It's 24H2 all over again, but with the caveat that 26H1 will only support specific hardware for its entire lifecycle. Devices running 26H1 will not be able to upgrade to 26H2.
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Microsoft is switching gears with its update model for 2026 and is offering a first-half-of-the-year update for Windows 11 for the first time since 2021. The trillion-dollar software giant confirmed in a Windows IT Pro blog post that the newly-released Windows 11 26H1 update is designed to only support devices featuring "new silicon". Devices running Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 ARM SoCs are the only devices that support 26H1 for the time being.
Windows 11 26H1 isn't any ordinary update; Microsoft also revealed that 26H1 runs on a different (newer) codebase than Windows 11 25H2, codenamed Bromine. Because of this code disparity, devices running 26H1 will be stuck on that version for the foreseeable future and won't be able to upgrade to Windows 11 26H2 when it debuts later this year. However, Microsoft did confirm that 26H1 devices will have "a path to update in a future Windows release," confirming that the existing germanium builds of Windows (24H2/25H2) will likely be updated to Bromine, probably next year. Microsoft already ruled out swapping to Bromine for 26H2.
26H1's release is very similar to Windows 11 24H2 , as both were and are launched to support bleeding-edge ARM devices before the mainstream Windows codebase could catch up. Windows 11 24H2 was launched in June of 2024 and strictly only worked on ARM-exclusive Copilot+ PCs until October, when Microsoft finally released the update to all systems. 26H1 is different, however, in that it appears to be strictly aimed at supporting next-generation hardware and doesn't have any noteworthy features (if any features) over 25H2.
Xbox app is now available on all Arm-based Windows 11 devices
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-confirms-windows-11-26h1-will-be-for-arm-devices-only-at-launch-snapdragon-x2-powered-devices-officially-shipping-with-26h1#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.