Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 version 26H1 is coming, but only with changes to support “specific silicon” – possibly Qualcomm’s latest chips due next year – meaning ordinary users are unlikely to see it soon.
The build has arrived in the Windows Insider Canary channel with new numbering: build 28000, breaking from the 27xxx and the 26xxx Dev and Beta channel conventions.
This will be the first H1 release for Windows 11. Microsoft has historically maintained a yearly release cadence, with major feature updates rolled out in the second half of the year (hence H2 – 24H2 was the last release).
According to Microsoft, “26H1 is not a feature update for version 25H2 and only includes platform changes to support specific silicon.”
That “specific silicon” is likely to be the next generation of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. The X2 Elite and Elite Extreme chips were announced in September and, according to Qualcomm, “devices powered by Snapdragon X2 Elite are expected to be available 1H26.”
All of which fits nicely with a 26H1 release of Windows 11.
Microsoft emphasized that “25H2 remains the primary place for new features” and the annual release cadence continues. New experiences will debut in Dev and Beta channels, while Canary focuses on platform changes.”
This will reassure customers worried about returning to two major yearly releases – a cadence that produced disasters like Windows 10’s document-destroying October 2018 Update. Version 26H1 simply enables upcoming processors, while 26H2, later in 2026, will be the next major update for all users.
As if to emphasize the point, Microsoft also released updates to the Dev and Beta channels, introducing changes to Widgets and, importantly, tweaks to make Quick Machine Recovery easier to use – a useful feature when an update inadvertently leaves a system in a broken state. ®
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