It might take longer than expected for Windows 10X to debut. Windows Central reports that Microsoft planned to have the operating system ready to ship in the first half of the year; now it’s said to be aiming for the second half.
Windows 10X was revealed in February 2020 as Microsoft’s plan for dual-screen devices and foldable PCs. The operating system was supposed to debut in fall 2020 on the Surface Neo as well as products from Dell, Asus, HP, and Lenovo.
We even got a peek at Windows 10X via a virtual machine Microsoft released to help developers prepare for the dual-screen future that seemed oh-so-imminent until the COVID-19 pandemic forced much of the tech industry to scuttle their plans.
Microsoft announced in May 2020 that it was shifting Windows 10X’s focus to single-screen devices, and in July 2020 it said the operating system wouldn’t debut until 2021, with a version for dual-screen devices scheduled for release in 2022.
Windows Central said that, according to its anonymous sources, Windows 10X’s release window has shifted to the second half of 2021 “to ensure the product is ready and robust for a smooth release.” An exact timeframe wasn’t provided.
The report also indicated that Microsoft has developed this version of Windows 10X for “low-cost educational and enterprise focused PCs.“ Consumer products will instead receive the Sun Valley user experience update to Windows 10 this year.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft for more information about Windows 10X’s launch window and what device categories the company’s targeting with this initial version of the operating system. We’ll update this post if the company responds.
