We've been talking and hearing about Windows 12 for a while, but it looks like Microsoft has just given us the first hint that it might be coming in the near future. Recently, the company shipped a new internal Canary build with number build 27547, a big jump from the previous build, 26047.

The number itself may seem innocuous, but Microsoft usually only changes the major build number by this much when setting up a whole new release of Windows. And, as pointed out by fellow journalist Zac Bowden on X (formerly Twitter), the development branch has also shifted to ge_release, from the ni_release branch we've been seeing throughout the entire Windows 11 lifecycle.

In this case, the "ge" in the branch name stands for Germanium, which is the codename for the next major Windows release based on previous reports. A new platform release means changes to the underlying core of Windows, and it only really happens when there's a whole new version of the operating system, such as Windows 11 back in 2021. Even feature updates like Windows 11 version 22H2 still use the same platform release, despite adding a lot of new features.

The Germanium platform release is expected to pack some big changes, but it will be particularly important for the upcoming wave of Arm-based devices powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset. Microsoft has promised major optimizations for Windows on Arm processors which will play a crucial role in making these devices successful, especially as Apple has been crushing it with its Apple Silicon family of chips.

Other expected changes include a new AI-powered "advanced copilot" that is woven into every part of the UI, along with changes to the Start menu and potentially some power efficiency improvements.

Of course, just because a new internal build is available now, it doesn't necessarily mean we'll be seeing these builds that soon in the Windows Insider Program. Microsoft is still expected to ship one smaller Windows 11 update this year, and Insiders will likely be testing that for a while longer. But those enrolled in the Canary channel may only have to wait a few weeks longer to try the new Germanium release, which will hopefully include other exciting new features to try out.