The Biggest Questions around iOS 26, Answered
Every year we get a nice little feature bump to our devices. Tech companies regularly drop end-of-year software updates to deliver new features and rethink older ones that aren't working. Every now and again, though, we get something a big bigger. A bit bolder.
This year, Apple is delivering such an update: iOS 26 is set to the biggest update to the iPhone's software since 2014's iOS 7, which has served as the backbone of the operating system for a little over a decade.
Here, we're going to break down the biggest questions we have around iOS 26. We'll tell you how you can get involved in the developer beta to try it out ahead of the pack, which phones can actually use these new features, and whether Siri will ever get smarter.
The Biggest Questions around iOS 26
Apple tends to launch major upgrades to its biggest devices in the second half of the year. And while no definitive date has been set just yet, we're expecting iOS 26 to be no different.
Apple itself has said it'll launch in 'Fall 2025'. Those of us used to the company's release schedule know that probably means September, and it'll likely launch alongside the upcoming iPhone 17 series.
It's worth noting that while a developer beta is currently underway, there is a public beta launching in July, 2025.
Our iPhone 16e Running iOS 26's Developer Beta | Image: Dean Blake/Man of Many
2. Which of Apple's devices will support iOS 26?
While the upcoming iPhone 17 series will undoubtedly be the star of the show for iOS 26, Apple is actually supporting devices all the way back to the iPhone 11 generation. Here's a full list of which iPhones will be supported:
iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max
iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 Mini
iPhone 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, and 13 Mini
iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max
iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and 16e
iPhone SE (second and third gen)
It's worth noting that not everything listed here will get every new feature. Everything from the iPhone 11 through to the iPhone 15 Plus will not get access to any of Apple's new AI features, which require at least an Apple A17 Pro processor to function.
3. How do you get into the iOS 26 Developer Beta?
While anyone can download the iOS 26 Developer Beta and start testing its new features on any compatible device, you'll need to jump through a few hoops to get there.
Firstly, you'll need to sign up as an 'Apple Developer' though the business' developer portal, which will flag your Apple account as a developer account. This will allow you to opt-in to 'beta' software updates when they are available: such as the iOS 26 Beta going on right now.
Once you're signed in, you should be able to navigate through Settings -> Software Updates, and will see a new option to turn on Beta Updates. From there, you'll be able to enable the iOS 26 Developer Beta, and your phone will start downloading it.
Now, a word of warning: the beta is currently not quite fit for everyday use. It's a developer beta, not a final release, and is really only supposed to be used by people to make sure apps don't break in the new update. You can absolutely jump in to play around with it, but know that you'll definitely run into bugs and issues.
4. What is Apple's Liquid Glass?
'Liquid Glass' is what Apple is calling it's next major UI refresh, and is bringing a more unified design across most of Apple's major product lines. While Apple's products usually follow a similar design language, they'll now literally follow the same playbook.
The design is based largely around visionOS, though refined to create a more tactile, touch-based experience. Apple used the look and feel of rounded glass, or a droplet of water depending on how you want to look at it, as a starting point for how the OS will be interacted with.
iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS are all receiving visual and usability updates this coming September.
5. What are iOS 26's Biggest New Features?
Beyond the redesign, there's quite a bit of new stuff to contend with as well. Let's break a few of the biggest ones down Apple has said is coming this time around.
The Messages app will now have integrated anti-spam software, keeping all the random texts you get from scammers and grifters hidden away from real, usable communications from your friends, family and colleagues.
The Messages, FaceTime and Phone apps will now feature the ability to translate other languages in real time, helping people communicate across language barriers.
A new Games app will seek to unify the gaming experience across iOS, iPadOS and macOS – showcasing leaderboards, friends' playtiem in games, and recommendations for titles you might be interested in.
Shortcuts will be getting the massive addition of AI Actions, which will allow users to create commands that plug directly into a number of AI Engines.
Apple Music will add a new option, AutoMix, which will effectively act as an AI-powered DJ: mixing songs together based on genre, vibe or artist. Plus, it'll intelligently mess with the song's timings to make them mix better.
It's worth noting that while Apple has a pretty good track record when it comes to delivering features it says are coming, there's a some pretty notable ones from last year that still haven't appeared. In fact, let's talk about that.
