After its release in 2015, Microsoft once hoped Windows 10 would makes its way into a billion devices within three years. While it will be late to that goal, it is a bit closer. On Thursday, March 7, the company revealed that more than 800 million devices are now running Windows 10 worldwide.
The new milestone comes as an increase from the 700 million install base last reported in September of 2018, meaning that Windows 10 is likely again picking up momentum with consumers. The announcement was initially made by Microsoft executive Yusuf Mehdi on Twitter. “Thank you to all our customers and partners for helping us achieve 800 million Windows 10 devices and the highest customer satisfaction in the history of Windows.”
As pointed out by ZDNet, though 800 million might seem like a big number, Microsoft is accounting for various types of hardware — not just desktops or laptops. The figure includes other devices which have been considered active in 28 days, including Xbox game consoles, Hololens headsets, Surface Hub devices, and even Windows 10 Mobile phones.
Still, between the six months of September 2018 and March 2019, the 100 million increase would account for roughly 16 million new Windows 10 devices added per month. With Windows 7 reaching its end of life soon, many consumers are now likely transitioning to newer Windows 10 hardware and ditching previous versions of Windows. Microsoft previously enticed consumers to upgrade by offering Windows 10 for free, and the operating system is currently offered as a service so it receives major updates twice a year.
All that considered, Microsoft is still looking to evolve the Windows platform. Although the previous October 2018 Update and incoming April 2019 Update introduces new features to Windows 10 on the software side, some much different versions of the operating system are also in the works.
Recent rumors indicate Microsoft is planning to target ChromeOS with a lighter operating system dubbed as Windows Lite, which will likely come later this year. The company is even is working on Core OS, which is a more modular version of Windows. New hardware for these operating systems is also in the works including a new version of the Surface Studio, a dual-screen Surface Centarus, and perhaps even a phone currently code-named Andromeda.
