Archive chapter
What changed across Apple in 2026: ecosystem turning points, hardware launches, software releases and the support boundaries that moved with them.
Historical context
Curated, source-backed moments that explain how products, software and technologies changed direction together. These records add context without duplicating the canonical product or OS facts below.
At WWDC26, Apple introduced Siri AI and the next generation of Apple Intelligence across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27, expanding the intelligence layer across the full software ecosystem.
Related software
Technology threads
Software history
Verified public releases in 2026, including major-version milestones, maintenance updates and products that lost major-version support.
iPhone OS / iOS
1 public releases in this major line · 0 point updates
iOS 27 introduces a more capable and conversational Siri with personal context understanding, app actions, onscreen awareness, broad world knowledge, and a dedicated Siri app that syncs conversations through iCloud.
The next generation of Apple Intelligence expands across system apps, including writing assistance, natural-language automation, and more context-aware actions in everyday workflows.
Photos adds Spatial Reframing, the Extend tool, and a more capable Clean Up experience for changing composition, expanding images, and removing larger distractions with higher-quality results.
Safari can organize tabs by topic, monitor webpages for changes with Notify Me, and create custom website extensions from natural-language descriptions.
Describe a Shortcut can create or refine shortcuts from natural language, while Calendar can turn a natural-language event description into structured event details.
New parental controls and Screen Time improvements make it easier for families to manage communication, content, browsing, and app access for children.
iOS 27 includes broader improvements to design, responsiveness, connectivity, search, and day-to-day reliability.
iPadOS
1 public releases in this major line · 0 point updates
iPadOS 27 introduces a more capable and conversational Siri with personal context understanding, app actions, onscreen awareness, broad world knowledge, and conversation sync through the dedicated Siri app.
Visual Intelligence can search, answer questions, or act on onscreen content, while Apple Pencil can be used to highlight the exact content you want to ask Siri about.
The next generation of Apple Intelligence expands across iPad apps with new writing, image-generation, automation, Home, Mail, and Calendar capabilities.
Photos adds Spatial Reframing, Extend, and an improved Clean Up tool for changing composition, expanding images, and removing larger distractions.
Safari can automatically group tabs by topic, monitor webpages for changes with Notify Me, and generate custom extensions from natural-language descriptions.
New family controls make it easier to manage communication, browsing, content, app access, and appropriate digital experiences for children.
iPadOS 27 includes wider improvements to design, performance, connectivity, search, and everyday responsiveness.
Major-version support ended
Mac OS X / OS X / macOS
1 public releases in this major line · 0 point updates
macOS Golden Gate introduces a more personal, capable, and conversational Siri that can use personal context, work across apps, answer broader questions, and resume conversations in a dedicated Siri app.
Visual Intelligence can analyze a selected part of the screen so Siri can answer questions or take actions based on what is currently visible.
Spatial Reframing, Extend, and improved Clean Up tools let users recompose photos, expand their boundaries, and remove distractions with more realistic results.
Safari gains automatic topic grouping for tabs, Notify Me for monitored webpage changes, and natural-language creation of custom website extensions.
Shortcuts can be created or refined from a natural-language description, assembling the required actions automatically.
Golden Gate improves Liquid Glass readability, adds an appearance slider, and further refines toolbars, sidebars, and app icons.
Expanded parental controls cover content, communication, browsing permissions, schedules, and more flexible time allowances.
The release improves responsiveness and reliability across Spotlight, Mail search, AirDrop transfers, network file browsing, and other everyday workflows.
Major-version support ended
Apple TV Software / tvOS
1 public releases in this major line · 0 point updates
Apple Podcasts on tvOS adds video podcast playback, bringing creators’ video episodes to the big screen.
The Apple Podcasts experience on tvOS is redesigned with a new sidebar that makes browsing and moving through the app easier.
tvOS adds support for episode and show artwork supplied by podcast creators, making the television browsing experience richer and more visual.
Major-version support ended
visionOS
1 public releases in this major line · 0 point updates
visionOS 27 introduces a more capable conversational Siri that can be placed in space, addressed by looking at it, use personal context and app actions, and sync conversations through the dedicated Siri app.
Visual Intelligence lets users ask Siri about physical objects in the room or content on screen simply by looking at it.
Panoramas can become spatial scenes, Personal Environments can be created from meaningful panoramas, and supported apps can use curved windows for more comfortable viewing.
Supported macOS apps can move 3D models from Mac Virtual Display into the user’s space for true-scale preview and editing with live updates.
Safari topic organization, an all-new Image Playground, Home activity summaries, video descriptions, and camera clip search expand Apple Intelligence across visionOS apps.