Apple said Siri would be able to tap into a user's on-device personal information to help them in ways that are unique to them, like locating details for an upcoming flight or keeping track of a dinner reservation. To date, it can't do this. | Image: Apple
6. Is Siri Getting Smarter in iOS 26?
The big question: Is Siri finally going to dethrone other AI Assistants? No, it doesn't appear so.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Apple's chief of software Craig Federighi said the company had aimed a bit too high with its marketing of an Apple Intelligence-powered Siri, and that the tech just wasn't ready for prime time.
Apple planned a two-stage rollout of Siri's AI capabilities, but after a bunch of testing closed doors, the business decided that the feature didn't meet its standards for release. As such, it's been delayed indefinitely.
'We had something working, but as you got off the beaten path (with queries)…we weren't able to achieve the reliability in the time that we thought initially we could get it done,' Federighi said.
By the time Apple delayed the features, it'd already been advertising them as a major component of iOS 18 and the then-upcoming iPhone 16 series. As such, Apple is currently embroiled in several class-action lawsuits regarding false advertising over its Apple Intelligence features. Whoops.
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Man of Many
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The Biggest Questions around iOS 26, Answered
Every year we get a nice little feature bump to our devices. Tech companies regularly drop end-of-year software updates to deliver new features and rethink older ones that aren't working. Every now and again, though, we get something a big bigger. A bit bolder. This year, Apple is delivering such an update: iOS 26 is set to the biggest update to the iPhone's software since 2014's iOS 7, which has served as the backbone of the operating system for a little over a decade. Here, we're going to break down the biggest questions we have around iOS 26. We'll tell you how you can get involved in the developer beta to try it out ahead of the pack, which phones can actually use these new features, and whether Siri will ever get smarter. The Biggest Questions around iOS 26 Apple tends to launch major upgrades to its biggest devices in the second half of the year. And while no definitive date has been set just yet, we're expecting iOS 26 to be no different. Apple itself has said it'll launch in 'Fall 2025'. Those of us used to the company's release schedule know that probably means September, and it'll likely launch alongside the upcoming iPhone 17 series. It's worth noting that while a developer beta is currently underway, there is a public beta launching in July, 2025. Our iPhone 16e Running iOS 26's Developer Beta | Image: Dean Blake/Man of Many 2. Which of Apple's devices will support iOS 26? While the upcoming iPhone 17 series will undoubtedly be the star of the show for iOS 26, Apple is actually supporting devices all the way back to the iPhone 11 generation. Here's a full list of which iPhones will be supported: iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 Mini iPhone 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, and 13 Mini iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and 16e iPhone SE (second and third gen) It's worth noting that not everything listed here will get every new feature. Everything from the iPhone 11 through to the iPhone 15 Plus will not get access to any of Apple's new AI features, which require at least an Apple A17 Pro processor to function. 3. How do you get into the iOS 26 Developer Beta? While anyone can download the iOS 26 Developer Beta and start testing its new features on any compatible device, you'll need to jump through a few hoops to get there. Firstly, you'll need to sign up as an 'Apple Developer' though the business' developer portal, which will flag your Apple account as a developer account. This will allow you to opt-in to 'beta' software updates when they are available: such as the iOS 26 Beta going on right now. Once you're signed in, you should be able to navigate through Settings -> Software Updates, and will see a new option to turn on Beta Updates. From there, you'll be able to enable the iOS 26 Developer Beta, and your phone will start downloading it. Now, a word of warning: the beta is currently not quite fit for everyday use. It's a developer beta, not a final release, and is really only supposed to be used by people to make sure apps don't break in the new update. You can absolutely jump in to play around with it, but know that you'll definitely run into bugs and issues. 4. What is Apple's Liquid Glass? 'Liquid Glass' is what Apple is calling it's next major UI refresh, and is bringing a more unified design across most of Apple's major product lines. While Apple's products usually follow a similar design language, they'll now literally follow the same playbook. The design is based largely around visionOS, though refined to create a more tactile, touch-based experience. Apple used the look and feel of rounded glass, or a droplet of water depending on how you want to look at it, as a starting point for how the OS will be interacted with. iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS are all receiving visual and usability updates this coming September. 