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Apple’s iPhone 17 launch event featured eight new gadgets, including four new iPhones, three new smartwatches, and the AirPods Pro 3 earbuds. However, if you’re not buying anything new, Apple also announced release dates for its upcoming software updates.
Those with an iPhone 11 or later can download iOS 26 on Monday, Sept. 15, alongside iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, and even visionOS 26.
If Apple follows its normal release schedule, you’ll probably be able to download iOS 26 around 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET on Monday. However, depending on how many other people have the same idea, you may have to wait a couple of hours in a digital queue.
The new mobile OS will introduce its new Liquid Glass design, which has a transparent, layered look for your phone’s interface. In our hands on with the beta, we found that, “It’s a major aesthetic shift from the flatter, more static design seen in recent iOS versions and a welcome addition.”
There’s also an incoming redesign for the Photos app, a new one-handed mode for the Camera app, more dynamic lock screen options, improvements to Messages, and many other features.
The iPadOS update is coming to the iPad Pro M4, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd Gen or later, and the iPad Pro 11-inch 1st Gen or later. It’s also coming to the iPad Air M3 and M2, as well as the iPad Air 3rd Gen or later. For the standard model, it will come to the iPad A16, alongside the iPad 8th Gen or later, and the iPad mini A17 Pro gets the update alongside the iPad mini 5th Gen or later.
For the Apple Watch, things are a little simpler. watchOS 26 will be available on all standard models from the Apple Watch Series 6 and up, the Apple Watch SE 2, and all Apple Watch Ultra models. The 2020 Apple Watch SE will miss out on this upgrade.
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For macOS 26 Tahoe, there are a lot of supported products. Those include the MacBook Air with Apple silicon from 2020 or later, MacBook Pro with Apple silicon from 2020 or later, MacBook Pro 16-inch from 2019, and the MacBook Pro 13-inch from 2020 with four Thunderbolt 3 ports. Other models include the 2019 or later Mac Pro, Mac Studio from 2022 or later, Mac mini from 2020 or later, and iMac from 2020 or later.
Finally, the Apple Vision Pro headset is getting an update with visionOS 26.
The upcoming tvOS 26 release has yet to be given a firm date, with the company sticking to its “coming this fall” message on its website.
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About James Peckham
Reporter
I’ve been a journalist for over a decade after getting my start in tech reporting back in 2013. I joined PCMag in 2025, where I cover the latest developments across the tech sphere, writing about the gadgets and services you use every day. Be sure to send me any tips you think PCMag would be interested in.
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