Microsoft is gearing up for a big Windows upgrade year as Windows 10 reaches end-of-life in just 10 short months. In a new blog post published today, Microsoft has reaffirmed its commitment to Windows 11 and Copilot+ PCs and is encouraging all Windows 10 users to move to Windows 11 this year.
"All of the innovation arriving on new Windows 11 PCs is coming at an important time," says Yusef Mehdi, Microsoft's Executive Vice President and Consumer Chief Marketing Officer, recapping the launch of Copilot+ PCs and features. "Windows 10 will reach the end of its lifecycle on Oct. 14, 2025. After this date, Windows 10 PCs will no longer receive security or feature updates, and our focus is on helping customers stay protected by moving to modern new PCs running Windows 11."
According to Microsoft, almost 80% of businesses running Windows 10 are planning to upgrade to new Windows 11 hardware by the end of the year, and it expects around 70% of consumers to do the same within the next 24 months. If true, that will boost Windows 11's market share significantly, making it the dominant desktop operating system.
2024 was a huge year for Windows 11. It introduced Copilot+ PCs to the world, which Microsoft calls a new category of Windows device that is capable of exclusive AI features. Our Editor in Chief, Daniel Rubino, went so far as to call it a "Great Reset" for the foundations of the Windows ecosystem.
It's clear that Microsoft views 2025 as an important milestone for Windows 11, as it will be the year where it (ideally) overtakes Windows 10 as the most used version of Windows. Microsoft will need to ensure Windows 11 is in a stable and positive position so as not to scare away potential upgraders.
Because of this, it's unlikely that we'll see a major Windows product release this year. Windows 11 is the current focus for Microsoft, and it wouldn't make much sense to introduce a "Windows 12" to the market while it's trying to get Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11. Instead, we'll likely see a continuation of what we've seen in recent months: AI features and quality-of-life improvements added to the familiar Windows 11 user experience via continuous updates.
"As the world moves with us to Windows 11, we will welcome them with new features, enhanced security, improved functionality, and the familiar Windows experience they know and love," says Mehdi.
Last year, Microsoft made big improvements to the Windows platform with the Windows 11 version 24H2 update, which is what the LTSC version of Windows 11 is now based on. I'd be surprised if Windows 11 version 25H2, coming later this year, isn't also based on this platform release.
Microsoft's blog post also highlights CES 2025 and new Windows 11 PCs coming from hardware makers with Copilot+ capabilities. It also highlights the work its silicon partners are doing to enable Copilot+ features from the likes of Qualcomm, Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA. It's clear that Microsoft is heavily focused on pushing Copilot+ capable hardware going forward.
I am expecting Microsoft to take the wraps off a second wave of Surface Copilot+ hardware in the next couple of months, which includes new Intel Lunar Lake-powered Surface PCs and smaller 11-inch Arm-powered devices, too.
