Windows 10X: Microsoft plans two variants for 2021-2022

Surface Neo to be released in spring 2022

Microsoft plans to release its two variants of Windows 10X for spring 2021 and 2022. For the time being, however, users will have to be satisfied with the simpler single-screen version of the operating system, which will also be used on classic notebooks with a new launcher.

Windows 10X to be released in spring 2021
In October 2019, Microsoft announced the Surface Neo, a dual-display 2-in-1 with Windows 10X (Lite/Santorini"), which should have been introduced in the fall of 2020. Now the website Zdnet reports with reference to insider sources that the company from Redmond in spring 2021 will first present the single-screen version of Windows 10X for notebooks and the dual-screen version will not appear until a year later.

Surface Neo to be released in spring 2022

Already in May this year, Microsoft’s hardware boss Panos Panay had confirmed that Windows 10X will initially only appear in the single-screen version, but without limiting the time frame more closely. However, it has long been known that the Surface Neo will not be finished this year.

If the information from Todayus  is confirmed, the dual-screen version of Windows 10X will not appear until spring 2022, so the Surface Neo is also to be expected.

No support for Win32 apps

As Windows Central reports, the first offshoot of Windows 10X, unlike initially planned, will not provide container support for Win32 apps. Instead, only Windows and Web apps will be supported for the time being.

With Windows 10X, Microsoft obviously takes a similar direction to Google’s Chrome OS and plans a simple operating system that is powered by the apps from the Microsoft Store. Only the dual-screen version in spring 2022 will deliver Win32 support and new features as planned.

Effects on Windows 10

Microsoft insider Mary Jo Foley told Today US  that the dual-track release of Windows 10X will also affect the regular release of Windows 10. As of 2021, Microsoft plans to only have one function update per year for Windows 10 in order to be able to turn off more developers for Windows 10X.

In the future, the first half of the year will be reserved for a new version of Windows 10X and the second half for a functional update of Windows 10. As the page writes, Windows 10 2004 ( 20H1") is supposed to receive a small "update" in the fall and then be back again with 21H2.

Microsoft itself has not yet commented on the roadmap of the two variants of Windows 10X and the impact on Windows 10.