Apple is set to introduce a major change to how it names its operating systems. Starting this year, its suite of platforms—including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS—will be renamed to reflect the calendar year. Rather than iOS 19, for example, the next update will be called iOS 26. This update, which affects all Apple devices, is expected to be announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on 9 June.
A unified design across platforms
This change coincides with a broader design refresh that Apple will roll out across all operating systems. Inspired by the interface of visionOS, the redesign aims to create a more unified user experience across Apple’s ecosystem. This marks the first full-scale design overhaul since Apple’s introduction of visionOS.
Practicality behind the calendar shift
According to Bloomberg, Apple’s reasoning is practical: updates released at the end of one year are often in use well into the next. A version called iOS 25, for instance, would already seem outdated by January 2026. The vehicle-industry-style naming system helps prevent this confusion by clearly aligning updates with the calendar year.
Minimal impact on the secondary market
Despite the branding and design changes, the global secondary mobile market is unlikely to see much disruption. Apple is expected to reveal the list of compatible devices when it launches iOS 26 later this year. As usual, these updates will only apply to certain models, but the renaming itself doesn’t affect hardware functionality or resale demand. With Apple dominating the refurbished smartphone market, especially in Europe and North America, stable software support remains key—but not a game-changer on its own.
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