About three months ago, the Windows enthusiast community including Neowin was bustling with the alleged impending arrival of the next generation of Windows, casually referred to as Windows "12," sometime in 2024.
However, a lot of the speculation fell flat as a new report suggested Windows 12 was not happening, at least not in 2024, anymore. However, the report also added that version 24H2 of Windows 11 was going to be a major update, unlike 23H2.
Soon after, Microsoft officially confirmed Windows 11 24H2 and also referred to it as the "2024 Update" for Windows 11.
If you are wondering about the release date of 24H2, you wouldn"t be too far off if you guessed that the next version would be generally available (G.A.) in and around September and October, which is when Microsoft also released its previous Windows 11 versions.
A new report from Windows Central claims this is the case. The report also adds that the Windows 11 24H2 will hit RTM (release to manufacturing) this month (April 2024) and that the first AI PCs, built on Arm, will be unveiled a couple of months later in June. It is unsurprising considering Microsoft recently published Windows Hardware Lab Kit (HLK) Insider Previews for system requirements compatibility testing.
The report also talks about an event next month where it shows off new AI features version 24H2 will be loaded with. For example, there is apparently a new "AI File Explorer" in the works. It is unclear if this will be at the Build 2024 conference or something separate.
The full release time frame for Windows 11 24H2 is given below:
April 2024: Windows 11 version 24H2 reaches RTM milestone.
May 2024: Microsoft holds Windows event to unveil new AI experiences.
June 2024: The first Arm-PCs with version 24H2 preloaded start shipping.
July 2024: Microsoft finalizes feature set for Windows 11 version 24H2.
August 2024: Microsoft signs-off on day-one feature patch for version 24H2.
September 2024: Windows 11 version 24H2 + new AI features releases to everyone.
Interestingly and perhaps coincidentally, the December 2023 report that first mentioned the Windows 12 release date being June, alongside a slew of AI PCs. Hence, there may have been some truth to such reports that Microsoft may have been looking at a simultaneous reveal of Windows 11 24H2 as well as Windows 12.
It is also possible that such plans were never finalized as Microsoft partners like Intel and Qualcomm never explicitly stated whether we would see a new generation of Windows.