Why Apple is jumping from iOS 18 to iOS 26 and which iPhones are compatible with the new operating system

In the world of technology, there have been instances where certain numbers have been “skipped” by developers... as was the case with Windows 9 and the iPhone 9. Now that Apple is ready to launch its new OS, many people are wondering why it is jumping from iOS 18 to iOS 26 and why there is no iOS 19. This is not new in large companies, as Samsung also jumped from its S10 mobile phone to the S20. It is a change that seeks to find a more manageable and recognizable number, often motivated by the idea of unifying a product line and relating it to a specific moment in time. In other words, the main reason why the American company is betting on 26 is that the heyday of its new devices will take place in 2026.

By the way, although it is currently in public beta, iOS 26 will arrive in September 2025 (probably in the middle of the month) and, as usual, older iPhone models will not be compatible. Here is a list of all the models that will receive the update, so if you have one of them, you can rest assured for the next few years.

iPhones compatible with iOS 26

• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone iPhone 16e
• iPhone SE (2nd generation)

As you can see, the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max are no longer supported, so they will not be updated beyond the latest version of iOS 18.

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