Apple’s Big Renaming Shift: Say Hello to iOS 26

In a bold branding move, Apple may soon ditch its traditional numbering system for software updates—and embrace a year-based naming scheme instead. According to a recent Bloomberg report, the next version of iOS won't be iOS 19 as expected, but iOS 26, reflecting the release year of 2026.

This pivot is more than a cosmetic change. It signals Apple’s attempt to streamline and unify its ecosystem across devices, bringing all operating systems under one cohesive naming convention.

What’s Changing—and Why It Matters

Currently, Apple’s software versions are all over the place. We have:

• iOS 18 for iPhones
  
  

• macOS 15 for Macs
  
  

• watchOS 12 for Apple Watch
  
  

• visionOS 2 for Vision Pro
  
  

This inconsistency stems from the fact that each OS launched at different times over the past decade. According to Bloomberg’s anonymous sources, the new strategy aims to eliminate confusion by aligning version names across the board. So instead of a jumble of numbers, we’d get:

• iOS 26
  
  

• iPadOS 26
  
  

• macOS 26
  
  

• watchOS 26
  
  

• tvOS 26
  
  

• visionOS 26
  
  

This kind of simplification makes it easier for users to know which version is the latest across all devices—an approach that mirrors what Microsoft did with Windows 95, and what carmakers have long done by naming models after the following year.

When Will This Happen?

Apple is expected to officially announce the change at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 9, 2025. The rebranding will likely coincide with new UI updates and deeper software integration between Apple devices.

The transition will begin in fall 2025, when iOS 26 launches—skipping the expected iOS 19 entirely.

What About the iPhone Name?

Interestingly, Bloomberg’s report doesn’t mention any plans to rebrand iPhone models themselves. The upcoming iPhone 17, set to debut in September 2025, will likely retain its numerical naming—even as it ships with iOS 26.

That creates a curious mismatch: an iPhone 17 running iOS 26. While it may look awkward at first, Apple users are no strangers to learning new conventions. If consumers can handle MacBook Pro models based on chip generation and year, they can adapt here too.

Still, this raises a question: Should Apple rename iPhones to match software versions? Or perhaps drop the numbers entirely in favor of names like “iPhone Ultra” or “iPhone Air,” as they've done with the Apple Watch and M-series chips?

Time will tell—but for now, it seems the software is evolving faster than the hardware naming conventions.

Whenever Apple rolls out major software updates or new devices, users often face the hassle of setting everything up from scratch. That’s where Smart Transfer’s smart switch phone transfer feature comes in.

Smart Transfer is a reliable, third-party app restore tool that helps you seamlessly move data, contacts, media, and custom settings from one iPhone to another—even when operating system versions don’t match.

So, whether you’re transitioning from iPhone 16 to iPhone 17—or just making the leap from iOS 18 to iOS 26—Smart Transfer data send app ensures your personal content moves with you, quickly and safely.

Is Year-Based Naming the Future?

Apple’s rumored shift to a year-based OS naming system feels like a natural evolution. It’s clean, consistent, and easier for users to understand across the Apple ecosystem. While the jump from iOS 18 to iOS 26 might seem sudden, the logic is sound—and it may simplify the tech landscape for years to come.

Still, questions linger. Will the iPhone naming follow suit? Could we soon see a world with “iPhone 2026” instead of iPhone 18? Whether this branding experiment sticks or evolves even further, one thing is certain: Apple is rewriting its own rules—and we’re all along for the ride.

What do you think of the year-based naming trend? Let us know in the comments below!