Windows 12 release date window leaked — but we're skeptical

Windows 12 could be coming as early as June 2024 if leaks are to be believed. This is good news for PC and laptop manufacturers looking to bounce back from dwindling hardware sales that boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The leak comes from a report by the Tawainese-based business newspaper The Commerical Times. The publication wrote that Microsoft would drop Windows 12 in June 2024. Additionally, the article stated that the release of Windows 12 would spark a new wave of AI PCs that will, hopefully, reinvigorate the laptop and PC market.

Windows 12 launch window leak is sketchy

This should be taken with a heavy grain of salt. As noted by KitGuru and Tom's Hardware, the Commercial Times article doesn't quote from any industry executives about a potential Windows 12 launch date — and the rumor is likely based on comments made by Acer Chairman and CEO Jason Chen and Quanta Chairman Barry Lam at the Taiwan Medical Technology Exhibition. These comments, as noted by Tom's Hardware, are based on the idea that both companies are "cautiously optimistic" about how AI PCs can "accelerate the industry."

Given that Windows 11 wasn't the most transformative OS out there, it'd be quite a surprise if Microsoft released a new operating system so soon after its 2021 release. (For context, there were 6 years between the release of Windows 10 and Windows 11).

However, if the leak is true, a new well-designed OS from Microsoft could be enticing enough to get consumers to buy new hardware. But given the origin of the leaks, June 2024 is a big maybe, considering it's not clear where the date even came from.