While users around the world are preparing, with a slight delay, to explore the new features brought by Apple Intelligence, the flagship asset of iOS 18, Apple is already well advanced in the development of iOS 19, the next iteration of the iPhone operating system.
What is the release date for iOS 19?
Followers of the brand are well aware of the iOS update roadmap, which, barring an unlikely turnaround, changes little from year to year. Apple presents the outline of the new version of the operating system at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), an annual event held in June at Apple Park, its headquarters in California.
An initial beta version is then made available to developers before mid-July. This is followed by several public beta phases, in which owners of compatible devices can participate. The final version is generally rolled out a few days after the September keynote. This is a highly anticipated event, as the company presents its new iPhone lineup.
Here are the release dates of previous software updates:
- • iOS 15: September 20, 2021
- • iOS 16: September 12, 2022
- • iOS 17: September 18, 2023
- • iOS 18: September 16, 2024
Which models will be compatible with iOS 19?
Nothing will be confirmed until the manufacturer’s presentation in June. But, according to specialist media outlets MacRumours and 9to5Mac, the next iteration of the iPhone operating system could be compatible with all models that support iOS 18. Here’s the full list:
- • iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, 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 Xs, iPhone Xs Max,
- • iPhone XR,
- • iPhone SE (2nd generation or later).
It’s worth noting, however, that just like iOS 18, only recent models in the lineup—from the iPhone 15 Pro to the iPhone 16 Pro Max—will support Apple Intelligence-powered features like Genmoji, Image Playground, and notification summaries. But if you own a relatively older model, like this author, rest assured: the latest rumors suggest that iOS 19 will introduce relatively few new Apple Intelligence-related features, at least when it launches (see below).
What’s new in iOS 19?
According to the latest rumors circulating on the web, iOS 19 could bring few new features, apart from the Siri improvements that were initially supposed to be integrated into iOS 18. On the other hand, the iPhone should, at this time, benefit from a complete overhaul of its interface.
A “radical” redesign of the interface
According to Bloomberg, citing internal sources, this would be “one of the most radical software overhauls” in Apple’s history. No less. Already hinted at by the American media in 2024, the complete overhaul of iOS could materialize in this next version, alongside those of iPadOS and macOS, also in development.
The manufacturer’s goal would be to bring the interface of the iPhone, iPad and Mac closer to that of visionOS, the Vision Pro’s operating system, without however making them identical, it is specified. The mixed reality headset, available globally since July 2024,, is distinguished “by the use of circular icons, a more simplified approach to windows (…) and a more marked use of 3D depth and shadows,” specifies the media, which is rarely wrong about Apple’s projects.
Codenamed “Luck” internally, this project overseen by Alan Dye would therefore go well beyond “a simple aesthetic refresh like iOS 7,” added journalist Mark Gurman on Threads – a redesign that is nonetheless significant in the history of the iPhone. It could even help “distract from the difficulties encountered by the company in its transition to artificial intelligence,” he writes, by modifying the design of the iPhone’s icons, windows, buttons, and applications. But will this ambitious overhaul be integrated into the first version of iOS 19, or deployed later in the year? It’s a mystery.
View on Threads
Enhanced capabilities for Siri
Unveiled in June 2024, during the previous edition of WWDC, the new version of Siri has only been partially deployed, while it was supposed to be one of the main assets of iOS 18. In a statement sent to Daring Fireball a few days ago, the Apple spokesperson acknowledged that the development “was taking longer than expected”, and that this remastered version would not be available until 2026. As a reminder, the update will allow the voice assistant to more easily absorb the user’s habits, perform tasks in several applications or understand the information appearing on the screen. At the same time, Apple is currently designing a “smarter version of Siri”, according to several specialized media, with an interface inspired by ChatGPT. But this update should see the light of day with iOS 20, it seems.
A relatively limited update in new features
Also according to Mark Gurman, the initial version of the update may contain few new features powered by Apple Intelligence, as these have largely monopolized the attention of engineers throughout the iOS 18 development cycle. ” An unusually high number of features planned for iOS 19 have already been pushed back to spring 2026,” he says, a period that would coincide with the release of iOS 19.4. In addition, Apple has reportedly changed its strategy, now favoring a gradual rollout of its features rather than a mass launch starting in September. The brand also plans to further integrate existing features into the iPhone ecosystem, particularly within native applications.