macOS 16: What will Apple call its next Mac operating system?
Apple will be unveiling its new macOS in less than a month. There is speculation about the name in the run-up.
macOS 15 aka Sequoia: Successor coming in fall, presentation in June.
(Image: Apple)
Only a few weeks to go until the time has come: Apple will also be presenting new operating system versions at its World Wide Developers Conference 2025 (WWDC). Among them is macOS 16, the next software for the Mac. And like every few years, the scene is asking itself one question: what name will Apple find for the upgrade?
California instead of big cats
After naming all new macOS versions after big cats (from Cheetah to Mountain Lion) with the release of Mac OS X 10.0 in 2001, the company switched to place names in 2013 – more precisely: places in Apple's US home state of California. There have now been a total of twelve different macOS versions – from Mavericks (macOS 10.9) to Sequoia (macOS 15).
As usual, you don't have to think up the possible names either: Apple had already filed almost two dozen trademark applications eleven years ago that could be suitable for macOS, some of which have since expired. The remaining names on the list include "Redwood", "Pacific", "Redtail", "Rincon", "Skyline", "Miramar", "Diablo", "Condor" and "California". One of the terms, "Tiburon", already appeared in some marketing elements (as a pure indication of location), as Macrumors notes. Whether this indicates that it will now be used remains unclear.
Videos by heise
Apple goes to the solarium
However, it is also clear that the macOS names have become less important over the years, as Apple's development cycle is simply too fast. Every year, a new macOS is released alongside a new iOS and iPadOS (as well as the other operating systems). Many users tend to remember the version number rather than the additional code or marketing name, especially as the locations are harder to remember than the cats used to be. Recently, there have been repeated calls to slow down the development cycles of macOS, especially as changes are often made that can affect the existing functionalities of third-party software.
Nevertheless, a whole host of new features are expected this year. For example, iOS and macOS are set to merge even more visually – with a new, glassy look that Apple internally calls "Solarium".
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
