The Next Windows 10 Version Is Called “Manganese”

We are waiting for the Windows 10 2004 (20H1) update to land on our PCs with new features (and bugs). Meanwhile, speculation and leaks about the next Windows 10 version have started to fill the air.

The next Windows 10 feature update is commonly known as 20H2, but a Twitter user named Tero Alhonen discovered that it is internally referred to as “Manganese.”

The claim is based on evidence found in the Windows 10 preview builds, namely, the recently released build 19603, which also brought Linux file integration to the File Explorer app.

Microsoft Windows 10 (Manganese) pic.twitter.com/pjDWiDbeqe

— Tero Alhonen💙💛 (@teroalhonen) April 8, 2020

If you open Powershell and try to list down the available virtual machines, you’ll get a glimpse of the new internal name. You can do so by using the command ‘Get-VMHostSupportedVersion’ in the Powershell window.

Another takeaway from the screenshot is that the Windows 10 version 2004 official name will be ‘May 2020 Update.’ So, it’s safe to assume that Microsoft has pushed the rollout of the Windows 10 spring update into May, contrary to what we have known so far.

Something about Windows 10 20H2 “Manganese.”

It’s interesting to note that the Manganese internal name has been known since 2019, it’s just that it has got more visibility now.

Following the likes of version 1909 (19H2), we can expect Windows 10 20H2 to arrive sometime around November this year as per Microsoft’s major/minor update schedule.

However, the company hinted last year, 19H2 is a one-of-a-kind pilot experiment and may not be repeated.

Much like 20H1, Microsoft began testing the 20H2 builds way early in 2020. This is to streamline the Windows development schedule with that of Azure.

However, the company doesn’t mention 20H2 when releasing the fast ring preview builds almost every week. So, it’s hard to conclude whether the features shipped with these builds are specifically meant for the next Windows 10 update or later ones.

Adding more to the confusion is Microsoft’s recent shift of focus regarding the development of Windows 10X. Redmond has reportedly scrapped plans to release any Windows 10X-powered dual-screen device, including the Surface Neo, in 2020. Instead, the company wants to prepare 10X for single-screen devices first and also bring some Windows 10 features to the regular Windows 10.