- Windows 11 is rumored to receive an update early next year
- It could be called the 26H1 update, but Microsoft could avoid that name
- Either way, it will only be for Snapdragon X2 Elite laptops – but all the features in it will be available on all Windows 11 PCs in the 26H2 update.
Windows 11 25H2 hasn’t appeared for long, but there’s already talk of next year’s big update – and the possibility of there being two major updates for 2026.
At this point, it’s just a rumor spotted by Neowin – and even the source of the speculation isn’t sure if there will be both a 26H1 and 26H2 release next year – but it looks like there will be a major upgrade for Windows 11 in early 2026.
In a post on YouTube, leaker PhantomOfEarth informs us that this update will not be suitable for most people. It will only be deployed for Copilot+ PCs equipped with Arm chips. Specifically, we’re told that Microsoft will roll out this new version of Windows 11 alongside the launch of Snapdragon X2 Elite laptops (early 2026).
According to PhantomOfEarth, “[It looks] as a 26H1 version of Windows 11 is about to arrive ONLY for the launch of the Snapdragon X2 Elite (this will NOT be available on existing PCs, it will be 26H2).”
In another article, PhantomOfEarth clarifies that this new version of Windows 11 is definitely in the works – add salt with this statement, of course – for these X2 Elite PCs only, but that it might not be called version 26H1.
Although a reference to “26H1” apparently exists, so this is an important indication that this could be happening. Either way, in theory, a big update for Windows 11 is planned for early 2026, but most Windows 11 PCs won’t receive it.
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So for most people, next year’s big release will be Windows 11 26H2, as expected.
One reason Microsoft might not name the so-called first upgrade for 2026 as 26H1 is that it might make people feel like they’re missing out. Although, on the other hand, such a naming decision could make Snapdragon
In reality, this isn’t much different from what Microsoft has already done in the past with the introduction of the first Snapdragon (24H2 was only rolled out to all Windows 11 users in October 2024, a few months after the first Copilot+ PCs with 24H2 on board began shipping).
It’s still a safe bet that Windows 11 26H2 will integrate all the work into 26H1 (or whatever it’s called), so all this means is that non-Arm PC owners are waiting just a little longer for an upgrade (again). Essentially, the early 2026 update for Windows 11 is likely to contain essential work to ensure that the new Snapdragon X2 Elite processors perform as they should. (Again, in the case of 24H2, this brought fundamental changes in terms of the new underlying platform for Windows 11, which was necessary for the Snapdragon X chips to actually work).
Of course, there will undoubtedly be some shiny toys for Snapdragon X2 devices as well.
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