Wi-Fi connection after startup can be up to three times faster, while notifications and Control Center gain quicker glance-based and better-organized interactions.
visionOS 27 adds 4K unfoveated recording for up to three minutes and higher-resolution mirroring to another display.
watchOS
1 public releases in this major line · 0 point updates
watchOS 27 brings a more capable conversational Siri, a dedicated Siri app, and deeper context-aware assistance when paired with supported Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone models.
Workout Buddy adds new motivational insights and can work without the paired iPhone nearby when the watch has a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
Cycle Tracking can provide cycle-deviation notifications suggestive of perimenopause for eligible users age 40 and over.
A new single-handed tap gesture lets users select Smart Stack widgets by tapping the index finger and thumb together, with new context-aware widget suggestions.
The app grid becomes dynamic, highlighting frequently and recently used apps for faster access.
Find My is consolidated into one watch app with People, Devices, and Items organized around a map-centric interface.
Workout and Fitness improve treadmill distance calculation and post-workout route accuracy.
watchOS 27 adds proactive battery-extension suggestions, offline Shazam recognition, and Liquid Glass readability and contrast refinements.
Major-version support ended
Public release history
99 public point updates are recorded for this year. Expand a platform to inspect the version-by-version release dates.
Hardware releases
Filters below affect the hardware list only. Product relationships and generation deltas still come from the canonical lineage catalog.
15 catalogued products
iPad · Air
Brings Apple M4 silicon with a 38 TOPS Neural Engine, 12GB unified memory, and Apple N1 Wi-Fi 7 networking to the 11-inch iPad Air.
Powerful 2nd-generation 3nm silicon featuring a faster next-gen CPU and GPU with hardware ray tracing, higher unified memory bandwidth, and a 16-core Neural Engine capable of 38 trillion operations per second (38 TOPS); delivers up to 30 percent faster overall performance than iPad Air with M3 and up to 2.3x faster performance than iPad Air with M1.
Standardized on 12GB of high-speed unified memory across all storage tiers (up from 8GB), significantly expanding headroom for complex local AI models, 4K multi-stream editing, and multi-app multitasking.
Apple-designed wireless silicon introducing Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) support with multi-link operation and ultra-low latency to the iPad Air tier.
Apple-designed in-house 5G cellular modem delivering up to 50 percent faster cellular data speeds with enhanced energy efficiency on cellular configurations.
Full hardware acceleration for iPadOS 26 features, on-device intelligence tools, and generative workflows.
11-inch Liquid Retina display (LED-backlit IPS, 2360-by-1640 resolution at 264 ppi, 500 nits brightness, P3 wide color, True Tone, fully laminated with anti-reflective coating).
Landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage.
Apple Pencil Pro support (squeeze, barrel roll, haptics, hover, Find My) and Apple Pencil (USB-C) support.
Top-button Touch ID biometric sensor.
Magic Keyboard for iPad Air compatibility.
6.1 mm thin aluminum unibody enclosure weighing 462 g.
USB-C port supporting 10 Gbps transfer speeds (USB 3.1 Gen 2).
Starting price held at $599 (US) for 128GB ($549 for education).
iPad · Air
Equips the expansive 13-inch iPad Air canvas with Apple M4 silicon, 12GB unified memory, Apple N1 Wi-Fi 7 networking, and 2x bass stereo sound.
2nd-generation 3nm architecture delivering up to 30 percent faster overall performance than iPad Air with M3 and 2.3x faster performance than M1, featuring a 10-core GPU with hardware ray tracing, mesh shading, Dynamic Caching, and a 16-core Neural Engine capable of 38 TOPS.
Standardized 12GB of unified system memory across all configurations (up from 8GB), expanding memory bandwidth and enabling demanding on-device AI models and multi-layer creative workflows.
In-house Apple wireless silicon providing Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) connectivity with multi-link operation and reduced latency.
Apple-designed high-efficiency 5G modem on cellular configurations delivering up to 50 percent faster data speeds.
Full hardware acceleration for iPadOS 26 capabilities and generative intelligence tools.
13-inch Liquid Retina display (LED-backlit IPS, 2732-by-2048 resolution at 264 ppi, 600 nits brightness, P3 wide color, True Tone, fully laminated, anti-reflective coating).
Landscape stereo speakers with 2x bass response.
Landscape 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage.
Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C) compatibility, with squeeze, barrel roll, haptics, and hover preview.
Top-button Touch ID capacitive biometric sensor.
Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Air compatibility.
6.1 mm aluminum unibody enclosure weighing 617 g.
Starting price preserved at $799 (US) for 128GB ($749 for education).
iPhone · e
A19, C1X, Ceramic Shield 2, MagSafe, and 256GB base storage mature the new e branch.
The entry branch gained the magnetic charging and accessory ecosystem.
The e branch advanced from C1 to C1X with substantially higher cellular performance.
