While the Apple community waits for the iOS 18 update to hit their supported iPhones, the company has already started working on its software updates for next year. In his latest newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gorman revealed codenames for Apple’s major software updates for 2025 and said the company has “officially started working” on them.
The following names refer to Apple’s future operating systems:
- iOS 19: Luck
- macOS 16: Cheers
- 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 scrapped the dessert names, saying it wanted to be more global and inclusive.
However, Apple has long had code names for internal use when referring to unreleased hardware and software. Apple’s iOS code names are mainly based on ski resorts, for example, iOS 1.0 is called “Alpine”, iOS 2.0 is 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 call its operating systems after big cats before moving to landmarks. This year’s macOS 15 update is named after Sequoia National Park.
Other than that, there’s no word on what features will be available in future Apple updates. It’s a fast-paced world and companies often work on multiple versions of their products at the same time.
For example, there have been reports that the upcoming iPhone 17 will have better scratch resistance than a ceramic protector and a thinner body. There are rumors of a “thin” version of the iPhone that could bring the biggest redesign since the iPhone X and is expected to replace the “Plus” model.
Meanwhile, Apple’s next release iOS 18 previewed several new features such as a dark mode for the home screen, a password app, flashlight focus, and the ability to lock iPhone apps. Apple’s AI feature suite called Apple Intelligence is also coming this year, but it will be available on the iPhone 15 Pro models.
source: Bloomberg