2024 is certainly looking like it is going to be an interesting year given how there are multiple possibilities about the next generation of Windows. Till very recently, most of the tech world seemed to have almost total faith in the idea that the next generation of Windows, casually referred to by the community as "Windows 12," will be landing this year. This was based on an earlier rumor that Microsoft was re-adopting its three-year Windows release cadence.
Meanwhile, on the already existing Windows 11 side, we didn"t have much to go on up until December last year, when we had the first leak about the next Windows 11 version, Version 24H2, which was mentioned in a group policy related to the new DMSA feature.
At that time, Neowin speculated that the mention of this next version could possibly indicate a couple of things: a co-existence of Windows 11 24H2 alongside Windows "12;" or a possible delay of the latter, though that would go against the rumor of the three-year release cadence that we previously mentioned.
According to a new report from Windows Central, perhaps we were right in a way as apparently, Windows "12" may not be landing this year, and the lack of intent may be a consequence of the departure of ex-Windows and Surface head Panos Panay. About Windows 11 version 24H2, the report says:
Many predict that Microsoft will end up calling this update "Windows 12" given how it"s expected to be timed with next-gen AI PCs and experiences. However, this is just a rumor, and my sources say it"s unlikely now that ex-Windows chief Panos Panay has left the company.
Instead, the focus is likely going to be mainly on Windows 11 24H2, which could arrive sometime in September.
According to my sources, Microsoft is targeting a September release window for version 24H2, with the company expecting to finalize the update over the summer. I"m told Microsoft intends to market this release as an AI-centric one, timed with next-gen AI PCs that Microsoft has already announced are coming throughout 2024.
The report, as you may note above, indicates that the finalization of the update will be during summer which is also when several major OEMs and PC manufacturers are expected to unveil a slew of "AI PCs" in June, possibly around the Computex time frame.
Therefore Windows 11 24H2 looks to be a fairly major upcoming release unlike version 23H2 which was downloaded via an enablement package (EKB) on top of 22H2.
There was also a recent mention of "Windows 11 24H1" by Dell though that was probably done erroneously as a Microsoft spokesperson shot it down, confirming to Windows Central that its yearly release cycle was still intact.
Nothing has changed in terms of annual version updates for Windows [and] that they come in the second half of the year
To sum up, it looks like the first generation of AI PCs could land on Windows 11 itself with the future ones possibly ushering in with Windows "12." These rumors also give a feeling that perhaps Microsoft itself may not be entirely sure about what the best way would be to march into the next generation of AI-rich Windows.