After iOS 18, we will not see iOS 19, but directly... iOS 26. This standardization would concern all of the company's operating systems: iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and even visionOS 26 would thus take over from the current iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 12 and visionOS 2. The essential Mark Gurman of Bloomberg is at the origin of this information which may surprise by its magnitude, but which is a certain logic for the Cupertino company.
Why such an upheaval?
Apple would choose intentionally skipping several versions in order to harmonize all of its systems for the year 2026. Currently, juggling the different numbering schemes, left over from the staggered launches of each platform, can sometimes be a headache for users and developers alike. By adopting the year as a universal reference point, Apple intends to offer immediate readability and synchronize the image of its innovations. All devices will thus benefit from the "2026 advances," bringing consistency and simplicity.
This strategy is reminiscent of certain past initiatives. We are of course thinking of Microsoft and its famous Windows 95, 98, or 2000, a method that the Redmond company subsequently abandoned. More recently, Samsung, as early as 2020, aligned the names of its flagships with the launch year with the Galaxy S20, succeeding the S10. Apple is said to be taking a slightly different approach, more inspired by the automotive or video game worlds, since the operating systems launched in the fall of 2025 would carry the 2026 model year.
This nominal upheaval would accompany a significant overhaul of user interfaces, a project known internally under the code name "Solarium." The Californian giant's goal is to offer an even more fluid and harmonious user experience from one device to another. The iPad, for example, could be given an experience even closer to that of a Mac, strengthening its versatility.
What if Apple abandoned the iPhone 17 in favor of the iPhone 26?
Beyond the software, the burning question is whether this standardization will also affect the hardware? If Apple makes iOS 26 official, the idea of an iPhone 26 next September seems like a golden opportunity to simplify a range that has sometimes become complex for the general public to decipher. An iPhone 26 compared to a Samsung Galaxy S25 or S26 would have the merit of clarity and would allow Apple to make an impression, or even beat its Korean competitor in terms of perceived numbering.
Of course, not everything would be stamped "26" and it's a bit difficult to imagine AirPods Pro 26 or a Magic Mouse 26. The idea could, however, make its way to flagship products, even if Mark Gurman believes that Apple will not change the numbering of the iPhone this year. "That's a good question for SEO, but I'd be surprised if Apple moved to the "iPhone 26" this year," writes the specialist journalist on the X platform.
We now have to wait until WWDC 2025 to discover Apple's new plans for iOS. At this conference, scheduled for June 9, the company is expected to formalize this change and present the new features of its operating systems.
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