Microsoft is reportedly already preparing the next major version of Windows, which we expect to be Windows 12. Here's what we know so far.
Windows 12 The best built in features
Windows 11 is over two years old now, with a few updates already under its belt. We got Windows 11 version 22H2 in 2022, and multiple Moment updates throughout 2023, culminating with version 23H2 which is now widely available. But while Windows 11 is still fresh thanks to its frequent updates, we're still expecting Windows 12 to launch at some point in 2024.
Microsoft hasn't officially announced a new version of Windows. In fact, it's downplayed reports we've heard about Windows 12. Officially, the company is committed to annual updates and smaller feature updates for Windows 11. But everything points to a big Windows update coming this year, so let's take a look at what we know and what we want to see.
When will Windows 12 be released?
Windows 12 is expected to launch at some point in 2024, most likely in the second half of the year, around the September time frame. That aligns with previous major updates for Windows 11. It's also expected that the next version of Windows will continue the annual update cycle, similar to what we've been seeing for the past couple of years, despite originally being reported to be switching to a three-year development cycle.
Things are still a bit muddy, however, due to changes to the underlying Windows platform. Windows 12 (also known as Hudson Valley) is going to be based on a new platform release codenamed Germanium, the first big update to the Windows platform since Windows 11 launched. However, Germanium itself is expected to be done by April, and it will start showing up on devices in June, though the bulk of Windows 12 features will only release in September.
The reason for this is that Germanium features major improvements for Arm-based devices, such as those powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite. Because these devices are a huge step forward for both Qualcomm and Windows, Microsoft wants them to be ready to hit the market as soon as possible, so they'll ship without all the new features at first, and they'll receive the Hudson Valley update later in the year, along with all other existing devices.
Will Windows 12 be a free upgrade?
One of the big questions you're likely to have is whether you'll have to pay to upgrade to Windows 12 when (and if) it releases, but thankfully, that's unlikely. Microsoft has been set on offering major Windows updates for free to existing Windows users for a few years now, and it only makes sense for that to continue. Of course, Windows 12 itself likely won't be free, so if you don't have a Windows license at all, you're still going to have to buy it.
It's been suggested by some reports that Microsoft might introduce a subscription service for Windows 12, but that's not going to happen. You won't have to pay a recurring fee to use Windows 12. Of course, you'll still need to buy a license if you're building a custom PC and don't have a valid Windows 10 or 11 license right now, just as with previous releases.
What might get you to spend money is whether your PC is compatible with it, but that's a different matter worthy of its own section.
Will I be forced to upgrade?
The most likely answer to this is no. Microsoft has significantly eased up on its push to get users to install new versions of Windows by force. Windows 11 is still an optional update for Windows 10 users, and most likely, that approach will continue with future releases.
Updating to new versions of Windows can be mandatory if your version of Windows is nearing the end of its support period. For example, the original release of Windows 11 will be supported for 24 months if you have a Home or Pro edition of Windows, so by now, you need to have updated to a newer version, since those two years have passed.
However, if you look at what's happening with Windows 10, Microsoft is still delivering security updates for that operating system, and you don't have to upgrade to Windows 11. Windows 10 as a whole is supported until October 2025, and instead of pushing users to Windows 11, Microsoft is keeping them on Windows 10 unless they want to upgrade. It's likely that Windows 11 will receive the same treatment once Windows 12 is released, so you won't be forced to upgrade.
After Windows 11 significantly raised the minimum system requirements compared to Windows 10, this is another great question to ponder. Will Windows 12 leave older PCs behind once again? It's too early to say, but there's certainly a chance that some PCs won't be compatible for one reason or another. Windows 11 currently requires processors released from around 2018 onward, and while we currently don't see a reason for the next Windows release to require more than that, it's possible that will happen.
As for any other requirements, again, it's hard to say. Windows 11 requires 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, so at the very least, Windows 12 will need just as much. You also shouldn't expect Microsoft to walk back on things like TPM requirements. However, if history is any indication, there will likely continue to be some kind of workaround that unsupported PCs can use to install it if you're feeling adventurous.
Either way, almost all the best laptops you can buy today will likely support Windows 12 when it is released.
What's new in Windows 12?
It's still too early to know for sure what Windows 12 will encompass. However, some reports and leaks have given us a look at what might be part of this major update.
More AI capabilities
AI has been a core focus of Windows for the past year or so, and if recent reports are to be believed, that will only be more true with Windows 12. The next version of Windows will weave AI into every part of the experience, rather than just having a Copilot sidebar. Reports suggest Windows 12 will be able to do things like interpret natural language search queries to find your documents and files.
For example, you might write "show me the documents I was working on last week", and it will surface those documents.
This is thanks to an "advanced copilot", which will also remember everything you;ve looked at on your PC and create a timeline of sorts, which you can jump back into at any time. This si similar to a feature that was present on Windows 10. Additionally, these AI features will include the ability to not only caption video in real time (which Windows 11 already does) but also translate the captions on the fly.
