Windows 11 could get mystery package of features in May 2023
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Windows 11 is poised for a massive update – but mind you, not one of Microsoft’s major feature updates – next spring, if the rumor mill is right.
This comes from an established source on all things Microsoft, WalkingCat on Twitter, who estimates that the current release schedule for the next Windows ‘Continuous Innovations’ update is May 2023.
May 2023 = next Windows “Continuous Innovations” release time frameDecember 14, 2022
Continuous-what-now? As Newwin (opens in new tab)who saw the above tweet points out that this apparently signifies another of Microsoft’s “Moments,” which are updates delivered outside of major (annual) feature upgrades that bring new features to Windows 11 more quickly.
In other words, they’re a way around the unfortunate case that now that updates like 22H2 are annual, you’d be waiting a very long time for new features to come through all at once if Microsoft didn’t have some more flexible delivery method like this.
We’ve already had our first Moment update (with tabs in File Explorer and more), with number two scheduled for February or March 2023, and the update launching here is Moment number three. Or will it? According to WalkingCat, maybe not – we’ll discuss that further below.
As for what might come with this May 2023 update, we have no idea of that score yet. Watch this space, as always.
Analysis: attack on the update jargon
For starters, let’s remember that this is just a rumored time frame, so it could well shift, as with all development plans. With that caveat out of the way, the leaker makes an interesting point in that tweet’s thread, distinguishing between a moment and continuous innovation, or a “CI release,” as the leaker calls it.
Walking Cat notes (opens in new tab)To: “CI Release > Moments.”
The leaker then adds that a CI release is in fact a “bigger” moment, or in other words an even bigger update (without being a full feature update, of course). Confused? Yes, we too.
As far as we know, continuous innovation is a term Microsoft uses to refer to the method of constantly pushing smaller feature updates to Windows 11 as needed, outside of major feature updates, rather than an actual type of update like a Moment. Our understanding is that Moment is the only type of smaller flexibly applied update that exists, but hey, maybe we’re wrong.
Really, it’s a rather confusing situation, but none of this update jargon really matters. All you need to remember is that Windows now gets one major update per year, but other features come in smaller upgrades here and there as needed. And the next more minor feature upgrades are scheduled in February/March, then May, whatever they’re called. (And while it sounds like the May Update could be a firmer affair, don’t expect too much – that’s not the point of these more deftly applied upgrades, of course).