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Tom’s Hardware
Tom’s Hardware
Technology
Hassam Nasir

Microsoft announces first test build for Windows 11 26H1, aimed at 'specific silicon' — Rumor mill suggests first "H1" release in Windows 11's history might be reserved for upcoming Arm PCs

Windows 11.

Windows 11 25H2, the operating system's latest major feature update, rolled out just last month. Just a few weeks ago, rumors of a "26H1" release started circulating, and now we have confirmation of its existence: Microsoft has just released the first build of Windows 11 26H1 — Preview Build 28000 — in the Canary channel of the Insider Preview program.

26H1 is in testing phases right now, and it will officially release early next year. This update is intended for a specific subset of users, with various reports suggesting that it is ARM. There are unsubstantiated rumors floating around, pointing to the upcoming Snapdragon X2 Elite and Nvidia N1X systems as candidates — since Qualcomm has scheduled the launch of its upcoming chips for early 2026, lining up with the 26H1 release.

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