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On the heels of its Awe-Dropping iPhone 17 motorboat event, Apple announced the nationalist merchandise of iOS 26 connected September 15. Earlier this year, Apple unveiled immoderate important updates to its operating systems at WWDC 2025, including a ocular redesign for iOS 26. The new Liquid Glass interface offers users a much accordant plan and acquisition crossed each Apple devices.
Also: iPhone Air vs. Samsung S25 Edge: I compared some bladed phones, and there's a wide winner
The iOS 26 nationalist beta is disposable now, but the authoritative mentation is slated to beryllium released arsenic a escaped bundle update connected Monday. While nationalist betas springiness enthusiasts and mundane users a mode to trial the latest iteration of Apple's software, astir iPhone users hold for the unchangeable merchandise of iOS. If you're 1 of them, you're apt wondering if your iPhone volition beryllium compatible with the latest operating system. Read connected to larn which iPhone models volition enactment iOS 26 and which ones volition not.
According to Apple, the pursuing iPhone models can upgrade to iOS 26 erstwhile it becomes wide available:
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17 Air
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd procreation oregon later)
Also: Will your aged iPhone, Mac, oregon iPad tally Apple's latest updates? Check this list
Notably, the once-popular iPhone X, XS, XR, and XS Max models are not connected the list.
If you're acquainted with erstwhile iOS versions, you apt noticed that Apple skipped from iOS 18 to iOS 26. After years of sequentially numbering bundle updates for each its devices, Apple rebranded each its operating systems with 26.
That doesn't mean that this is the 26th procreation of Apple's yearly update cycle; Apple simply renamed its bundle versions to usage the upcoming calendar year, overmuch similar car models.
Also: Every iPhone 17 exemplary compared: Should you bargain the basal model, Air, Pro, oregon Max?
This was decidedly a branding move, arsenic Apple unified its OS versions crossed each its platforms. You'll present person iPadOS 25, MacOS 26, WatchOS 26, etc. This alignment goes on with the Liquid Glass decorativeness crossed each devices, which reflects the unified upgrade.
The Apple marque is beardown and holds important resale value, truthful you tin ever merchantability your older iPhone and disclose that it's nary longer supported for bundle updates. There's a batch of request for older iPhones that are inactive functional and budget-friendly, but you tin besides commercialized them for recognition toward a caller device.
Apple, Best Buy, and Amazon are conscionable immoderate retailers that judge iPhone trade-ins. iPhones' resale and trade-in values beryllium heavy connected their information and retention capacity. Features similar an intact surface and a moving camera greatly power resale oregon trade-in values.
You tin cheque your iPhone's trade-in worth astatine 1 of these retailers oregon astatine a telecommunications company's authorized dealer.
Apple launches its caller operating systems successful 3 phases: developer beta, nationalist beta, and authoritative wide release.
- Developer beta: This is the rawest bundle mentation that goes retired to a ample audience: developers. The archetypal developer beta of iOS 26 was released connected June 9 during WWDC 2025. Subsequent developer beta updates followed to close bugs and amended the idiosyncratic experience.
- Public beta: The nationalist beta launched successful July. This programme lets anyone with a compatible iPhone, not conscionable registered developers, trial aboriginal bundle versions. It besides helps Apple place and hole bugs oregon show issues earlier the last release.
- General release: Also called a unchangeable oregon authoritative release, the wide merchandise of an operating strategy is erstwhile the institution down it makes it disposable to each users. The wide merchandise of iOS 26 is connected September 15.
Also: iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 14 Pro: Why I'm upgrading to this years exemplary aft 3 years
The iOS 26 beta version, which is disposable now, up of the wide release, differs somewhat from the wide release. The beta signifier gathers feedback, which Apple uses to repair bugs and code immoderate idiosyncratic interface issues earlier the bundle is wide distributed.
Beta versions tin besides beryllium incomplete and are not the last product. This means the iOS 26 developer and nationalist betas are much prone to bugs, glitches, and instability.
Also: How to wide your iPhone cache (and wherefore you should bash it earlier upgrading to iPhone 17)
The wide merchandise volition person ironed retired astir of these bugs and problems utilizing the idiosyncratic feedback gathered during the beta phase, delivering bundle that isn't arsenic prone to issues. However, they tin inactive happen.
For example, successful the 2023 iOS 17 beta, Apple moved the in-call "End" fastener from its acquainted halfway presumption to the right. After beta testers voiced frustration, Apple restored the fastener to the halfway earlier the nationalist release.
A bundle beta is an aboriginal preview of an exertion oregon operating system, released to a prime radical of developers oregon users to stitchery feedback and uncover bugs nether real-world conditions. It follows an interior alpha signifier and helps Apple code issues earlier an authoritative wide release.
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