WW 957: Selectively Transparent - Windows 26H1 Aims For Snapdragon X2 PCs

Nov 5, 2025

Microsoft's upcoming 26H1 release focuses on optimizing Windows 11 for Snapdragon X2 PCs. The hosts discuss strong revenues alongside troubling AI-related losses. Edge's new passkey manager raises eyebrows, while the Microsoft Store introduces a web-based bulk installer. A surprise Epic-Google settlement stirs up conversation about app store fees. They also explore the decline in device revenues and reflect on corporate transparency issues. Plus, insights into gaming updates and a unique whiskey tasting experience add a fun twist!

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INSIGHT

26H1 Focused On Snapdragon X2

Microsoft is preparing a 26H1 Windows 11 release focused on Snapdragon X2 devices while keeping feature parity across platforms.
Expect Dev channel to move to 26H1 testing and Beta to 25H2 as teams optimize ARM-specific workstreams.

ADVICE

Wait For Snapdragon X2 Before Upgrading

If you're planning to buy a new ARM PC, wait for Snapdragon X2 hardware and its 26H1 optimizations.
Expect improved CPU, GPU, and unified-memory performance that justify delaying upgrades a few months.

ANECDOTE

Granddaughter's First Long Flight

Paul describes flying with his granddaughter for the first time and a beach visit in New Zealand.
He used the trip as a family vacation and mentioned plans for Hobbiton and hot springs visits.

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We've heard that Microsoft will go off script this year with a 26H1 release of Windows 11 specifically aimed at Snapdragon X2-based PCs, as it did with the early release of 24H2 last year for the first-generation Snapdragon X. Also, Microsoft's latest earnings call left analysts baffled as execs dodged questions about multibillion-dollar AI losses and the real story behind OpenAI's ballooning deficit.

26H1!

Now confirmed by the release notes of a Windows Update
And the Dev channel will soon switch over to 26H1 testing, with Beta moving to 25H2 (from 24H2)
Expectations? All three versions will be functionally identical except for some Copilot+ PC-specific features that may be briefly only on Snapdragon X2. And then there will be a 26H2 for everyone

More Windows 11

Microsoft (over) simplifies its Windows Update naming scheme, and then has to backtrack a bit because of admin/IT backlash
October Preview Update screwed up Task Manager a little bit
Dev/Beta update noted above included a new build with Ask Copilot in the Taskbar, Full-screen experience for Xbox gaming handhelds, Shared audio over Bluetooth LE in preview, and improvements to the WOA Prism emulator (which partially explains the expectations bit above)
Microsoft Edge password manager can now save and sync passkeys, but you should still use a third-party password/identity manager
Microsoft Store gets a bulk installer but only on the web

Earnings learnings

Microsoft earnings: Revenues up 18 percent to $77.7 billion but cost of AI is spiraling out of control and will only get bigger this FY
Productivity and Business Processes revenues up 17 percent YOY to $33 billion
Intelligent Cloud revenues of $30.9 billion, a gain of 28 percent YOY
More Personal Computing delivered $13.8 billion in revenues, up 4 percent YOY.
CapEx/AI infrastructure build-out costs are $34.9 billion (vs. $20 billion one year ago), plus a $4.1 billion loss attributed to OpenAI that was mentioned in a 10-Q (SEC) filing but not in its earnings reports
Paul's analysis sticks mostly to Wall Street complicity in Microsoft's earnings non-transparency shenanigans. This is getting weird, given the amounts of money we're now talking about
This isn't a first, but Spotify's earnings announcements includes a few BS sleights of hand too
AMD: 36 percent revenue growth isn't enough for Wall Street
Alphabet/Google: Up 16 percent to $102.3 billion, ads are 72.5 percent of revenues
Amazon: Up 13 percent to $180 billion in revenues, $30 from AWS
Apple: Up 8 percent to $102.5 billion, this quarter will be its best ever

AI, antitrust, & dev

Epic Games and Google announce settlement in Epic v. Google, a dramatic common-sense move that Apple should (but won't) emulate
Regulatory filings tied to Microsoft earnings suggest OpenAI lost $12 billion in most recent quarter
Freed from Microsoft, OpenAI immediately signs $38 billion infrastructure deal with AWS
.NET 10 to launch next week at .NET Conf 2025

Xbox & games

Xbox Game Pass getting Call of Duty Black Ops 7, five more Day One games in coming days (with an *)
Xbox October Update rolls out with game shader preloading on Xbox Ally, new modules in Game Hubs on console, more games to stream on Xbox Cloud Gaming, more
Nintendo Switch 2 is off to a blockbuster first year with

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/957

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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