5. What are iOS 26's Biggest New Features? Beyond the redesign, there's quite a bit of new stuff to contend with as well. Let's break a few of the biggest ones down Apple has said is coming this time around. The Messages app will now have integrated anti-spam software, keeping all the random texts you get from scammers and grifters hidden away from real, usable communications from your friends, family and colleagues. The Messages, FaceTime and Phone apps will now feature the ability to translate other languages in real time, helping people communicate across language barriers. A new Games app will seek to unify the gaming experience across iOS, iPadOS and macOS – showcasing leaderboards, friends' playtiem in games, and recommendations for titles you might be interested in. Shortcuts will be getting the massive addition of AI Actions, which will allow users to create commands that plug directly into a number of AI Engines. Apple Music will add a new option, AutoMix, which will effectively act as an AI-powered DJ: mixing songs together based on genre, vibe or artist. Plus, it'll intelligently mess with the song's timings to make them mix better. It's worth noting that while Apple has a pretty good track record when it comes to delivering features it says are coming, there's a some pretty notable ones from last year that still haven't appeared. In fact, let's talk about that. Apple said Siri would be able to tap into a user's on-device personal information to help them in ways that are unique to them, like locating details for an upcoming flight or keeping track of a dinner reservation. To date, it can't do this. | Image: Apple 6. Is Siri Getting Smarter in iOS 26? The big question: Is Siri finally going to dethrone other AI Assistants? No, it doesn't appear so. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Apple's chief of software Craig Federighi said the company had aimed a bit too high with its marketing of an Apple Intelligence-powered Siri, and that the tech just wasn't ready for prime time. Apple planned a two-stage rollout of Siri's AI capabilities, but after a bunch of testing closed doors, the business decided that the feature didn't meet its standards for release. As such, it's been delayed indefinitely. 'We had something working, but as you got off the beaten path (with queries)…we weren't able to achieve the reliability in the time that we thought initially we could get it done,' Federighi said. By the time Apple delayed the features, it'd already been advertising them as a major component of iOS 18 and the then-upcoming iPhone 16 series. As such, Apple is currently embroiled in several class-action lawsuits regarding false advertising over its Apple Intelligence features. Whoops.
The Advertiser
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One in five Volkswagen ID. Buzz buyers will opt for the most expensive one
At least 20 per cent of Australian customers for the Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric van and people mover range are expected to choose the more powerful, dual-motor all-wheel drive GTX performance flagship – more than in almost any other market – despite its near-$20,000 price premium at a hefty $109,990 before on-road costs. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia director Nathan Johnson said local demand for the GTX will reflect the popularity of GTI hot hatch versions of the venerable VW Golf in this market. "With GTX, one in five [ID. Buzz sales] is our expectation – so roughly 20 per cent – and that will be one of the highest penetration rates for GTX in any market," he said at the recently launch of the ID. Buzz GTX. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We're confident that it'll be quite high. 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This is very much a lifestyle vehicle that leans into some of those specific elements, and whether they go to the snow or the beach or so on, customers in Australia do have a preference for all-wheel drive," said Volkswagen Group Australia acting general manager of corporate communications, Daniel DeGasperi. "The GTX's higher towing capacity of up to 1.6 tonnes also means that while we're not talking about something that tows 3.5 tonnes like our Amarok, people do tow jet skis and small boats and vans." The GTX employs the same 86kWh lithium-ion battery as all other ID. Buzz variants, but adds a front-mounted electric motor to offer not only AWD, but total outputs of 250kW of power and 590Nm of torque. This results in a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 6.4 seconds and 450km of electric range under the WLTP cycle. MORE: Everything Volkswagen ID. Buzz Content originally sourced from: At least 20 per cent of Australian customers for the Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric van and people mover range are expected to choose the more powerful, dual-motor all-wheel drive GTX performance flagship – more than in almost any other market – despite its near-$20,000 price premium at a hefty $109,990 before on-road costs. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia director Nathan Johnson said local demand for the GTX will reflect the popularity of GTI hot hatch versions of the venerable VW Golf in this market. "With GTX, one in five [ID. Buzz sales] is our expectation – so roughly 20 per cent – and that will be one of the highest penetration rates for GTX in any market," he said at the recently launch of the ID. Buzz GTX. