Windows 12 in leaked Intel documents: a 2024 launch?

Update (October 2026): Windows 12 did not launch in 2024. Microsoft released Windows 11 version 24H2 on 1 October 2024 and has kept releasing Windows 11 feature updates since, most recently version 26H2 in September 2026, without announcing Windows 12. Intel, meanwhile, never launched Meteor Lake as a consumer desktop platform; its Arrow Lake desktop processors, paired with the Z890 chipset, arrived in October 2024.

A possible launch of Windows 12 by Microsoft next year could happen, according to a recent leak that gives more clarity on what to expect from the new Windows. A tweet, now deleted, from @leaf_hobby, a well-known Intel hardware leaker, reveals that the new Windows is on the supported OS list for Intel's Meteor Lake-S desktop platform. The release of Windows 12 has been dated for October 2024, but only if the leak uncovered by Windows Central, which revealed Microsoft's plan to release new Windows at three-year intervals, remains true.

@leaf_hobby's discoveries were first analysed by VideoCardz, who shed more light on what to expect from the new Windows. The chipset, the Z890, is expected to be paired with Intel Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake CPUs, although all of this is speculation and could change, according to VideoCardz. The recent addition of the Bing AI chatbot to the Windows 11 taskbar suggests that Windows 12 will be AI-enhanced, with Intel, Qualcomm and AMD all working to improve the AI performance of their chipsets.

It should be noted that all of this is speculation as Microsoft is yet to clarify any of the rumours and remains steadfast in unveiling new features for its existing Windows and providing patch updates to serve its customers effectively.