Apple's future operating systems may be named after years rather than version numbers. This means that after iOS 18, there will be iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. Why does the company want to do this rebranding?
Apple's future operating systems may be named after years rather than version numbers. This means that after iOS 18, there will be iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26. Why does the company want to do this rebranding?
Apple is making changes to ensure consistency in its branding and move away from an approach that could confuse customers and developers, Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous sources.
Apple's operating systems, such as iOS 18, watchOS 12, macOS 15, and visionOS 2, all use different numbers because their initial versions did not debut at the same time.
The company is expected to announce the change at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9. The branding will accompany new user interfaces across all operating systems — an attempt to provide a more seamless experience as people move from one device to another. The new design, internally codenamed Solarium, will include tvOS, watchOS and part of visionOS.
Similar rebranding has been done before by Samsung and Microsoft. In 2020, Samsung rebranded its flagship Galaxy S phone line after a year of launch, switching to the Galaxy S20. The device's predecessor, which debuted in 2019, was the Galaxy S10, which represented the 10th generation.
In 1995, Microsoft switched to naming its major operating systems by the year they were launched, releasing Windows 95, followed by Windows 98 and Windows 2000. In 2015, the company followed Windows 8 with Windows 10, skipping the ninth version to emphasize the difference between generations and for better marketing.
Previously, Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman, who specializes in Apple insiders, said that the company will have a “product renaissance” in 2027. However, Apple could release three attention-grabbing product updates in 2026.
