Although we are still witnessing the launch of new versions of Windows 11, it is no secret that Microsoft is already working on the next chapter of its new operating system. Windows 12, whose release date and the new features it brings could be revealed shortly.
We use the name Windows 12 by pure logical deduction, although Actually we still don't know what his name is going to be.. In fact, some leaks on X (formerly Twitter) made by a Microsoft employee suggested that the nomenclature "Windows 12" would not be on the table. Perhaps the new version is already being developed, although with a different name. At the moment, there is nothing certain about this.
In this post we are going to compile everything that is known to date on the subject. As a preview, we can assure you that, regardless of what its official name will finally be, it seems that Microsoft engineers are fully immersed in the planning phase of this new system. It may even be that the next version of Windows 11, which would be named 24H2, would actually be the new Windows 12 that we all expect. In any case, there is still a lot of work ahead.
What's new in Windows 12
Everything we know about Windows 12 so far, which is not much, comes from the publications that have appeared in certain specialized media. This is a small sample of what could come with this new version:
- floating taskbar, slightly separated and rounded at the edges. That would result in a more modern and minimalist aesthetic. A test of this has already been tested in one of the versions of Windows 11 that have appeared to date.
- Different partitions to improve the fluidity and above all the security of the system. This solution would mean that some files would be located on a drive inaccessible to users.
- Integration with AI. A natural and inevitable evolution. Artificial intelligence would control all the internal parameters of the system, from energy savings to the use of resources of each application. These are decisions that the user would no longer make.
Of course, this is just a small preview of everything that Windows 12 could bring us. Surely when the launch is officially announced, the news will be much more numerous and perhaps even more surprising.
possible requirements
Although we do not have all the data on the table to know exactly what to expect, everything indicates that Windows 12 is going to be a particularly demanding version in terms of the necessary requirements of the PCs that want to install it.
One of the most notable aspects would be that of RAM, which could be a minimum of 8 GB. This alone could render obsolete many computers that currently work without problems with the latest version of Windows. The reason for establishing this minimum is that in the new Windows 12 the cloud use and Artificial Intelligence. All of this will require a much higher level of power than there was until now.
On the other hand, the need to have the TPM 2.0 functionality enabled. As a summary, the (unofficial) list of requirements could be this:
- 64-bit processor (ARM / x86) at minimum 1GHz.
- 8 GB of RAM at least.
- 64 GB of storage.
- TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module).
- UEFI with secure boot support.
- Screen: from 9 inches and resolution 1.366 x 768 px.
- DirectX 12 compatible GPU.
- Internet connection.
A paid Windows?
But one of the possibilities that draws the most attention about Windows 12 is the possibility that it is an operating system only accessible by paying a monthly fee. This would be a notable novelty with respect to the line followed by Microsoft during all these years, although it is also true that it is something that the company has been thinking about for a long time.
The idea could be the following: launch Windows 12 (or whatever it is called in the end) as an optional advanced feature extension which would be possible to access from Windows 10 and Windows 11, upon payment.
For now, all this remains in the realm of speculation, because launching this model would generate many doubts and situations that are difficult to resolve. Not to mention what the degree of acceptance by users would be.
Windows 12 release date
As we do not know exactly what stage of development the Windows 12 project is in, it is difficult to establish an approximate date for its release.
If we stick to the three-year pace at which Microsoft has been releasing its updates in recent times, the new version could see the light at the end of 2014 (Windows 11 was released in October 2021). This date would also coincide with the end of support for Windows 10.
In the coming months we will have more information and learn new details about Windows 12, which we will obviously reveal and analyze in this blog.