Windows 12 still on track for 2024 despite major Windows 11 24H2 update

Microsoft has seemingly let slip there will be a Windows 11 24H2 release this year, giving rise to speculation that this kills off any chance of Windows 12 in 2024. But history suggests otherwise.

The mention of Windows 11 24H2 in Microsoft support documentation, as spotted by Windows Latest, is an indication that Microsoft is planning a major annual feature update later this year. Microsoft moved to annual rather than twice-yearly feature updates with the launch of Windows 11.

However, you don’t have to trawl back far in the history logs to discover that updating the current version of Windows doesn’t mean the next one is on hold. Indeed, Microsoft released Windows 10 21H2 in November 2021, only a month after Windows 11 reached general availability.

In other words, Microsoft is capable of maintaining more than one Windows at a time. That doesn’t mean Windows 12 is a nailed-on certainty for 2024, either, but the possibility remains open.

Windows 12: why wait?

There are reasons why Microsoft might choose to wait another year before releasing the next version of Windows.

A major one is the stubborn resistance of Windows 10. According to StatCounter, Windows 10 still accounts for two-thirds of all the Windows installations out there. Even though support for Windows 10 theoretically expires in October 2025, there’s going to be an awful lot of Windows 10 machines out there for the foreseeable future. Microsoft may not want to add further headaches for IT support staff by releasing a third version of Windows.

If Microsoft waits until next year, it could use the cessation of Windows 10 support as a trigger to drive upgrades to Windows 12. Given that most Windows 10 PCs capable of upgrading to Windows 11 will likely have done so already, this could provide the impetus for hardware refreshes that the PC industry would welcome.

Windows 11 24H2 features

So what’s likely to be in Windows 11 24H2? Well, this version will likely see an upgrade to the underlying Windows platform, codenamed Germanium. This is expected to deliver a major improvement to the AI facilities in Windows 11, perhaps dragging Windows Copilot closer to the vision that Microsoft originally outlined when it first announced Copilot in 2023.

The Germanium platform reportedly makes it easier for Copilot to operate constantly in the background. This means the AI can make suggestions while you work, and reduces processing times when asked to perform a task.

AI will also be used to enhance Windows search, making it possible to use natural language search queries. For example, “open the PDF Susan sent me via email three days ago”.

When Microsoft launched Windows Copilot, its demo videos suggested the AI assistant would interact with third-party apps, rather than merely Microsoft’s own. This may finally become a reality with AI more deeply embedded into the operating system’s codebase.