Windows 11 has made a comeback, regaining market share from its older sibling Windows 10 in the latest figures. As of January, Windows 11 now boasts 36.6% of the market, up from 34.12% last month. Meanwhile, Windows 10’s market share has fallen to 60.37%, down from 62.7% in December.
Microsoft is optimistic about this trend, with CFO Amy Hood attributing a 4% year-on-year increase in revenue from the company’s Windows OEM and Devices unit to “commercial inventory builds” ahead of Windows 10’s end-of-support date in October 2025. This growth is in line with projections from Taiwan-based market watcher TrendForce, which expects shipments to grow by 4.9% in 2025.
However, despite this progress, AI PCs are unlikely to be the main driver behind Windows 11’s resurgence. CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the importance of Copilot+, an AI-powered technology that will soon become ubiquitous in premium-priced laptops. Analysts predict that by 2026, it’ll be difficult to buy a PC without AI silicon.
The gap between Microsoft’s two operating systems has narrowed significantly since Windows 10 gained market share at the expense of Windows 11 last year. With only 10 months of support remaining for Windows 10, Microsoft is eager to capitalize on this trend and cement its position as the dominant OS.
Source: https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/01/windows_11_statcounter