Windows 11 has reached a new market share milestone, with 36.65% overall operating system version share in January 2025, according to global data. This marks a significant uptick for the operating system, which is expected to surpass Windows 10 as users prepare for its end-of-life status.
Microsoft is warning users that Windows 10 will officially reach its 10-year mark in July 2025 and will hit end-of-life status in October 2025. The company typically supports its Windows operating systems for up to five years, with a further five years of security updates support. After this point, Microsoft expects consumers and businesses to upgrade to the latest version to maintain security updates.
Windows 10 has been a popular choice due to concerns over telemetry and online features in Windows 11. Additionally, Microsoft requires users to upgrade their hardware to run Windows 11, with a TPM 2.0 requirement that some motherboards do not support. While there have been workarounds, Microsoft is enforcing the requirement on Windows 11 installs.
The latest market share data shows Windows 10 declining, hitting 60.33% in January 2025. In contrast, Windows 7 remains at 2.4%. Many large businesses prefer to pay for ongoing security support rather than update their networks.
Microsoft and its PC manufacturer partners hope that Windows 10’s end-of-life status will encourage users to upgrade to new modern PCs. However, trade wars may increase prices on electronics, posing a challenge to mainstreaming AI features in Windows 11.
A recent Steam Hardware Survey shows that Windows 11 is losing market share to MacOS and Windows 10, despite being the preferred gaming OS overall. The survey suggests that consumers may be hesitant to upgrade due to concerns over telemetry and online features.
Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/windows-11-hits-a-new-market-share-milestone-ahead-of-windows-10s-end-of-life-support