While the Apple community is waiting for the iOS 18 update to arrive on their supported iPhones, the company has already started working on its software updates for next year. In his latest newsletter, Bloomberg"s Mark Gurman revealed codenames of Apple"s major software updates for 2025 and said the company has "formally begun work" on them.
The following names refer to Apple"s future operating systems:
- iOS 19: Luck
- macOS 16: Cheer
- watchOS 12: Nepali
- visionOS 3: Discovery
Unlike iOS, Android used to have cheeky nicknames after popular desserts for its software updates every year. That ended in 2019 when Google dropped the dessert names saying it wanted to become more global and inclusive.
However, Apple has long had codenames for internal use when referring to unreleased hardware and software. Apple"s iOS codenames are mostly based on ski resorts, for instance, iOS 1.0 was called "Alpine," iOS 2.0 was called "Big Bear," and so on.
On the other hand, the company has used public nicknames for macOS since it was called OS X. Apple used to name its operating systems after big cats before switching to landmarks. This year"s macOS 15 update is named after the Sequoia National Park.
Apart from that, there is no word on what features will be available in Apple"s future updates. It"s a fast-paced world and companies often work on multiple versions of their products at the same time.
For instance, there have been reports that the upcoming iPhone 17 will have better scratch resistance than Ceramic Shield and a thinner body. There are rumors of a "Slim" iPhone variant that could bring the biggest redesign since iPhone X and is expected to replace the "Plus" model.
Meanwhile, Apple"s next release iOS 18 has previewed several new features such as a dark mode for home screen, Passwords app, flashlight focus, and the ability to lock iPhone apps. Apple"s suite of AI features called Apple Intelligence is also arriving this year, but it will be available on iPhone 15 Pro models.
Source: Bloomberg