basis. Windows 10 in 2020 was a far different and far more capable OS than Windows 10 in 2015 because the company rolled out feature updates in the interim. Windows 10 got updates with names like Creators Update, which changed the OS about as much as macOS changes from one version to another.

Windows 12 Expected Future

The first inkling that Windows 12 might be coming sooner than expected happened when Microsoft reportedly started implementing a new update cadence for Windows, with major versions released every three years. That same cadence would in theory put a Windows 12 release somewhere in the second half of 2024. The company previously announced that it would release annual rather than twice-yearly feature updates to Windows. In the second half of 2022, we got the Windows 11 update 22H2, and in 2023 we got 23H2. Perhaps the strongest evidence for a 2024 release of Windows 12 came in a statement by Intel's chief financial officer in a September interview, in which he predicted a boost in PC sales due to the new version of Windows coming next year. Qualcomm, too, has released statements pointing to Windows 12 in 2024. Then again, the departure of longtime Windows boss Panos Panay could point to a restructuring of its release schedule. Or the new team might want to wait to put its own stamp on a future release. When executives say, "the next version of Windows," (none have specifically mentioned "Windows 12"), that word version includes Windows 11 22H2 and 23H2. And in fact, references to a 24H2 version of Windows have been found in Microsoft support documentation.

Despite references to Windows 10 as "the last version of Windows," Microsoft has made it clear that its practice of releasing both major feature updates (as in 22H2 and 23H2) and interim updates (sometimes called Moments) continues with Windows 11. We have every reason to believe that strategy will continue with Windows 12. Eagle-eyed code watchers have noticed references to "subscription edition," "subscription type," and "subscription status" in the code for a Windows Insider build in the Canary channel (the earliest release channel). These references have led to speculation that Microsoft will require a subscription for the OS in the future—and perhaps PC prices would be lower as a result. Further speculation has it that a free, ad-supported version of Windows 12 might be available as well. But that's truly all just speculation. A stronger possibility is that these references to subscriptions are for business users, similar to the already available Windows 365 Cloud PC option. 

Windows 12 and Built-In AI

Windows 11's 23H2 update last October brought powerful new AI tools in the form of  Windows Copilot. It's already impressive and powerful, though it could stand to have more abilities to actually control your PC. These kind of user-facing predictive and assistive tools should only get stronger in Windows 12. AI technology can also improve back-end things like code stability and update delivery. Prior to Copilot, Windows' Search panel and the default Edge web browser included the new and conversational search powered by AI. A recent Windows Insider blog post mentioned a Recommended section in File Explorer which suggests files and folders you’re likely to want to open. The feature is noted as being for users signed in to Active Directory accounts.

Another way the new OS could use AI is to suggest user actions, even beyond the simple File Explorer suggestions. The type of AI that’s designed to anticipate a user’s intentions could be even more powerful in Windows 12. With desktop system components and Windows itself now including built-in support for AI functions like machine learning, it only makes sense to take advantage of it for the operating system. The statements from Intel and Qualcomm executives alluded to above also included mentions of the AI-specific processors known as NPUs, or neural processing units. In a piece on the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, PCMag's John Burek wrote, "Any recent mobile processor worth its salt announced in 2023 is now touting some kind of integrated neural processing unit (NPU), dedicated silicon for processing the large data sets associated with AI workloads." He also refers to Intel and AMD including such units in their new chips. All that AI that I believe is coming to Windows 12 will benefit from NPUs for local AI processing like machine learning. PCs that lack them may fall behind when Windows 12 rolls around.

Along with AI, the concept of a modular version of Windows has been floating around for at least five years. Sometimes referred to as Core OS, sometimes CorePC, a modular Windows would separate out OS components, making for smoother updates and better security. It also would allow Microsoft to tailor instances of Windows to specific platforms and use cases. Some of these instances may not need the ability to run all those huge legacy Windows applications, for example, saving system resources by omitting support for them. The prime example of this core-based approach was Windows X, which never reached full release status. The idea behind it was to create a lightweight OS that could compete with ChromeOS.