14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has released a new Windows 10 20H1 preview build to Windows insiders enrolled in the Slow ring.
The new version is based on Windows 10 build 19025, which was originally rolled out to the Fast ring last week. The build that is shipped to the Slow ring, however, includes additional undisclosed improvements, as it lands as build 19025.1051.
More important to note, however, is that this is only the second Windows 10 20H1 preview build that it shipped to the Slow ring.
Previously, Microsoft rolled out new builds to the Slow ring when they were considered more stable and reliable, but this approach has slightly changed as each ring has a different purpose now.
For example, the release of this build to the Slow ring is believed to be a new sign that Windows 10 20H1 is approaching the final development stage, as the RTM is set to be signed off in December.
RTM expected in December
According to people familiar with the matter, Microsoft wants to complete the development of Windows 10 20H1 by the end of the year and use the next three or four months for last-minute testing before it kicks off the rollout to production devices. Originally, Microsoft finalized Windows 10 spring feature updates in March and released them to production devices in April or May.
Microsoft is yet to announce its schedule for the development of Windows 10 20H1, but living proof that RTM is just around the corner is also the increased focus on performance improvements and bug fixes in the latest builds. This update is likely feature-locked already, so Microsoft focusing exclusively on under-the-hood refinements makes sense ahead of the rollout to production devices.
You can now test Windows 10 20H1 as part of both Fast and Slow rings.