logo
Is Apple finally fixing its confusing naming system?

Is Apple finally fixing its confusing naming system?

Yahooa day ago

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
It's that time of the year when rumours about Apple's next operating system updates start flying. True to form, we've seen plenty of speculation about big visionOS-inspired UI design changes in iOS 19 and macOS 16. But is that what the next systems will even be called?
It's now being suggested that Apple will overhaul its OS naming conventions and will brand the next generation of software by year rather than release number. That would mean that instead of iOS 19, macOS 16, WatchOS 12 and visionOS 3, we would see the releases of iOS 26, MacOS 26, WatchOS 26 and visionOS 26.
If that change sounds familiar, that might be because it's like what Samsung did with its flagship Galaxy S phones back in 2020. It's about time Apple made the same move.
Apple's operating systems currently all have different numbers because they were all launched at different times. iPhones are currently on iOS 18, Macs on MacOS 15 and Vision Pro, which was released just last year, is on visionOS 2.
The rumour about a change in branding comes from a credible source. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has been right about many Apple rumours in the pasts. He writes: "Apple will use the upcoming year rather than the current one. Though its next operating systems will launch around September 2025, they'll be named for 2026 — not unlike how car companies market their vehicles. If Apple keeps the strategy, the following set of releases will carry the 27 moniker."
The move would bring consistency to Apple software branding and make it easier for both customers and developers to know what release each OS is on. There would be no more having to remember each system's number since you would just have to know what year it is.
For the moment, it seems Apple isn't considering the same change for its hardware, so the next iPhone will presumably be the iPhone 17 as expected (and iPhone 17 Air if the rumours are true). But why stop at software? I'd say it makes sense to apply the same logic to devices.
Gurman compares the move to car manufacturers, but it's hard not to also recall how Samsung made a change like this with its hardware. Apple's rival jumped from the Galaxy S10 in 2019 straight to the S20 in 2020. And it was an ingenious move.
Not only did it make it easier for customers to remember what phone they have and identify the current model, but Samsung leap-frogged over Apple in the process. Apple was on iPhone 11 at the time. By turning the Galaxy S11 into the Galaxy S22, it suddenly made it sound like Samsung was ahead.
The South Korean tech giant usually releases new Galaxy models in January, while Apple launches iPhones in September. If Apple called the next generation iPhone 26 instead of iPhone 17 it could beat Samsung at its own game and would always be a few months ahead. That might sound petty, but numbers can be powerful in branding. Just remember how Microsoft chose the name Xbox 360 to avoid being seen as a generation behind PlayStation.
I'm sure some fans like the iPhone release number tradition, but Apple's already played fast and loose with that by skipping iPhone 9 so it could launch iPhone X on the phone's 10th anniversary, and it would have to repeat that move if it wants to release an iPhone 20 in 2027. Let's just ditch the release numbers and go with the year. You know it makes sense, Apple.
You can see the best deals on Apple's current iPhone lineup below. Also see our pick of the best camera phones for other options.
What do you think? Should iPhone 17 become iPhone 26? Let us know in the comments section below.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

What is Liquid Glass? Internet reacts to Apple's new software design
What is Liquid Glass? Internet reacts to Apple's new software design

USA Today

time18 minutes ago

  • USA Today

What is Liquid Glass? Internet reacts to Apple's new software design

What is Liquid Glass? Internet reacts to Apple's new software design Show Caption Hide Caption Apple keeps it simple on AI, unveils 'liquid glass' redesign Apple unveiled a new design language and upgrades to its AI offerings at its developers' conference this week, but analysts say it's focusing on practical uses for the technology more than grand leaps in ability. Apple's Liquid Glass made a splashy debut this week, but it might not be for everyone. Some social media users have been quick to criticize or poke fun at the "beautiful, new" software design for iOS 26, which was unveiled at the 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference, an annual information technology conference hosted by the tech juggernaut. The design, dubbed Liquid Glass, was crafted with a "translucent material [that] reflects and refracts its surroundings, while dynamically transforming to help bring greater focus to content," Apple said in a news release. Alan Dye, Apple's vice president of Human Interface Design, called the iOS 26 rollout the company's "broadest software design update ever." 'It combines the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve, as it transforms depending on your content or context," said Dye in a statement. Here's what to know about Liquid Glass, and what people are saying about it. What is Liquid Glass? Liquid Glass is a new software design, or aesthetic, described by Apple CEO Tim Cook as "Expressive. Delightful. But still instantly familiar." According to Apple, the "look" makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful while being instantly familiar. It is translucent and behaves like glass in the real world and its color is informed by surrounding content and intelligently adapts between light and dark environments. The new design, unlike previous iterations, will extend across platforms, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, tvOS 26 and watchOS 26. Internet reacts to Apple's 'Liquid Glass' Many people like the idea of Apple's "Liquid Glass," but the execution, not as much. Some of the most prominent concerns include the readability of notifications and the distortion to the image behind the squiggly, bubble-shaped app outline. "The new liquid glass looks abysmal and is a perfect example of focusing on form/prettiness/design over of functionality/readability/practicality like, what are we doing here," an X user wrote in a June 9 post. Some have also speculated the new design would not have passed the sniff test of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. "Steve Jobs had very famously said that design was how it works, not how it thoughts on liquid glass would have been interesting," one user wrote, referencing a famous quote from the founder. Others, still, felt that Apple completely missed the mark by offering the "liquid glass display" instead of revisiting the AI upgrades unveiled at last year's WWDC. Memes, critiques and threads have surfaced on social in the wake of Apple's announcement. See a compilation of posts made about "Liquid Glass" below: Contributing: James Powel and Mike Snider, USA TODAY