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We're confident that it'll be quite high. We obviously haven't played in the performance market before at commercial vehicles, but from a Volkswagen perspective, in GTI, we are one of the top markets globally, and always have been in that space, so we always get a lot of attention from the global guys when it comes to performance models." Volkswagen Australia says about 20 per cent of its initial annual allocation of ID. Buzz vehicles is already spoken for, but its sales ambitions are relatively low for what is a relatively niche model, at a minimum of 100 per month – much less than the traditional volume of other VW commercial vans including the small Caddy, mid-size Transporter and large Crafter. First released in Europe in June 2022 and previously due on sale in Australia in 2024, the ID. Buzz was finally launched here in December, initially in short-wheelbase rear-wheel drive Cargo commercial van and both SWB five-seat and LWB seven-seat Pro people mover guises. Initial customer deliveries were held back until April to ensure all vehicles received a software update bringing wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so to May this year fewer than 100 have now been registered. Volkswagen projects 55-60 per cent of buyers will opt for the Pro people movers, with the remaining 40-45 per cent going for the Cargo van. And of the almost 8000 expressions of interest it has received, most prospective buyers are keen on SWB vehicles and 70 per cent of orders are for people movers with a trademark two-tone paint scheme. The range-topping, long-wheelbase GTX is not only quicker and more powerful than all other ID. Buzz variants, thanks to its dual-motor powertrain that makes it the only all-wheel drive version, but it offers a higher 1600kg braked towing capacity and scores almost every option as standard in a 300mm-longer body with the practicality of seven seats. "The GTX has the benefit of being 4Motion [AWD] as well. This is very much a lifestyle vehicle that leans into some of those specific elements, and whether they go to the snow or the beach or so on, customers in Australia do have a preference for all-wheel drive," said Volkswagen Group Australia acting general manager of corporate communications, Daniel DeGasperi. "The GTX's higher towing capacity of up to 1.6 tonnes also means that while we're not talking about something that tows 3.5 tonnes like our Amarok, people do tow jet skis and small boats and vans." The GTX employs the same 86kWh lithium-ion battery as all other ID. Buzz variants, but adds a front-mounted electric motor to offer not only AWD, but total outputs of 250kW of power and 590Nm of torque. This results in a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 6.4 seconds and 450km of electric range under the WLTP cycle. MORE: Everything Volkswagen ID. Buzz Content originally sourced from: At least 20 per cent of Australian customers for the Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric van and people mover range are expected to choose the more powerful, dual-motor all-wheel drive GTX performance flagship – more than in almost any other market – despite its near-$20,000 price premium at a hefty $109,990 before on-road costs. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia director Nathan Johnson said local demand for the GTX will reflect the popularity of GTI hot hatch versions of the venerable VW Golf in this market. "With GTX, one in five [ID. Buzz sales] is our expectation – so roughly 20 per cent – and that will be one of the highest penetration rates for GTX in any market," he said at the recently launch of the ID. Buzz GTX. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We're confident that it'll be quite high. We obviously haven't played in the performance market before at commercial vehicles, but from a Volkswagen perspective, in GTI, we are one of the top markets globally, and always have been in that space, so we always get a lot of attention from the global guys when it comes to performance models." Volkswagen Australia says about 20 per cent of its initial annual allocation of ID. Buzz vehicles is already spoken for, but its sales ambitions are relatively low for what is a relatively niche model, at a minimum of 100 per month – much less than the traditional volume of other VW commercial vans including the small Caddy, mid-size Transporter and large Crafter. First released in Europe in June 2022 and previously due on sale in Australia in 2024, the ID. Buzz was finally launched here in December, initially in short-wheelbase rear-wheel drive Cargo commercial van and both SWB five-seat and LWB seven-seat Pro people mover guises. Initial customer deliveries were held back until April to ensure all vehicles received a software update bringing wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so to May this year fewer than 100 have now been registered. Volkswagen projects 55-60 per cent of buyers will opt for the Pro people movers, with the remaining 40-45 per cent going for the Cargo van. And of the almost 8000 expressions of interest it has