Apple OS 26: What’s announced and what’s still unclear

At Apple’s September 9 event Apple previewed iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 (codename: Tahoe) and visionOS 26. Several outlets have reported a public release date of September 15, but Apple has not yet published official OS release dates or compatibility pages confirming that specific date. For the latest official information, check Apple Newsroom and Apple Support.

Apple Newsroom · Apple Support

Key changes

• Liquid Glass design: A system-wide design refresh centered on translucency and fluid motion.
• New version numbering: Apple aligned OS version numbers with release years (e.g., iOS 26) rather than incremental counts.

Reported/publicized availability

Some reports list September 15 as the day these OS versions leave beta; this has not been confirmed by Apple at time of posting. visionOS 26 availability for Apple Vision Pro was reported as “next week” by some sources; again, Apple has not posted an official schedule.

Device compatibility (reported)

iPhone (iOS 26)

Compatible devices reported: iPhone 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and iPhone 17 (pre‑installed), plus iPhone SE (2nd gen and later).

Apple Watch (watchOS 26)

Reported compatibility: Apple Watch Series 6 and later, Apple Watch SE (2nd gen), and all Apple Watch Ultra models.

macOS 26 (macOS Tahoe)

Reported compatible Macs include:

• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro (16‑inch, 2019)
• MacBook Pro (13‑inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• iMac (2020 and later)
• Mac mini (2020 and later)
• Mac Studio (2022 and later)
• Mac Pro (2019 and later)

iPadOS 26

Reported compatible iPad models:

• iPad Pro (M4)
• iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (3rd generation and later)
• iPad Pro 11‑inch (1st generation and later)
• iPad Air (M2 and M3)
• iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
• iPad (A16)
• iPad (8th generation and later)
• iPad mini (A17 Pro)
• iPad mini (5th generation and later)

tvOS 26: Apple lists tvOS 26 as “coming this fall” and has not provided a launch date. It is expected for Apple TV 4K (2nd gen and later) when released.

Where coverage differs

Some news sites published specific release dates (e.g., Sept 15) following the event. Apple’s official pages did not confirm those dates at the time of posting. We recommend waiting for Apple’s official announcement (Apple Newsroom or Apple Support) before assuming a firm release date.

Quick links & shopping

Official: Apple Newsroom · Apple Support

Shop/search (Amazon): Apple Watch on Amazon
Apple Vision Pro on Amazon (search)

Bottom line

Apple showed major OS updates and a big design shift. Release timing reported by some outlets may not be final — watch Apple’s Newsroom and Support pages for official release notes and compatibility documents. Will you upgrade on day one? Leave a comment below.

Note: Links point to official Apple pages and Amazon search results with affiliate tag.