Mac · MacBook Air
M5 MacBook Air doubles starting storage to 512GB and adds Apple N1 wireless with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 while preserving the fanless Air form.
M5 chip in 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air.
Apple N1 wireless chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
Starting SSD capacity doubles to 512GB; configuration expands to 4TB.
Fanless aluminum Air design, 12MP Center Stage camera, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Mac · MacBook Pro
M5 Pro and M5 Max bring next-generation CPU/GPU architecture, per-core Neural Accelerators and a 1TB starting-storage baseline to the Pro/Max MacBook Pro tier.
M5 Pro and M5 Max on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Neural Accelerator in each GPU core.
Starting storage moves to 1TB across the refreshed professional configurations.
Apple states SSD speeds up to twice as fast as the previous generation.
Mac · MacBook Neo
MacBook Neo opens a new low-cost Mac notebook branch using the A18 Pro, a 13-inch Liquid Retina display and an unprecedented entry price.
New MacBook Neo notebook branch.
A18 Pro chip in a Mac.
13-inch 2408×1506 Liquid Retina display in a compact entry notebook.
Entry Mac notebook pricing moves substantially below MacBook Air.
AirPods · Max
H2 brings up to 1.5x more effective ANC, Adaptive Audio, Live Translation, and 24-bit/48kHz lossless audio over USB-C while expanding AirPods Max into Apple-documented professional creation and mixing workflows.
Transitions AirPods Max from the H1 era to H2; the cited Apple launch source does not specify a chip count, so no per-ear-cup quantity is asserted here.
Apple claims H2 and new computational-audio algorithms deliver ANC that is up to 1.5x more effective than the previous generation.
Over-ear computational listening modes dynamically blend ANC and Transparency based on environmental noise, lower media when the user talks, and isolate vocal frequencies on calls.
Real-time spoken language translation integrated into over-ear audio.
Pure digital lossless wired audio and ultra-low latency playback via the included USB-C cable.
Allows musicians and producers to both create and mix in Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking directly via USB-C on Mac.
High-performance microphone array unlocks broadcast-grade vocal recording for podcasts and content creation.
Integrated headphone controls allow triggering camera capture on paired devices.
Custom amplifier architecture delivers cleaner audio reproduction and ultra-low distortion across the frequency spectrum.
Algorithmic overhaul optimized for H2 makes environmental voices and ambient surroundings sound significantly more natural.
Premium stainless steel headband frame, breathable knit mesh canopy, anodized aluminum ear cups, tactile Digital Crown, dedicated noise control button, and magnetic memory foam ear cushions.
Mac · Mac mini
The compact redesigned Mac mini moves to M6/M5 Pro, adding Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and 2.5Gb Ethernet while substantially increasing local AI throughput.
M6 and M5 Pro configuration choices.
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and standard 2.5Gb Ethernet.
M6 becomes the first 2nm Apple chip used in Mac mini.
The ultracompact 2024 enclosure and front/rear port concept continue.
Mac · Mac Studio
Mac Studio moves to M5 Max and the new quad-die M5 Ultra, preserving up to 512GB memory while pushing local AI and graphics performance higher.
M5 Max and M5 Ultra configuration choices.
M5 Ultra quad-die architecture.
Apple reports substantially higher AI, graphics, storage and CPU performance than the prior Mac Studio generation.
Up to 512GB unified memory and the compact Mac Studio enclosure.
AirPods · Standard
Open-ear Active Noise Cancellation made standard, multiport acoustic architecture, and hands-free Siri AI bring Pro-tier sound and contextual intelligence to the $129 entry tier.
Active Noise Cancellation is no longer an optional upsell, delivering up to 50 percent more noise reduction compared to AirPods 4 with ANC even in the entry-level $129 tier.
Inspired by AirPods Pro 3 and re-engineered for an open-ear fit, managing airflow to deliver richer sound, deeper bass, and broader soundstage across ear geometries.
Dynamically optimizes frequency response to match individual ear acoustic impedance in real time.
Deep integration with Apple's personal intelligence system allows users to query personal context and receive synthesized answers completely hands-free.
Enables real-time spoken language translation directly through open-ear audio.
Upgraded dust, sweat, and water resistance for rigorous daily use.
Premium $149 configuration adds a wireless charging case (Qi/Apple Watch compatible), extended battery life, and on-stem volume control.
More natural acoustic representation of nearby voices and environmental cues.
Brings full ANC, Adaptive Audio, and Conversation Awareness to the baseline $129 price point.
Delivers natural comfort without ear canal occlusion.
Pocketable form factor with USB-C wired charging.
Squeeze controls on stem combined with head gesture Siri interactions.
Apple Watch · Series
A re-architected Health Sensing System with 5-second heart rate sensing, daily Readiness score, S11 chip, Ceramic Shield 2, return of the ceramic edition, and privacy-first Audio Intelligence define Series 12.
