Apple unveiled the iOS 26 operating system at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 9th, moving away from their traditional numerical naming convention to a year-based system. Some users were puzzled by the choice of naming it “26” in 2025. However, Apple’s forward-thinking approach considers that most users may not upgrade to the new software until 2026.
In the past, Apple had named their software with consecutive numbers, such as iOS 17 in 2023 and iOS 18 in 2024. However, the naming of different software releases seemed somewhat chaotic, with products like watchOS 10 and macOS Sonoma also being introduced in 2023, which did not align with the iOS naming logic.
To bring consistency to the naming of its software products, Apple announced at this year’s WWDC its decision to abandon the long-standing numerical sequence and adopt a year-based naming system. For instance, the newly released iOS version will be in use until 2026, with most users likely upgrading to it in that year. Naming it as iOS 26 helps users understand that this version will drive Apple products through 2026.
Furthermore, during the WWDC Platforms State of the Union keynote on June 9th, Apple made adjustments to hardware support for Mac, announcing that macOS Tahoe 26 will be the final operating system supporting Macs equipped with Intel chips.
Currently, Intel chip Mac models supporting the macOS Tahoe 26 system include the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro, the 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro, the 2020 27-inch iMac, and the 2019 Mac Pro. These models will benefit from new designs, updated Spotlight indexing, Continuity features, and many other enhancements. They will receive security updates for up to three years.
The Rosetta migration tool, previously introduced to assist users transitioning from Intel-based Macs to Apple silicon Macs, will continue to be provided for the next two major macOS versions (until macOS 27). This tool serves as a universal utility to support Intel applications and aid developers in the migration process.
(Data Source: Central News Agency)