First Windows 10 Manganese build expected in January 2020

Microsoft is already wrapping up the Windows 10 20H1 Update somewhat sooner than many would have expected. The 20H1 Update is now seemingly ready to go to the RTM stage in December 2019. That leaves the big M ready to start testing the 20H2 Update, which is codenamed Windows 10 Manganese.

Microsoft has already hinted that it is ready to start testing Windows 10 Manganese with early 20H2 Update release previews for Windows Insiders in the Fast ring. The big M has already started Windows 10 Manganese development. Therefore, Fast ring Windows Insiders might get a chance to try out 20H2 Update preview builds in the next few weeks. When Microsoft announced the Windows 10 2004 19033 preview build, Mr. Blanc also stated:

NOTE: We are looking to begin releasing new builds from our development branch. This means we will be releasing builds to Insiders in the Fast ring from the RS_PRERELEASE development branch again instead of the VB_RELEASE branch. This also means the desktop watermark will be returning with these builds. As is normal with pre-release builds, these builds may contain bugs and be less stable.

Windows 10 Manganese RTM build expected in June 2020

If Microsoft releases preview builds for Windows 10 Manganese in the next few weeks, the 20H2 Update could move to RTM by June 2020. We’re sure Microsoft’s engineers will be extremely busy in December, so we expect the first Windows 10 Manganese preview build to land in January 2020.

That would also be somewhat earlier than usual for Microsoft to finalize the second annual feature update of a year. It has been speculated that Microsoft is changing its release schedule for Windows 10 build updates so it aligns more with the Azure schedule.

That would explain why the 19H2 Update, released in November 2019, was very light on new features. A skimped, or almost skipped, 19H2 Update would enable Microsoft to realign its Windows 10 build version update schedule. Then the big M could match the Windows 10 development schedule with that of Azure.

This means that release months for 2020’s Windows 10 build updates could be a little earlier than those of 2019. Microsoft released 2019’s version updates in May and November, which were a little later than the more typical April and October launch months of previous years. That was partly due to the Win 10 October 2018 Update fiasco, which convinced the big M to more thoroughly bug-proof 2019 build releases before launch.

However, with the Windows 10 20H1 Update almost done, it has been speculated that Microsoft might release it as soon as February 2020. If so, it would be the earliest Windows 10 build update ever that would actually be a winter update. Then Microsoft would probably roll out the Windows 10 Manganese Update sooner than October 2020.

So, Windows Insiders can expect to see some early Windows 10 Manganese build previews before 2019 is out. Alternatively, users in the Slow ring can check out an almost finalized Windows 10 2004 preview in December 2019.