Theory: Windows 11 Is Entering Its Extended Support Phase, Windows vNext Is On The Way


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TechnoFlash7560

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Windows 10 received its last real feature update in 2020, as version 2004.
The three feature updates that followed were just enablement packages which added little to no new functionality.
2020 was precisely when W10 reached its 5th year in the market.

Well, looks like the same thing is happening to Windows 11 right now.
Version 24H2 was the last real major feature update to the platform, with version 25H2 being just an Enablement Package which has no new exclusive features and/or functionality.

2026 is also precisely W11's 5th year in the market. I suspect version 26H2 will be just another EP with no new features, with the OS reaching its End-of-Life in the fall of 2031.

This also means Microsoft is probably hard at work internally developing and testing its successor, for now just known as "vNext".
(This is most likely what is being tested in the Canary Channel right now as Bromine/br_release).
 
Windows Build/Version
26100.5074

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 v25H2 / Windows vNext EnterpriseIntel Core i5-1140032GB DDR4 3200MHzAMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB GDDR6 / Intel UHD G...
OS
Windows 11 v25H2 / Windows vNext Enterprise
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Custom Built Tower
CPU
Intel Core i5-11400
Motherboard
MSI B560M-A PRO
Memory
32GB DDR4 3200MHz
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB GDDR6 / Intel UHD Graphics 730
Sound Card
Onboard Realtek ALC897
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 22MP58VQ-P 21.5" IPS LED
Screen Resolution
1920x1080
Hard Drives
1x 500GB Kingston Fury Renegade PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
PSU
Corsair CS850M 850W 80 Plus Gold
Case
Sharkoon M25-W Mid-Tower Case
Cooling
2x 240mm fans on the front, 1x 240mm fan on the back
Keyboard
Skiller Mechanical RGB Keyboard
Mouse
HP RGB Optical Mouse
Internet Speed
500Mbps Fiber
Browser
Microsoft Edge
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender
TechnoFlash7560 said:
Well, looks like the same thing is happening to Windows 11 right now.
Version 24H2 was the last real major feature update to the platform, with version 25H2 being just an Enablement Package which has no new exclusive features and/or functionality.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. Remember, 23H2 was an enablement package too.

Win11 feature update history:
21H2 - Initial release​
22H2 - full upgrade​
23H2 - enablement package​
24H2 - full upgrade​
25H2 - enablement package​
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
What became 1909 had no new features, major ones anyway, and that was before 2004 obviously. Later versions of Windows 10 updated Windows Hello and Hello for Business, added the Googly version of Edge, updates for WSL, MDM, all kinds of things. Maybe those aren't features a lot of people care about, but that's probably true for any given feature added to 10 or 11: some people use the new thing, and most people don't care. I can tell you business people care about the stuff added to 10 during that era, and we're the ones paying for Windows.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 25H212th Gen Core i7-1260P64 GB Micron PC4-25600Intel Iris Xe Graphics
OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Intel NUC12WSHi7
CPU
12th Gen Core i7-1260P
Motherboard
NUC12WSBi7
Memory
64 GB Micron PC4-25600
Graphics Card(s)
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Sound Card
on-board Realtek HD Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell U3219Q
Screen Resolution
3840 x 2160
Hard Drives
Samsung SSD 990 PRO 1TB
Crucial MX500 2 TB
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender
pseymour said:
I can tell you business people care about the stuff added to 10 during that era, and we're the ones paying for Windows.
Click to expand...
Can I pay extra and get an Autopilot-free version of Windows? Asking for a friend.
 

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Windows 7
OS
Windows 7
garlin said:
Can I pay extra and get an Autopilot-free version of Windows? Asking for a friend.
Click to expand...
The Autopilotless editions are labelled "Windows 7."
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 25H212th Gen Core i7-1260P64 GB Micron PC4-25600Intel Iris Xe Graphics
OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Intel NUC12WSHi7
CPU
12th Gen Core i7-1260P
Motherboard
NUC12WSBi7
Memory
64 GB Micron PC4-25600
Graphics Card(s)
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Sound Card
on-board Realtek HD Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell U3219Q
Screen Resolution
3840 x 2160
Hard Drives
Samsung SSD 990 PRO 1TB
Crucial MX500 2 TB
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender
TechnoFlash7560 said:
The three feature updates that followed were just enablement packages which added little to no new functionality.
Click to expand...

I think that there may be some confusion as to what an enablement package entails. All this means is that new features are rolled out in advance to your system in previous monthly updates but not yet enabled. Since the updates have already been rolled out to your system (have you noticed how large the monthly updates have become if you download the whole thing from the update catalog?), there is no need to install all those features with a new major update. Since they have already been trickling out the changes, all that is required is the enablement package.

It's a pretty good way of making the yearly updates a lot less painful.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-14650HX32 GBNo GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    OS
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acemagic
    CPU
    Intel i7-14650HX
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Varies as machine will often be moved to locations with different monitors
    Screen Resolution
    Varies
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    120W Power Brick
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Max RGB Magnetic Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

  • At a glance

    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)Intel i7-1255U16 GBIntel Iris Xe Graphics
    Operating System
    Win11 Pro 25H2 (RTM+)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
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