What you need to know
- In early January 2022, Microsoft announced Azure Sphere OS version 22.01 would arrive on January 26.
- Due to quality control measures in response to a user's less-than-ideal experience with version 22.01, that is no longer the plan.
- The version will be scrapped in its entirety and 22.02 will be the next Azure Sphere OS release.
Early in January, Microsoft stated that Azure Sphere OS version 22.01 would enter general availability on January 26. But, having encountered a hiccup during its time in the Retail Eval feed, that plan has been scrapped.
A new blog post from Microsoft clarifies what caused the pivot: "During the evaluation period for 22.01, a customer reported intermittent network connection failures during the OS update process when using the ENC28J60 Ethernet interface for Internet connectivity. To adhere to our quality standards, we are cancelling the 22.01 release while we investigate this."
There you have it: 22.01 isn't just having its general availability release delayed; it's being cancelled altogether in favor of Microsoft releasing 22.02 in roughly three weeks.
22.01 didn't have any vital security updates in it, so Azure Sphere-based products aren't missing out on anything major. 22.01 is still available in the Retail Eval feed.
If you want an in-depth explainer regarding what Azure Sphere OS is, check out the post hyperlinked at the top of this article; it'll reveal all (or lead you to resources that will). In short, it's an OS for IoT devices. Either way, just know that Microsoft has encountered a hiccup with one of its various operating system releases. On the flip side, Windows 11 continues to go smoothly, with build 22543 having just released to the Dev Channel. It contains updates to the Narrator feature, among other bits and baubles.
