KEY POINTS
- Intel has indirectly confirmed the existence of a new version of Windows, possibly called “Windows 12,” set to release in 2024.
- The next Windows iteration might bring significant design improvements, including a “web-focused” or “web-first” variant. This version will likely emphasize cloud and web technologies, strongly associated with PWAs and Edge.
- Intel previously hinted at “Windows 12” in March 2023, referencing its support in their next-gen Meteor Lake desktop platform.
While multiple rumours have suggested Windows 24H2 “Next Valley” is real and coming in the fall of 2024, today’s reference seems to be the most concrete evidence of the next generation of Windows. At Citi’s analyst conference, Intel confirmed Windows is getting a ‘refresh’ in 2024 without getting into much detail.
According to our sources, the next generation of Windows may introduce significant design improvements. In addition to a full-fledged Windows 12 for desktops, Microsoft is also working on a new variant of Windows focused entirely on web-related features, similar to Windows 11 in S Mode.
The “web-focused” or “web-first” variant of Windows 12 is believed to be built heavily around cloud and web technologies, such as PWAs and Edge. As previously noted, this would be a new operating system variant tailored for specified markets and hardware and won’t replace the traditional or existing desktop experience.
During the City 2023 Global Technology Conference, a virtual event featuring Intel and other tech companies, David Zinsner, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Intel Corporation, confirmed that a new version of Windows or “Windows refresh” is coming in 2024.
“We actually think ’24 is going to be a pretty good year for client, in particular, because of the Windows refresh,” said David Zinsner, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Intel Corporation.
This confirms that a new version of Windows is coming, and it’s likely called ‘Windows 12’ or something else, but not ‘Windows refresh’.
Microsoft or its partners have never explicitly revealed the name of the next generation of Windows. In fact, Windows 11 was also being referred to as a “Sun Valley” update for Windows 10.
Intel also dropped Windows 12 hints in March
Leaked slides and documents from March 2023 also confirmed Intel’s next-generation Meteor Lake desktop platform will support Windows 12. This was spotted in one of the internal slides and has since been removed from the internet.
Microsoft has switched to a new engineering schedule that would see a new version of Windows every three years. Windows 11 was released in 2021, and it doesn’t appear that Microsoft has changed its engineering cycle, so we will likely see Windows 12 or a significant Windows refresh (as Intel says) in the fall of 2024.
So, what’s new in Windows 12 refresh? A slide from Microsoft’s Ignite suggested the tech giant is exploring a “floating taskbar” design, which would see the taskbar in a docked-style interface.
This design change is part of the tech giant’s commitment to ’rounded corners’ in the OS’.
