Windows 12: What is the release date and what's new?

With each new leak since 2024, Windows 12 resurfaces in discussions. Between the completely redesigned interface, ubiquitous AI, modular architecture, and higher hardware requirements… on paper, the successor to Windows 11 already seems almost finalized.

However, Microsoft still hasn't officially announced Windows 12. Even worse, several clues indicate that the company is primarily focusing its efforts on improving Windows 11, and not on the imminent launch of a new operating system…

No official release date for Windows 12

This is the first thing to remember: no release date has been announced by Microsoft. Rumors suggesting a 2026 launch have recently been denied, while Microsoft's visible roadmap remains centered on Windows 11 for the time being.

In other words, assumptions about a release this year are based more on speculation than on concrete announcements. Even sources closest to the Windows ecosystem, such as Windows Central, now believe that a potential Windows 12 wouldn't arrive before 2027… if Microsoft actually decides to take that step. What new features are most frequently mentioned in the rumors? If Windows 12 continues to fuel so much speculation, it's because several possibilities keep resurfacing… The first concerns artificial intelligence, as Microsoft has been trying for several months to make Windows a platform more closely linked to Copilot and AI applications, with features such as Copilot Tasks, which can assist users with organization, searching, and automation. A more modular architecture is also highly anticipated, with the goal of making Windows lighter, more adaptable to different machines, and easier to maintain. However, here again, there's no guarantee that such a project will result in a commercial product called Windows 12. Several observers even believe that this project has been largely extrapolated… As for the interface, rumors have long suggested a floating taskbar, a repositioned search bar, and greater customization. But in this area too, Microsoft seems to be fine-tuning Windows 11 rather than preparing a complete visual overhaul.

Configuration, price, subscription: many gray areas

Rumors about a Windows 12 that is more RAM-intensive, more dependent on NPUs, and potentially designed for AI PCs have been circulating for months.

While this remains consistent with Microsoft's hardware strategy, already evident with the Copilot+ PC machines, no official minimum configuration currently exists for Windows 12. The same is true for the idea of a subscription-based Windows, which comes up regularly, but for which nothing has been confirmed.

In the current state of affairs, talking about free access, pricing, or technical specifications is therefore more a matter of speculation…