Currently, speculations regarding the release date of Windows 12 have appeared, pointing to a possible debut in the next few months. This future operating system is expected to be Microsoft’s successor to Windows 11, with the most significant update arriving in October 2021.
Windows 11 included significant aesthetic changes, including revisions to the taskbar, Windows Explorer, and the addition of widgets. However, it is important to emphasize that Microsoft has made no formal pronouncements regarding the introduction of Windows 12, and details about the following model in their computer device operating system remain unknown.
According to a transcript of a recent fireside discussion at the Citi 2023 Global Technology Conference, Intel CFO David Zinsner may have revealed the Windows 12 release date. “We actually think ’24 is going to be a pretty good year for client, in particular, because of the Windows refresh,” the transcript quotes Zinsner as saying. Microsoft releases updates and fixes for its operating system on a regular basis, so a Windows refresh indicates that a new version is on schedule.
“And we still think that the installed base is pretty old and does require a refresh and we think next year maybe the start of that, given the Windows catalyst. So, we’re optimistic about how things will play out beginning in ’24,” Zinsner adds while replying to a question about whether Intel expects its gains to continue after the company recently started to gain back market share.
It’s worth noting that the Intel executive’s reference to Windows “refresh” and “catalyst” comes only days after the company announced its Intel Core Ultra CPUs, which will be available on December 14. Unlike their Raptor Lake predecessors, Intel’s Meteor Lake processors will be geared toward PCs. However, with the planned release of Intel’s Arrow Lake-S CPUs (with up to 24 cores) in 2024, Intel may have new desktop CPUs available in time for the next edition of Windows.
Intel’s new Meteor Lake processors are the company’s first to have a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) for increased on-device AI capabilities. The first integrated NPU AI engine is also included in the new chiplet architecture. Meanwhile, the Windows 11 23H2 update already includes new AI capabilities such as Windows Copilot, and Microsoft is expected to double down on the AI features and technologies it is developing if the next version of Windows is to be released in the months ahead.
