The next Windows 11 update could transform your laptop – and it’s coming soon
Could it be the last major update for Windows 11?
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Windows 1122H2 looks like it’s going to be a major update that will bring plenty of changes and new features to your laptop and PC – and it looks like we could finally get it in September, 2022.
TheVerge reportsthat sources have told it that “Microsoftis planning to mark the 10-year anniversary of Surface with new products this fall, and is planning to deliver the 22H2 update for Windows 11 in late September”.
We’ve been getting tastes of whatWindows 11 22H2will bring, includinga new-look Start menu, a betterFile Explorer with tabs,desktop stickers, and plenty more new features, many of which users have been requesting for a while now.
However, while we know what Windows 11 22H2 will likely add to our PCs, we’re still waiting for an official release date. Because the name suggests it’ll come in the second half of 2022, September was always likely, as was October or November, which are months in which Microsoft has previously released Windows updates.
So, while this is still an unofficial release date (The Verge doesn’t name its sources, so there’s no way to verify the claims), it’s the closest we’ve got to one so far, and it doesn’t seem out of the realms of possibility.
Windows Insiders, who are users that have signed up to test out early versions of the OS, have been trying out various elements of the update for a while now, which has given us an idea of what to expect. Some of the latest releases made available to Windows Insiders have also indicated that the update should be ready to release soon.
Analysis: The first major update for Windows 11 could also be its last
Windows 11 22H2 will be the first major update from Microsoft since theoperating systemlaunched in October 2021 – but it could also be the last. New rumors suggest that the next big update for Windows 11, codenamedSun Valley 3(Windows 11 22H2 was codenamed Sun Valley 2) has actually been cancelled.
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Instead, rumors indicate that Sun Valley 3 features will be rolled out to Windows 11 in smaller updates known as ‘moments’.
Rather than releasing any more major Windows 11 updates, it’s also suggested that Microsoft will instead launchWindows 12, which couldarrive as soon as 2024.
After claiming thatWindows 10 would be the last version of Windows, this rapid release of numbered Windows versions is quite a departure, and recalls Microsoft’s swift Windows release schedule in the mid-to-late 90s and early 2000s.
WithApplemoving to a yearly numbering scheme, after years of macOS 10, and preparing to launchmacOS 13later this year, Microsoft may be concerned that if it doesn’t follow suit, its operating system may appear dated compared to its rival’s.
As long asWindows 12is a free upgrade for Windows 11 users, and brings plenty of new features, then we don’t really care what Microsoft calls it.
As for Windows 11 fans (there must besomeout there), it seems that the upcoming Windows 11 22H2 may be both the first, and the last, major update they’re getting.
ViaNeowin
Matt is TechRadar’s Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there’s no aspect of technology that Matt isn’t passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he’s reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.
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