Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Makes a little bit of sense for macOS at least. While it won't be the 26th major release (it's the 22nd), it will be 26th year of macOS because 10.0 came out in 2001.
 
Remember all the Apple Intelligence features that didn’t show up in iOS 18. They’re still coming in iOS 19.
 
I think this will make it easier to track. Having a year it model name would be better I think. They kind of do now with MacBooks. I hate the iPad names.
 
😆
 is now marketing their products like the Auto industry (make them focus on the date and show them that every new year is the reason to buy)
 
iOS should be renamed to iPhoneOS as well.
1748527528551.png

What difference does it make?
It should stay iOS.
 
It won’t be iPhone 26 because that gets just as confusing when you update it to iOS 27 next year. This is about making all the OS numbers lockstep to go with the new unified design language that Gurman teased. Hardware doesn’t need to change its numbering scheme. I also don’t expect the next iPhone to have an A26 Pro chip. We don’t need to 26 “all the things.”
 
Will this finally mean they won't release a new version every year? I mean, seems unlikely to release iOS 27 in 2026 when everyone is still on iOS 26.

Would be great. Apple taking their time to release new software, possibly not even upgrading all operating systems all at once. Time to fix the bugs, time to timely release new software. And just keep bug fixing between major releases.
 
Not a big deal — just like you can usually buy the next year's edition of a vehicle in October of this year. Its value, really, is on unifying the version numbers, and letting people know if they are up to date or not. That most likely another benefit to this be forward-numbered... you don’t need to know the latest version number, just what year it is. This well be helpful a few years down the road when it’s 2028 and someone realizes they are still on 2026 software. That’s easier to know that if it’s iOS 19 or iOS 22.
 
Yes, iOS 26 because 2026 will be when most bugs will be ironed out and it'll be safe to install. 2026 also will be when all the delayed features get released because of their staggered release schedule.
I used to feel sorry for the people who kept old versions and the numerous published security vulnerabilities they contained. Now I’m starting to think they get what they deserve.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.