Crashed lander looks back at Earth from the moon
Crashed lander looks back at Earth from the moon

Yahoo

time18 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Crashed lander looks back at Earth from the moon

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Resilience, a lunar lander built and operated by the Japanese company ispace, was part of the Hakuto-R Mission to deploy a "Moonhouse," a tiny colorful art piece, on the moon, while also exploring its surface features using its Tenacious rover. After launching on Jan. 15 from Florida's Space Coast on Hakuto-R Mission 2, ispace's Resilience lander arrived in lunar orbit on May 6. The lander then deftly shifted its path to an orbit just 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the moon's surface. On May 27, Resilience took this photo, with a view of Japan being blocked by the clouds on Earth's surface, according to an ispace tweet. Resilience hovers over the moon in its lunar orbit, aiming for the Mare Frigoris ("Sea of Cold") on the moon's near side, as a landing site. With Resilience, the Japanese company ispace hoped to be one of the first to land a private spacecraft on the moon. Unfortunately, its first mission, in April 2023, ended in failure as the crashed during its touchdown attempt. Undeterred, ispace — in collaboration with other agencies like NASA and JAXA — designed and tested Resilience as part of the Hakuto-R Mission 2 (the R stands for "reboot"). Resilience carried five payloads, including a small 11-pound (5 kilograms) rover named Tenacious, which would have been used to collect lunar samples, according to NASA. Unfortunately, the landing for Resilience, scheduled on June 5, 2025, came to an abrupt halt when telemetry data from the lander stopped coming in right before the soft landing, leaving the world wondering what happened to Resilience. A few hours later, ispace announced that Resilience likely crashed on the moon, bringing an end to the mission. You can read more about Resilience and ispace's other missions as the company tries to return to the moon.

You Can Use Apple Wallet for Your Passport—but Only for This 1 Type of Air Travel
You Can Use Apple Wallet for Your Passport—but Only for This 1 Type of Air Travel

Travel + Leisure

time21 minutes ago

  • Travel + Leisure

You Can Use Apple Wallet for Your Passport—but Only for This 1 Type of Air Travel

Domestic travel in the U.S. is about to get easier for certain smartphone users. Apple announced the rollout of a new digital passport that will soon be available on iOS for Apple Wallet users. This digital ID will be accepted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for boarding domestic flights instead of a physical ID. Apple announced the new feature at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9. While this new change will make domestic travel easier for many Apple smartphone and watch users, the digital ID is not a replacement for a physical passport and can only be used for travel for domestic flights. It will not be accepted by TSA for international flights. For travelers flying internationally, it will still be necessary to present a physical passport in order to board a flight. 'When you use your license or ID at a TSA checkpoint, you need to authenticate with the Face ID or Touch ID associated with your license or ID before your phone presents your information to the identity reader,' the Apple website states. 'Depending on where you present your license or ID, there might be additional requirements. For example, when you present your license or ID to the TSA, their identity reader captures your image for comparison with the image presented from your license or ID in Apple Wallet.' There are some exceptions to digital ID's availability. The ID in Apple Wallet generally requires an iPhone 8 or higher, equipped with iOS 16.5 or later. In California, the ID requires iPhone XS or later with iOS 17.5 or later. For Puerto Rico, it is also necessary to have an iPhone XS or later model, but it requires iOS 18.1 at least. Travelers should confirm that their devices support the digital ID before they try to use it at an airport. Across U.S. airports new Real ID rules went into effect on May 7. The new regulations mean travelers on domestic flights must present upgraded state-issue IDs and driver's licenses in order to use those documents to fly. (Domestic travelers can also use passports to board their flights.) Perhaps the introduction of the Apple digital ID will offer another option and make it easier for domestic travelers to have multiple options of IDs to present to TSA when they fly.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store