https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-28/apple-to-rebrand-device-operating-systems-ios-26-macos-26-watchos-26?embedded-checkout=trueApple to Rebrand Its Device Operating Systems to Mark Major OverhaulBy Mark Gurman
May 28, 2025 at 2:35 PM EDT
Apple Inc. is planning the most sweeping change yet to its operating system names, part of a software overhaul that extends to all its devices.
The next Apple operating systems will be identified by year, rather than with a version number, according to people with knowledge of the matter. That means the current iOS 18 will give way to “iOS 26,” said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan is still private. Other updates will be known as iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26.
Apple is making the change to bring consistency to its branding and move away from an approach that can be confusing to customers and developers. Today’s operating systems — including iOS 18, watchOS 12, macOS 15 and visionOS 2 — use different numbers because their initial versions didn’t debut at the same time.
A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment.
The company will announce the shift at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9. The branding will accompany fresh user interfaces across the operating systems — an attempt to ensure a more cohesive experience when people move between devices. The new look, dubbed Solarium internally, will include tvOS, watchOS and parts of visionOS, Bloomberg News reported this week.
More at URL above...Poster's comment:Anything from Mark Gurman should be taken "as a rumor", subject to confirmation at WWDC in June. However... it's "close enough" to June to speculate that Apple does intend to do this...
