Christmas may have come early for laptop makers, as a new leak suggests Windows 12 could arrive as soon as June 2024.
The news, that Tom's Hardware originally reported on And KitGuru later added: came in Taiwanese The Commercial Timeswill be good news for the PC and laptop market, which has seen a decline since the Covid-19 pandemic.
As people started working from home, many bought new PCs or laptops, along with webcams and other accessories, but this boom wouldn't last. Since so many people are using new devices, it is understandable that they are not in a rush to buy a new device.
This has resulted in a decline in PC and laptop sales, but the launch of a new operating system could revive these sales.
According to the report, the June 2024 date for Windows 12 was mooted at the recent Taiwan Medical Technology Exhibition in Taipei, where Quanta Computer chairman Barry Lam reportedly said: “Next summer, when Microsoft launches a new generation of Windows operating systems, AI PCs will also be launched one by one.”
While the report doesn't make it entirely clear where the June 2024 date comes from, and Microsoft hasn't officially revealed its Windows 12 plans yet, there will be many in the PC industry hoping that this is Microsoft's plan. We've also heard other rumors in the past about a 2024 launch date.
A new, powerful operating system with innovative features could – if done right – encourage people to upgrade to new hardware. Whether or not Microsoft can get it right, however, is another matter.
Windows 11 problems
Windows 11 hasn't exactly set the world on fire. It's a solid operating system, but there hasn't been a killer app or feature that has made Windows 10 users want to switch.
Microsoft's attempts to get people to upgrade to new laptops or PCs for Windows 11, due to its controversial emphasis on TPM 2.0 compatibility, also irritated more people than converted them.
So if Windows 12 is to be the savior of Microsoft and the wider industry, it will have to be a major upgrade from Windows 11, and one that takes full advantage of the very latest hardware. So no pressure.
AI to the rescue?
Microsoft hasn't been shy about its artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions, and while it has pushed the AI feature in Windows 11 (and even Windows 10), it looks like Windows 12 will have even more AI integration – and it is here that the upcoming operating system could differentiate itself from its predecessors.
Acer CEO Jason Chen, who was also at the event, spoke about how AI PCs will “continually accelerate” the industry. These 'AI' PCs will likely come with Windows 12 pre-installed (as Lam suggested) and will rely on advanced hardware made specifically for artificial intelligence.
Microsoft's AI additions to Windows 11, in the form of the Copilot assistant, have been warmly received by users, but still feel a bit gimmicky. So far, nothing fundamentally changes the way we use Windows 11 or our PCs, as Microsoft has promised.
However, the thought of Windows 12 being built from the ground up to leverage AI, and debuting on laptops and PCs with AI-enabled hardware, is incredibly exciting. If June 2024 does indeed usher in a new era of the best laptops and PCs, there will certainly be a lot of people tempted to upgrade – myself included.