Evidence indicates it could be April 2019 Update

Jan 28, 2019 13:34 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is getting closer to the last development stages of the next Windows 10 feature update, and as it happens every time, details about the official name that the company could use begin making the headlines.

At this point, the next OS feature update is codenamed 19H1, as Microsoft has ditched the Redstone moniker in favor of a naming system that is a reference to the release date. 19H1 means the update launches in the first half of the year, so the next Windows 10 update will be codenamed 19H2.

At the same time, the version of the next Windows 10 update will be 1903, again a direct indication of its release date, only that in this case, this number represents the month when the RTM build was signed off.

In version 1903, the first two digits represent the year when the update was finalized, while the other two stand for the month, so this release is supposed to be ready in March 2019.

As for the official name, evidence that was discovered recently in the latest Windows 10 preview builds indicated that Microsoft could just call it “April 2019 Update.”

Once again, this is a name that highlights the release date, so at first glance, all these decisions are supposed to make it easier for Microsoft and its users to keep track of Windows 10 versions.

But on the other hand, there are people claiming that a second April update would only create more confusion, especially for users who may not be able to figure out which update is which.

Microsoft used difference naming approaches since Windows 10 came out in July 2015. The first update was simply called November Update because, you know, it was launched in November. It was followed by the Anniversary Update one year after launch, after which Microsoft tried a new strategy, naming Windows 10 updates based on the features they brought.

As a result, we received the Creators Update in the spring and the Fall Creators Update in the… fall, followed by two other updates whose names were based on the month of release: April 2018 Update and October 2018 Update.

Windows is now considered a service, with two updates landing every year

Windows 10 April 2019 Update could thus continue this approach, but on the other hand, it would just be the second April update. Having so similar names is something that Microsoft had tried to avoid in the past, exactly one year ago when the company introduced the April 2018 Update.

The update was originally supposed to be called Spring Creators Update, but this would have made it the third “Creators Update” after the original one (version 1703) and the Fall Creators Update (version 1709). Despite this, we still ended up with two different Creators updates.

At the end of the day, it just seems like Microsoft can’t go for a naming strategy and stick with it, though I think that for power users, it’s a lot easier to just remember the version numbers than product names.

Of course, Microsoft can very well go for fancy names, like Apple does with macOS updates, and which to be honest, is something very cool that users seem to love. I’m pretty sure the company at least considered this approach, and I really can’t find a good reason not to do this, especially now when updates for Windows 10 are released twice every year.

What I think Microsoft should do is to actually involve its always-growing community of insiders in the process of choosing the name of Windows 10 updates. The company can propose various names, and as Windows 10 feature Update take shape, users can cast their votes and help Microsoft pick the right moniker. This way, Microsoft can go for a name that everyone loves and, at the same time, no longer bear the burden of choosing a new name for Windows 10 updates every time it begins working on one.

So what you think? What should Microsoft call the next Windows 10 feature update? Let us know what you think in the box below.

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The next update is due in the spring of 2019
Windows is now considered a service, with two updates landing every year
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