To think a collective of very highly paid tech employees, VP/SVPs and best of all, the Supply Chain Commander-in-Chief, have actually sat in multiple meetings to discuss this most pressing of issues.
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With iOS 18 Jumping to iOS 26, Will Apple Renumber iPhones Too?
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"Apple Watch XXX" and "Apple TV XXX" glooming in the horizon would be too much for Tim.
Hardware's not the same as software which can be basically guaranteed to upgrade every year with some feature improvement.
Last year there was no Watch Ultra update. And iPads have gone over a year between updates. While iPhone and iPhone Plus/Pro/Max have all had yearly updates, the SE has not.
And don't get me started on the Mac Pro...
Last year there was no Watch Ultra update. And iPads have gone over a year between updates. While iPhone and iPhone Plus/Pro/Max have all had yearly updates, the SE has not.
And don't get me started on the Mac Pro...
I didn't realize anyone planned conundrums.
Apple may already have a naming conundrum in the works where some kind of transition will make sense.
Only if jPhone and kPhone are preloaded with J-Pop and K-Pop albums like they did for U2
Remember when they used that in iPhone X in 2017 and in 2018 the names are iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max?
Yes, Apple, please remember iPhones! If you keep giving software away for free, you need to sell them! Where can I sign a petition to make Apple remember iPhones?
iphone 2025
ipad 2025
macbook 2025
watch 2025
ios sequoia
ipados sequoia
macos sequoia
watchos sequoia
ipad 2025
macbook 2025
watch 2025
ios sequoia
ipados sequoia
macos sequoia
watchos sequoia
Or if they wanted to be really nerdy, they could use the Star Trek system. 🛸
With the next-generation version of iOS and other 2025 software updates, Apple is planning to change its numbering scheme. Rather than iOS 19, which would logically follow iOS 18, Apple is instead going to call the update iOS 26. Apple plans to use 26 across all of its platforms (the number representing the upcoming year), which will presumably be less confusing than having iOS 19, macOS 16, watchOS 12, and visionOS 3. But what does the change mean for the iPhone?
If Apple is looking to streamline naming, it could make sense for future iPhone models to follow the same year-based numbering. An iPhone 26 or iPhone 26 Pro that launches with iOS 26 would be more logical than an iPhone 17 that runs iOS 26, at least until that iPhone 26 needs to be updated to iOS 27 or iOS 28.
Year-based numbering for iPhones would make it clear to consumers when an iPhone came out. The average iPhone user that doesn't upgrade on the regular probably can't tell you the year that their iPhone launched, because there's no obvious link between the iPhone 14 and 2022, or the iPhone 16 and 2024.
Apple may already have a naming conundrum in the works where some kind of transition will make sense. This year, we're on track to get the iPhone 17. In 2026, the iPhone 18, and in 2027, the iPhone 19. But 2027 is the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, so will Apple want its 20th anniversary device to be the iPhone 19? Apple didn't make that choice in 2017 at the iPhone's 10th anniversary, and we never ended up with a iPhone 9 because we got the iPhone X instead.
Apple uses year-based numbering for its Macs, though not overtly. The MacBook Air is just the MacBook Air, but when you're looking for tech specs or comparison info on Apple's site, you'll find that the latest model is in fact the MacBook Air (M4, 2025). iPhones could also just be "iPhone" and appended in the same way.
There is a disconnect in Mac naming and the way Apple is doing software update naming going forward, though. Macs are named for the year they're released, but iOS and its sister updates are going to be named for the coming year on launch. iOS 26 in September 2025, iOS 27 in September 2026, iOS 28 in September 2027, and so on. Mac-like numbering for the iPhone would be the sensible choice instead of the year-ahead numbering, but it's doubtful that Apple will want to launch an iPhone (2025) running iOS 26.
Apple could also go with iPad numbering for the iPhone in the future. iPads aren't named like iPhones, and have historically used generations. The low-cost iPad, for example, was the iPad (5th generation) and then (6th generation) and (7th generation) and so on. More recently, Apple is using chips to differentiate between different generations of the iPad. So there's the M2 iPad Air, and the M3 iPad Air, along with the A16 iPad (11th generation) and the A17 Pro iPad mini. Chip-based naming probably won't work for the iPhone like it does for the iPad and some Macs because there are multiple iPhones that use the same chip. Apple would need to do something like iPhone (A19), iPhone Air (A19), iPhone Pro (A19), and iPhone Pro Max (A19), which is no better for marketing.
Apple might not change iPhone numbering at all, given that naming across iPads, Macs, iPhones, and other devices has never exactly been straightforward. Whether Apple intends to streamline device names going forward may become clearer at the June 9 Worldwide Developers Conference. We'll hear about the plan to go from iOS 18 to iOS 26 at the keynote event, and the way that Apple frames it might just provide some insight into whether we can expect a similar change for the iPhone to match.
Article Link: With iOS 18 Jumping to iOS 26, Will Apple Renumber iPhones Too?
I think Apple should continue with the current numbering scheme for the iPhone and just change it for the software. Maybe when they release their folding iPhone, they can change it for all of their models?
I'm willing to be money that Apple execs are delighted that we're all distracted discussing this irrelevant and purely cosmetic topic instead of focusing on what's actually wrong with our favorite fruit company
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iPhone 26 looks so ugly. the bigger the number, the more aged it is. like pack it up grandpa. iPhone (2026) will probably be endgame in a few years. i'd like to see them entertain iPhone XX and skip 19 though for the 20th anniversary though lmao
I don't think that would be good (for consumers). Adding the year of manufacturing to the name could foster obsolescence, as you can visualise easily how old is your device/OS and maybe tempted to upgrade sooner.
One thing is clear, Apple won't do such (expensive) naming changes just for consistency.
One thing is clear, Apple won't do such (expensive) naming changes just for consistency.