14 DAY TRIAL // Back in the Windows 10 days, Microsoft used an update strategy that included two major releases every year. With the release of Windows 11, the company is tweaking this approach to include just one big feature update, but on the other hand, smaller updates would further polish the experience with the OS and add smaller improvements throughout the year.
These smaller updates are known as Moment updates, and we’ve known for a while that a new one is just around the corner. Moment 2, for example, could go live as soon as this month, whereas the Moment 3 release should take place in the second half of the year.
But the bigger update due in 2023 is the one that Microsoft is referring to as 23H2.
Twitter user XenoPanther has spotted (via Neowin) the first reference to Windows 11 version 23H2, as the work on this release has seemingly started behind closed doors at Microsoft.
This isn’t necessarily surprising, as big feature updates typically require plenty of work, but this evidence could be a sign that Microsoft might soon start shipping some of the improvements that it wants to be part of the release in Windows Insider builds.
As Microsoft itself explains, the big Windows 11 updates typically go live in the second half of the year, so we should expect version 23H2 to launch at some point in September or October.
“Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence. Windows 11 feature updates will release in the second half of the calendar year and will come with 24 months of support for Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, and Pro Education editions; 36 months of support for Enterprise and Education editions. We recommend that you begin deployment of each feature update promptly to gain access to new features, experiences, and integrated security as soon as possible,” Microsoft says.