Re-architected optical and electrical heart sensing subsystem featuring larger, power-efficient green LEDs and high-speed processing, measuring heart rate passively every 5 seconds continuously throughout the day.
Measures Heart Rate Variability up to 24 times more frequently than Series 11, separating HRV into two distinct physiological indicators: Recovery HRV (for short-term autonomic recovery and daily stress) and Overall HRV (for long-term cardiovascular health).
Evaluates physical capacity and recovery throughout the day by synthesizing HRV, sleep quality metrics, resting heart rate, and training load.
Next-generation wearable silicon incorporating a dedicated hardware-isolated Secure Exclave compartment for private, ephemeral audio processing.
On-wrist intelligence features including Sound Recognition (alerts users who are deaf or hard of hearing to sirens, alarms, doorbells, or crying babies), Live Rewind (double pressing the Digital Crown transcribes and displays the previous 15 seconds of conversation), and Siri Recap (automatically generates private conversation summary notes in the Siri app).
Advanced nanocrystal glass formulation offering 60 percent greater toughness than the Ion-X glass on Series 11 aluminum models.
Premium ceramic case returns to the Apple Watch portfolio in Pearl White and Night Blue finishes.
(minor): Redesigned machine-learning pedometer model enabling real-time step counting directly on watch face complications.
(minor): Pinching the index finger and thumb together selects widgets in the Smart Stack, complementing double-tap scrolling.
Extended to 10 hours during outdoor GPS workouts with continuous heart rate sensing, a 25 percent increase over Series 11.
15 minutes of charging delivers up to 12 hours of battery life, a 50 percent improvement in charging speed.
(minor): Aluminum cases available in Dark Bronze, Black, Light Gold, and Space Gray; Titanium in Radiant Gold and Natural; Ceramic in Pearl White and Night Blue.
Retains the 24-hour baseline established by Series 11 despite 5-second continuous optical sensor sampling.
Preserves the thin enclosure geometry and backward band compatibility from Series 10/11.
Apple Watch · Ultra
The Health Sensing System and S11 chip join the rugged Ultra branch, delivering 50-hour multiday battery life, 45-hour Max Extended Workout tracking, daily Readiness scoring, and privacy-first Audio Intelligence.
Re-architected optical and electrical heart sensing subsystem adapted for extreme sports and outdoor conditions, measuring heart rate passively every 5 seconds continuously throughout the day.
Samples HRV up to 24 times more frequently, delivering distinct Recovery HRV and Overall HRV metrics synthesized into a continuous, real-time Readiness score.
Ultra-endurance workout mode providing up to 45 hours of outdoor running, walking, or hiking tracking — sufficient for a 100-mile ultramarathon race — while continuing to record GPS location once every second.
Most powerful wearable chip featuring a hardware-isolated Secure Exclave compartment for secure, ephemeral audio processing.
Integrates Sound Recognition (alerts for sirens, alarms, doorbells, crying babies), Live Rewind (15-second conversation transcription via double-press of the Digital Crown), and Siri Recap conversation summaries.
(minor): First Hermès edition created specifically for the Ultra line, featuring an exclusive titanium nautical buckle and marine-inspired bands.
Normal battery life increased from 42 hours (Ultra 3) to up to 50 hours (more than two full days).
Extended runtime in Low Power Mode increased from 72 hours to up to 84 hours (3.5 days).
Continuous workout tracking with full GPS and heart rate in Extended Workout mode increased by 25 percent (from 20 hours to 25 hours).
15 minutes of fast charging provides up to 18 hours of battery life.
Emergency SOS via satellite, Find My via satellite, and Messages via satellite included free for two years (carried over from Ultra 3).
Retains Natural and Black Titanium 49mm chassis, flat sapphire front crystal, 3,000 nits display, 100m water resistance, 40m recreational dive gauge, and customizable Action button.
iPhone · Pro
Variable aperture, A20 Pro, a smaller Dynamic Island, and next-generation vapor cooling define the latest Pro.
A variable aperture adds physical light/depth-of-field control to the main camera system.
The front sensor area became smaller while retaining the Dynamic Island interaction model.
The Pro line moved to the A20 Pro generation with expanded performance and efficiency.
iPhone · Pro Max
The Max branch combines the variable-aperture system and A20 Pro with the generation’s largest battery increase.
The Pro Max gained the same variable-aperture main camera architecture as iPhone 18 Pro.
Apple highlights a substantial battery-life increase on the largest Pro model.
iPhone · Duo
Apple’s first foldable iPhone introduces a dual-display hinged form and a reworked iOS layout model.
A precision hinge and inner/outer displays create the first foldable iPhone form factor.
The software experience was reworked for continuity across outer and inner displays.