Almost not a week goes by without new rumors about Windows 12 or the successor to Windows 11 circulating on the internet and social networks. Now the CEO of chip manufacturer Qualcomm has fueled the rumor mill, as the Australian IT news portal PCMag reports.
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As of a few days ago, Microsoft would not be presenting a successor to Windows 11 in 2024 and would instead only release the big fall update 2024 for Windows 11. Windows 12 is not expected until 2025. You can read more about this in Windows 12 is probably not coming until 2025: the reason.
But Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon also commented on the ARM-based Snapdragon X Elite during a conversation about Qualcomm’s quarterly results. When asked when we expect this new chip to be released, Amon replied that the launch of the Snapdragon X Elite is linked to the next version of Windows, which is known to be equipped with artificial intelligence.
However, Amon did not give a specific version number for the “next” Windows he was talking about. Australia’s PCMag quotes Amon as saying:
We are tracking the launch of products with this chipset in conjunction with the next version of Microsoft Windows, which includes many of the Windows AI features. We’re still sticking to the same date set by Windows, which is mid-2024, in preparation for the back-to-school phase.
Since Microsoft only ever provides major updates for Windows 11 in the fall, this update mentioned by Amon cannot actually be Windows 11 24H2. This could theoretically be the successor to Windows 11, i.e. Windows 12. This release date would fit well with a statement made by a senior Intel manager in October 2023: He had predicted a Windows refresh for 2024. You can read more about this in Windows 12: Intel manager reveals release date.
A few days ago, an insider tester claims to have found a test version of Windows 12 in a non-public Canary test channel: Windows 12 – tester allegedly discovers the first build of the next generation of Windows. If the development of Windows 12 has actually not progressed beyond this early stage, then there will probably not be enough time until the summer for the release of Windows 12.