Are you wondering when Microsoft will launch its highly-anticipated Windows 11 OS? While the official release date has yet to reach the media, there’s plenty of speculation about the operating system coming to market sooner than expected.
When Will Windows 11 Release? – A Timeline
So, when will Microsoft release Windows 11? There was loads of speculation on the official release date of Windows 11 early on. At the beginning of June, Microsoft fans got what they were waiting for when the project’s name leaked online.
Images showing a supposed build of the operating system surfaced in mid-June, and the market response seemed positive in the apprehension of the company’s formal announcement on the OS.
Leaked screenshots of the build and its interface showed something similar to the hyped but cancelled Windows 10X project. However, the new OS had a redesign of its out-of-box experience, leaning on the Windows 11 branding.
In a surprise move by Microsoft, the company’s CPO stated the leaked images were of an early “weird build” by the dev team.
During the Microsoft Build 2021 developer conference, the company’s Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, dropped a teaser about the project’s development.
According to his keynote, Microsoft was already self-hosting the OS for months. Nadella also mentioned an official company announcement would arrive shortly. Only a week after the event, Microsoft started sending out sending invites to a Windows 11 media event on June 24, 2021.
In a display of ingenuity, Microsoft posted its 11-minute video featuring Windows 11 startup sounds to its YouTube channel on June 10, 2021. While the company was yet to announce the official name of its new operating system project, the clues left by the development team suggested Microsoft was going with the “Windows 11” name.
Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay officially announced the naming of Windows 11 at a virtual launch event on June 24, 2021. During the event, CEO Nadella labelled Windows 11 as the “re-imagining of the operating system.”
Microsoft also launched a developer-focused event discussing issues like updates to its Microsoft Store, the launch of the Windows App SDK also known as “Project Reunion”), Fluent Design standards and guidelines, and many more items.
The June 24 media event also saw Microsoft tease a future release date for the OS. According to Panay, the public could see a release date in “Holiday 2021,” with no specifics given around what he inferred with his statement.
However, Panay did mention that the release of Windows 11 will coincide with free upgrades for Windows 10 users with compatible devices.
Finally, during an event on June 28, Microsoft released the first-ever previews of its SDK and build of Windows 11 to media and tech insiders.
As of the Winter of 2021, there’s still no official word o the definite release date for Windows 11.
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