Other AI features include a "Super Resolution" capability to upscale the quality of videos and games you play on your PC. Additionally, AI will be used to generate a parallax effect for your photos when you use them as a desktop background.
A new desktop UI
Microsoft inadvertently showed off a concept for Windows 12 during the Microsoft Ignite keynote hosted by CEO Satya Nadella.
The concept shows a few interesting changes, including a floating taskbar and some system icons that are now displayed at the top of the screen, such as the Wi-Fi and battery indicators, along with a weather widget. This would make Windows more similar to macOS or some Linux distributions.
Windows 12 The best built in features
Other changes that have been reported include a new lock screen and login UI that's more optimized for touch devices, and a new notification center that can group notifications by contact, and not just by app. It's also expected you might be able to pin widgets to the desktop rather than having to use the dedicated widgets panel.
Recently, it's also been reported that the Start menu will see some changes, with a new Creator area housing links to Microsoft 365 apps like Designer, Clipchamp, and PowerPoint.
New energy efficiency features
Another big focus for Windows 12 seems to be energy efficiency and sustainability, with a couple of new features in tow to address just that. According to recent reports, Windows 12 will feature some energy saver improvements that can extend battery life by up to 50%. Another noteworthy capability is being able to set your laptop to prefer charging when the power grid in your area is using renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions as a result.
A more modular approach
According to reports, Microsoft is working on a modular version of Windows that's tailored and adapted to different form factors and devices. For example, a lower-end tablet or foldable PC may not support classic Win32 apps in order to have a lighter build. However, that feature would still be available on traditional desktop PC, so long-time users can still use their PC just as they always have.
On top of that, this modular approach also enables more seamless updates and more security, because certain parts of the OS are blocked off from user access, and thus can't be corrupted easily.
This is somewhat reminiscent of what Microsoft was attempting with Windows 10X, which was going to be a version of Windows 10 designed for more modern devices and foldables. But while Windows 10X stripped out everything it could and was built from the ground up for these devices, the goal with Windows 12 is to have the full set of features and then remove the bits that don't make sense for a particular device or form factor. This will result in lighter Windows installations, allowing the OS to run on even lower-end hardware to compete with ChromeOS.
However, it's important to note that this modular version of Windows won't come with a Windows 12 update. Devices will have to ship with this release, and it likely won't be ready when Windows 12 is initially launched. In fact, it's currently not known when it will be ready.
No more support for 32-bit Arm apps and better Arm optimization
While it's not a new feature, it was recently confirmed that the next version of Windows will not support 32-bit Arm apps, following in the footsteps of other Arm-centric platforms. Officially, Microsoft says this change is happening with a future version of Windows 11, but we'll have to wait and see when it ends up happening.
Microsoft has also mentioned it's working on improvements for Arm devices, including more efficient emulation of x86 apps. This was mentioned briefly during the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit keynote, but it's unclear what these improvements are or when they will arrive.
What we want to see in Windows 12
Of course, with a major Windows release on the way, we can't help but imagine all the changes it should make to improve the Windows experience. While we love Windows 11, there's definitely a lot that Microsoft can do to improve the OS, including taking some lessons from its rivals.
One of the big changes Microsoft announced for Windows 11 was for smaller updates to install in the background to make the overall process less of a pain. While these changes are welcome, the process isn't quite as seamless as it could be. You have to download and install updates, and then you have to reboot, which is when the computer makes a lot of the changes in the update.
Microsoft could stand to learn from ChromeOS and Android, which offer seamless updates where most of the changes are done in the background. While you still need to reboot the device, it's pretty much a standard reboot where your PC boots back up with the new update installed. Windows 11 still forces you to wait a while when it reboots to install updates, and while that's somewhat acceptable for big feature updates, it shouldn't happen with the cumulative updates we get each month. That seems to be getting better with the new modular version of Windows, though it would be great if it also applied to existing PCs.
Improved widgets configurations
The Widgets board on Windows 11 is full of potential, but so far, Microsoft hasn't really delivered. For over a year, only web-based widgets provided by Microsoft were supported, and the Widgets board is also flooded with "news" articles powered by Microsoft Start, which are rarely useful or entertaining. You can't disable them either. To that end, we have two wishes for widgets on Windows 11.
First, we'd like more customization options for the Widgets board. Users should be able to disable the news feed entirely and use the board exclusively for widgets so that it can be truly useful to them and not filled with visual clutter. Additionally, for users who do want to see news, the Widgets board could serve as an RSS feed reader. Microsoft recently built a similar feature directly into Microsoft Edge, and having this capability built directly into Windows would make it that much easier for users to get access to news and articles from sources they curate.
The other request is to bring widgets directly to the Windows desktop, which is essentially how widgets work on Android. If you have widgets, there's a good chance you want quick access to the information they present, and having them directly on the desktop would greatly help with that. Windows Vista and 7 already had this capability, and while it's not for everyone, it could definitely be helpful. This is also something Apple recently announced with macOS Sonoma, so it's about time Microsoft does it too.
