No iOS 19: Apple Going Straight to iOS 26

[nemmo]

With the design overhaul that's coming this year, Apple plans to rename all of its operating systems, reports Bloomberg. Going forward, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS will be identified by year, rather than by version number. We're not going to be getting iOS 19, we're getting iOS 26.

iOS 26 will be accompanied by iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26 instead of iPadOS 19, macOS 16, tvOS 19, watchOS 12, and visionOS 3.

Changing the name of the operating systems will introduce consistency across the lineup, rather than having several disparate numbers that don't match up. Apple is using vehicle-style numbering for operating systems and choosing the number of the upcoming year, so it'll be iOS 26 instead of iOS 25 because the update will be available across both 2025 and 2026.

The names will reflect a new effort by Apple to provide a more unified design across operating systems on different devices. The refreshed visionOS-like design update is coming to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

Apple plans to announce the new naming scheme at the Worldwide Developers Conference that's set to begin on Monday, June 9.

Article Link: No iOS 19: Apple Going Straight to iOS 26

Well, this makes lots of sense. Probably the same thing should be used for the iPhone models. The list name for iPhones currently is:

1. iPhone (2007)
2. iPhone 3G (2008)
3. iPhone 3GS (2009)
4. iPhone 4 (2010)
5. iPhone 4S (2011)
6. iPhone 5 (2012)
7. iPhone 5S & 5C (2013)
8. iPhone 6 & 6 Plus (2014)
9. iPhone 6S & 6S Plus (2015)
10. iPhone SE (2016)
11. iPhone 7 & 7 Plus (2016)
12. iPhone 8 & 8 Plus (2017)
13. iPhone X (2017)
14. iPhone XR (2018)
15. iPhone XS & XS Max (2018)
16. iPhone 11 (2019)
17. iPhone 11 Pro & 11 Pro Max (2019)
18. iPhone SE (2nd Generation) (2020)
19. iPhone 12 mini & 12 (2020)
20. iPhone 12 Pro & 12 Pro Max (2020)
21. iPhone 13 mini & 13 (2021)
22. iPhone 13 Pro & 13 Pro Max (2021)
23. iPhone 14 & 14 Plus (2022)
24. iPhone 14 Pro & 14 Pro Max (2022)
25. iPhone SE (3rd Generation) (2022)
26. iPhone 15 (2023)
27. iPhone 15 Plus (2023)
28. iPhone 15 Pro (2023)
29. iPhone 15 Pro Max (2023)
30. iPhone 16 (2024)
31. iPhone 16 Plus (2024)
32. iPhone 16 Pro (2024)
33. iPhone 16 Pro Max (2024)
34. iPhone 16e (2025)

Which was probably good at first, but at this point it's becoming a little chaotic.

 

[Circa1984]

Insanely, ludicrous - how can I go on?

 

[FeliApple]

Horrible idea. It makes sense the way it’s now, with a yearly incremental release. Appalling.

 

[tonmischa]

Finally….

 

[j26]

Copying Samsung....

Galaxy S10 to S20 in 2020 and running with the year ever since.

 

[iPod2001]

Wasn’t expecting this but yeah makes sense.
iOS 26 or as I think it be called on setting when you update “iOS (2026) Beta 1”.

 

[lazyrighteye]

File this under “Unexpected AF” or “It’s About Damn Time.”

This is so much better, more informative than an arbitrary number. And it’s so much worse when you have several brand new devices rocking completely different version numbers. Just device and year. Done.

Let’s not stop there. Their naming conventions are all over the place. Pro, Max, Ultra, Barf. Despite the equity in “Air,” I’m not sure the term carries the same weight, today, that it did when Steve pulled that debut device out of that manilla envelope. Anyway, reminds me of pre-Steve’s pre-return Apple: total mess.

I’m in the camp that likes the device and the OS alone (iPhone, iPad, MacBook). The year is the next piece of info offering the least amount of info to indicate where it sits in the arch of time. Super intuitive.

 

[nathansz]

25th if you count Mac OS X Developer Preview
1. Rhapsody Developer Release
2. Mac OS X Server 1.0
3. Mac OS X Developer Preview
4. Mac OS X Public Beta
5. 10.0
6. 10.1
7. 10.2
8. 10.3
9. 10.4
10. 10.5
11. 10.6
12. 10.7
13. 10.8
14. 10.9
15. 10.10
16. 10.11
17. 10.12
18. 10.13
19. 10.14
20. 10.15
21. 11
22. 12
23. 13
24. 14
25. 15

So 26 will be the 26th

Nice numerical coincidence

 

[Mrjoedot]

Naming like
iOS 2025
Watch 2025
Macbook Air 2025
iPad Pro Max 2025

Would make best sense to drop series. Easier to catch up too

 

[Biro]

Jeez, 300 comments in about three hours. Do people really care about Apple’s OS naming convention that much?

 

[JTK Awesome]

What happens when iOS26 gets delayed to 2030?

 

[sffun]

**** it. We're doing 5 blades.

 

[delsoul]

"Our engineers have worked sooo hard to count to 26. It's our biggest number yet. We know you'll love it."

“And here’s crayagggg to tell you all about it…crayagggg?”

 

[SirROM]

Thunderbolts* = *New Avengers
OS19* = *OS26

I'm picturing a video of Julia Louis-Dreyfus tricking Tim & Team into coming onto the stage after walking down a recently destroyed street on Apple campus and them being surprised by the name change and new UI. Bob is the new incarnation of Apple Intelligence but can't do anything without creating more harm than help, but that's okay with everyone because they KNOW he's powerful.

🤣

 

[CheffyDude]

How about The Gulf of OS

 

[Pezimak]

Wonder if it will relate to the number of bugs you find when you install it?

But what a pointless idea, what purpose does it serve? Give it 5 years and they will just go back to version numbers.

 

[Siliconguy]

Why? It's pretty standard in the software industry to version the software by year.

Ubuntu (25.04) and Libreoffice (25.2.3) have also switched numbering systems. Shotcut is 25.05. MS Office was named by the year at least since the late 1990s. (Windows version 97, Mac version 98).

 

[JSDK]

I think I like this. It was almost inevitable. I keep forgetting which iOS is the latest and I always need to second guess the latest iPhone as well. Can’t imagine iPhones won’t follow a similar change:

• 2027 iPhone (not iPhone 18)
• 2027 iPhone Air
• 2027 iPhone Pro
• 2027 iPhone Ultra (not Pro Max)
• 2027 iPhone Fold

Or, simply: iPhone Pro (2027), iPhone (2028), and so on. You heard it here first.​

Pixel 27 and Galaxy S 27 coming next year, for sure.

Not quite. I suggested the same thing back in October 18, 2024 😅

See here:

Loading…

forums.macrumors.com

 

[ijordano]

Why would they choose the upcoming year and not the year of release? That makes barely more sense than just having iOS 19

 

[Rogifan]

So is there anything about WWDC that hasn’t leaked?

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

Just when you thought they couldn't force the yearly releases any more, they come up with this genius idea! Such courage.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

So, the release date will be 1/1/26?

 

[benspratling]

Finally! I've been wishing they would do this for years. remembering all those different numbers and what years they came out has been really confusing.

 

[zinacef]

Apple is so confident that Siri will be ready and outstanding that they’re jumping from 19 to 26!

 

[MacHeritage]

Apple has something against the number "9". No iPhone 9, and now renaming iOS 19. Makes sense though.

Mac OS 9, the last and longest lasting classic Mac OS, would like a word with you.