Apple iphone ios 26: Apple officially unveiled iOS 26 at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, marking a major shift in its naming convention. Instead of launching iOS 19, Apple has decided to align its operating system versions with the upcoming calendar year—similar to the strategy followed by automobile manufacturers. This approach extends across all Apple platforms, including iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, aiming for consistency and clarity in its software lineup.
The final version of iOS 26 is expected to be released globally—including in India—on September 16, 2025, shortly after the debut of the iPhone 17 series. Apple has not officially confirmed region-specific timings, but based on previous years, the India rollout is expected to coincide with the global release. For developers, the first beta version is available immediately after the WWDC keynote, while the Public Beta 1 is scheduled to go live on July 15, 2025. Users who wish to try it can enrol by backing up their devices, navigating to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates, and selecting either Developer or Public Beta.
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iOS 26 brings with it a significant visual redesign through a new interface called “Liquid Glass.” This refreshed aesthetic introduces softer icons, fluid animations, and rounded edges across menus, widgets, lock screens, and system apps. Native applications like Photos and Camera have also been updated for better usability and a more unified look. This marks the most notable design transformation since the launch of iOS 7.
A major highlight of iOS 26 is the introduction of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s new suite of AI-powered features. These include improvements to Writing Tools, new emoji creation tools (Genmoji), and an upgraded Image Playground. Although a full Siri overhaul is still in development, Apple is reportedly in discussions with Google to potentially integrate Gemini AI into its voice assistant. On-device AI will also optimise battery usage by learning from user behaviour, offering more efficient performance, especially for newer and thinner models like the upcoming iPhone 17 Air.
iOS 26 will only be supported on iPhones equipped with the A13 Bionic chip or newer. Supported models include the iPhone 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 series, as well as all devices in the iPhone 17 lineup, and the iPhone SE (2nd generation and later). Devices like the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max are no longer eligible for the update but will continue to receive essential security updates on iOS 18 for a limited period.
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Notably, Apple Intelligence features will only be available on iPhones running at least the A17 Pro chip, meaning that older models, while compatible with iOS 26’s visual and functional upgrades, will miss out on advanced AI capabilities like image generation, content summarisation, and upgraded personal assistant tools.
With iOS 26, Apple is not just delivering a cosmetic overhaul, but also steering its software into a more intelligent and adaptive future—one shaped by generative AI, better performance, and a user-focused experience.
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