Enhanced Start menu customization
One of the big pain points is that the new Start menu is rigid, forcing you to use it in the default layout without many customization options. While the Live Tiles of Windows 10 weren't for everyone, there was definitely a benefit in having a resizable Start menu to fit all the icons and apps you want, and we'd like to see that capability back. It would also be great to have granular control over how many rows of pinned and recommended items we'd like to see, so you can focus the Start menu on what's more useful to you.
Live Wallpapers
Live wallpapers have long been a feature of some operating systems, such as Android or macOS, but Windows 11 doesn't offer this option natively. While there are many apps that offer animated wallpapers for Windows 11, it would be great if the operating system offered this capability right out of the box, with a few animated images available by default. For example, a wallpaper that changes color to represent the day and night cycle in real life could be fun. It would also be great if you could set your own GIFs or videos as a background easily.
Finally unify Settings and the Control Panel
Microsoft has been working on bringing settings over from the Control Panel to the Settings app ever since it launched Windows 10 (and to some extent, even Windows 8), but we're far from done. In Windows 11, a lot of the more intricate settings still require you to open the Control Panel or one of its classic dialogs, and it really takes away from the cohesion of the design language.
Slowly, but surely, we've seen some signs of progress with that, but it would be great if Microsoft could launch Windows 12 in a state that feels more finished than previous releases. Even if some dialogs can't be merged into a single app, it would be better if Microsoft could at least update the UI in a way that at least makes it feel more consistent. Fans have mocked up modern versions of the Device Manager, for example, and that would be a step in the right direction.
Snap layouts, but editable (or FancyZones)
One of our favorite features in Windows 11 is Snap Layouts, which made it much easier to display multiple apps at the same time in different configurations. Snap Layouts introduced a few options that weren't possible before and it made it easier to set up y screen doesn't always guarantee it will take the space you want it to take.
Microsoft actually has the solution for this already, it's just not built into Windows 11. There's a feature called FancyZones as part of the PowerToys suite, which lets you create custom layouts. It lets you resize all the areas, create new ones, and most importantly, you can drag a new app into any of the zones you've created by holding Shift as you drag the window. This is a nearly perfect solution, and it's far too useful to be limited to PowerToys.
In addition to adding the existing FancyZones functionality, Microsoft could also integrate it better with Windows itself. For example, when you open Task View, you could see your current Snap Layout at the top, and you drag any open app into the slot you want it to take. You could also easily switch between Snap Layouts this way.
Make it easier to uninstall apps
Windows 8 introduced the Microsoft Store for the first time, and while it was far from popular at the time, it did have one big advantage. Apps for the Microsoft Store were packaged, which meant that they could be installed and uninstalled in a seamless way. All you have to do is click the Uninstall button and the app is removed from your PC with no extra fuss.
While that experience still applies to most Store apps, and Microsoft has also introduced MSIX packaged apps that you can theoretically download from anywhere on the internet, most apps still don't use this packaging format and come with custom installers, which also means they need custom uninstallers. It would be ideal if Microsoft could make a seamless un installation experience that's truly universal.
Universal tabs
Remember Sets? Microsoft tested this for Windows 10 back in 2017, and it was added and removed from Insider builds a couple of times before being scrapped completely. It basically put all of your apps inside tabs, which you could group in whatever way you preferred to stay in your workflow. Recently, Microsoft ended up opting for a different approach and added tabbed navigation to some of its most important apps, including Windows Terminal, File Explorer, and Notepad.
That's definitely a step in the right direction, but we'd still like Sets to come back. Being able to group all the apps related to one specific workload or task makes a lot of sense, and it could be a big time saver when you have a lot of things you need to juggle.
A better handheld experience
Over the past couple of years, there's been a surge in handheld gaming PCs, with devices like Valve's Steam Deck leading the charge. Asus and Lenovo have both followed up with the ROG Ally, and the Lenovo Legion Go, but a common thread between these two and other Windows-based handheld PCs is that Windows 11 is not very good for this kind of device.
There are a few reasons for this, but mostly, Windows 11 isn't very optimized for small touch-based devices like this, which forces companies to build their own software overlay to try and make things more intuitive. The problem is you often end up being kicked back to the Windows 11 desktop, and the experience becomes disjointed and frustrating. Windows 11 devices are also prone to driver and compatibility issues, so there's definitely a need a for more cohesive and stable experience. Reports of Core PC could bode well for Microsoft here, as the company could build an Xbox-like experience for these handheld PCs and streamline the software to result in fewer bugs and more seamless updates.
That's all we can say about Windows 12 right now. Even the name isn't necessarily set in stone at this point, but this is the easiest way to refer to the next version of Windows. We'll be sure to add more information as it comes over the next couple of years, so keep checking back for updates.
Author# Nerdcore Computers
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