Microsoft could wait until 2015 to merge its mobile operating systems

Dec 3, 2013 06:02 GMT  ·  By

New rumors are now suggesting that Microsoft’s next Windows version could be called Threshold and might arrive in early 2015, approximately one year after Redmond rolls out the first major update for Windows 8.1.

But what’s more important is that this new Windows release might actually be the one to bring together Microsoft’s operating system, as the company is planning to merge the existing versions and offer a unified experience across all devices.

While it was initially rumored that the Spring GDR Update, scheduled for early 2014, might be the one to initiate this merger, it turns out that Microsoft might actually wait until 2015 to do it, even though the company clearly needs more users on its mobile platforms.

Previous reports indicated that Microsoft might actually launch Windows 9 in late 2014, with an early beta to surface early next year.

Yesterday’s rumors, on the other hand, do not mention whether Threshold is indeed the next full Windows release or just another round of updates for Windows 8.1. People familiar with the matter have already hinted that a so-called Windows 8.2 could follow at some point to bring even more improvements on Microsoft’s latest modern platform.

As usual, Microsoft does not like to comment on its future projects, so no confirmed details are available as to when the next Windows release could hit the market and if it’s indeed going to be called Threshold.

The only thing we know for sure at this point is that Microsoft will indeed launch a major Windows 8.1 update in early 2014 in an attempt not only to improve some of the features that are currently offered to desktop and tablet users, but also to fix many of the bugs it found since the October release.

Windows Phone 8.1 is also scheduled to be released together with Spring GDR update, so the 2015 launch of Windows 9 could make sense at some level.