It looks like Microsoft has leaked the launch date of Windows 11, with various official screenshots mentioning October, but was this leak an accident, or merely a tease?
With the latest Windows update showcasing a fresh new look, widgets and more, many users are already curious about the release date. While Panos Panay explicitly said that Microsoft was targeting a Holiday 2021 release, there’s also the awkward fact that Apple’s macoS Monterey update will be released around this time too.
With this in mind, let's look again at the screenshots of Windows 11, and when it may be coming so you can prepare your PC with enough notice to spare.
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Suspicious screenshots
In many of the screenshots on the Windows 11 site, there’s plenty of mentions for October 20. The image below has Marie Beaudouin sending a message from Teams, with the date again showing '10/20/21' in the taskbar.
Microsoft’s official stance is that Windows 11 will launch in 'Holiday 2021', which is a bit vague, to say the least. However, these official screenshots explicitly mention a date, so either the marketing campaign for Windows 11 is even more confused thanks to the debate of the TPM requirement, or this is all a ploy for users to figure out hints about when we can expect the update as we near its release.
There’s also hints by Walmart, which has already begun updating PC and laptop pages on its online store that state a rollout plan “is being finalized and is scheduled to begin in late 2021 and continue into 2022. Specific timing will vary by device.”
When Microsoft eventually announces the actual date, Windows 11 will most likely be going head to head with Apple and macOS Monterey, alongside rumored M2 Macs that could also launch around this time.
Regardless, users are awaiting the release date already, and it will be interesting to see whether we will see even more features shown off once the public insider build is released.
Via The Verge
