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Contrary to rumors, the next version of Windows 10 will be another minor update

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A few weeks after the release of the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, Microsoft is ready to talk about what’s next for Windows 10 in the fall. The company shared some details on the next version of Windows, currently codenamed Windows 10, version 20H2.

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Keeping to the theme of recent Windows releases, Microsoft mentioned the 20H2 update will be all about quality. This is a change from previous rumors pointing toward a design overhaul and new features such as an improved File Explorer. It also will become the first version of Windows 10 to include the new Microsoft Edge browser, based on Google’s open-source Chromium engine.

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In addition, Microsoft says the Windows release will come with “a scoped set of features to improve performance and enhance quality.”

Microsoft did not get into the specifics of features which will come in the 20H2 update, but it did mention that it will be using the Windows Insider beta testing program to its advantage. The first 20H2 builds were released to the Slow Ring of the program June 16, which was recently renamed the “Beta Channel.”

Perhaps offering a slight bit hope for the new features many had expected in this release, a separate Microsoft blog post mentioned how Windows Insiders will be able to test new features. “Insiders who choose to download and install 20H2 on their PC will get new 20H2 features as they are delivered,” said Microsoft. This hints that new features might be coming, but might not make it to the final 20H2 release, possibly due to the complications and the delay in the development of Windows 10X.

A full release of Windows 10 version 20H2 to non-beta-testers will be coming in the second half of this calendar year. As for how the update will be delivered when it is ready, it will still be the same as the past. Microsoft revealed it is still continuing to “learn and adjust” the delivery and quality of Windows Updates based on feedback.

This means that once it is ready, the 20H2 update will roll out as a cumulative monthly patch through Windows Update. Only if you are on an older version of Windows pre-dating the May 2020 Update will the update download and take longer.

“Simply put, anyone running the May 2020 Update and updating to Windows 10, version 20H2 will have a faster installation experience because the update will install like a monthly update,” said Microsoft.

In addition to the news about the 20H2 update, Microsoft is also changing the numeric names for major Windows Updates for its commercial customers and partners. Consumers, though, will still see the regular names based on the time of the year.

This is to represent the half of the calendar year for which the update is released. “Windows 10, version 20H2 is, therefore, “20H2” because it will be released in the second half of the 2020 calendar year. This is a familiar approach for our Windows Insiders,” noted Microsoft.

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Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
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