Why Apple's next macOS might signal a shift. Here's why
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Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is more than a week away, and as always with each event, the company has a lot to show off.
One of the big news items that could be coming during the show is the changing of the naming conventions for the Apple operating systems for its devices. These OS versions are numbered based on how many iterations have been released since the device's launch, but instead of continuing with separate version numbers, Apple will reportedly number all OS versions by the year they come out, such as iOS 26.
This means the new version of macOS would be called macOS 26 if this rumor is true. And according to a new report, the next theme for the next macOS will be a bit of a departure for Apple.
The next macOS will be named Tahoe, as in Lake Tahoe, as reported by Bloomberg. Apple names its macOS after different locations found in California, but Lake Tahoe straddles California and Nevada, which is a little different for the Mac maker.
This new macOS will reportedly be a major redesign for the OS. Apple makes some significant changes to its OS every few years, with the last major redesign coming in 2020 with macOS Big Sur.
Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for confirmation.
WWDC is all about software, making it the time for Apple to show what's changing for iOS, watchOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and visionOS. Of those different operating systems, iPadOS seems to be up for some big changes. It appears Apple wants to make its tablet more like its MacBook in both look and functionality.
AI will have a presence at WWDC across the different OS, but it seems like it might not be as big of a deal at the show as it was for Google at its I/O event and Microsoft with its Build event. Apple is still working on improving its Apple Intelligence and looking to release an overhauled Siri that acts like an AI agent.
Something new for Apple at WWDC could be video games. The company recently acquired a game developer studio and may announce a new gaming app at the show.
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