received, most prospective buyers are keen on SWB vehicles and 70 per cent of orders are for people movers with a trademark two-tone paint scheme. The range-topping, long-wheelbase GTX is not only quicker and more powerful than all other ID. Buzz variants, thanks to its dual-motor powertrain that makes it the only all-wheel drive version, but it offers a higher 1600kg braked towing capacity and scores almost every option as standard in a 300mm-longer body with the practicality of seven seats. "The GTX has the benefit of being 4Motion [AWD] as well. This is very much a lifestyle vehicle that leans into some of those specific elements, and whether they go to the snow or the beach or so on, customers in Australia do have a preference for all-wheel drive," said Volkswagen Group Australia acting general manager of corporate communications, Daniel DeGasperi. "The GTX's higher towing capacity of up to 1.6 tonnes also means that while we're not talking about something that tows 3.5 tonnes like our Amarok, people do tow jet skis and small boats and vans." The GTX employs the same 86kWh lithium-ion battery as all other ID. Buzz variants, but adds a front-mounted electric motor to offer not only AWD, but total outputs of 250kW of power and 590Nm of torque. This results in a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 6.4 seconds and 450km of electric range under the WLTP cycle. MORE: Everything Volkswagen ID. Buzz Content originally sourced from: At least 20 per cent of Australian customers for the Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric van and people mover range are expected to choose the more powerful, dual-motor all-wheel drive GTX performance flagship – more than in almost any other market – despite its near-$20,000 price premium at a hefty $109,990 before on-road costs. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia director Nathan Johnson said local demand for the GTX will reflect the popularity of GTI hot hatch versions of the venerable VW Golf in this market. "With GTX, one in five [ID. Buzz sales] is our expectation – so roughly 20 per cent – and that will be one of the highest penetration rates for GTX in any market," he said at the recently launch of the ID. Buzz GTX. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. "We're confident that it'll be quite high. We obviously haven't played in the performance market before at commercial vehicles, but from a Volkswagen perspective, in GTI, we are one of the top markets globally, and always have been in that space, so we always get a lot of attention from the global guys when it comes to performance models." Volkswagen Australia says about 20 per cent of its initial annual allocation of ID. Buzz vehicles is already spoken for, but its sales ambitions are relatively low for what is a relatively niche model, at a minimum of 100 per month – much less than the traditional volume of other VW commercial vans including the small Caddy, mid-size Transporter and large Crafter. First released in Europe in June 2022 and previously due on sale in Australia in 2024, the ID. Buzz was finally launched here in December, initially in short-wheelbase rear-wheel drive Cargo commercial van and both SWB five-seat and LWB seven-seat Pro people mover guises. Initial customer deliveries were held back until April to ensure all vehicles received a software update bringing wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so to May this year fewer than 100 have now been registered. Volkswagen projects 55-60 per cent of buyers will opt for the Pro people movers, with the remaining 40-45 per cent going for the Cargo van. And of the almost 8000 expressions of interest it has received, most prospective buyers are keen on SWB vehicles and 70 per cent of orders are for people movers with a trademark two-tone paint scheme. The range-topping, long-wheelbase GTX is not only quicker and more powerful than all other ID. Buzz variants, thanks to its dual-motor powertrain that makes it the only all-wheel drive version, but it offers a higher 1600kg braked towing capacity and scores almost every option as standard in a 300mm-longer body with the practicality of seven seats. "The GTX has the benefit of being 4Motion [AWD] as well. This is very much a lifestyle vehicle that leans into some of those specific elements, and whether they go to the snow or the beach or so on, customers in Australia do have a preference for all-wheel drive," said Volkswagen Group Australia acting general manager of corporate communications, Daniel DeGasperi. "The GTX's higher towing capacity of up to 1.6 tonnes also means that while we're not talking about something that tows 3.5 tonnes like our Amarok, people do tow jet skis and small boats and vans." The GTX employs the same 86kWh lithium-ion battery as all other ID. Buzz variants, but adds a front-mounted electric motor to offer not only AWD, but total outputs of 250kW of power and 590Nm of torque. This results in a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 6.4 seconds and 450km of electric range under the WLTP cycle. MORE: Everything Volkswagen ID. Buzz Content originally sourced from:
ABC News
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Could a new copyright lawsuit from Disney change the way we use AI?
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