Apple has officially released iOS 26. Users familiar with Apple will notice that this system version number did not follow sequentially from the previous iOS 18 to iOS 19, but instead jumped to iOS 26. What's the reason behind this?

As early as before Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) began in May this year, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman published an article stating that Apple plans to change its operating system naming convention starting with updates like "iOS 26," switching from version numbers to year-based naming. This transition aims to maintain consistency in Apple's brand image and eliminate the confusion that previously affected customers and developers.

On the 17th, when inquiring about the naming rationale for iOS 26, an Apple customer service representative consulted materials and responded that due to comprehensive system reforms, iOS will now be named according to years. "Our product launch events may potentially be moved to early in the year to match this naming convention."

Additionally, on social media platforms, many users reported issues after upgrading to iOS 26, including device overheating and rapid battery drain.

Apple's official website released update notes explaining why iOS 26 affects iPhone battery life. The documentation states that temporary impacts on battery life and thermal performance after software updates are normal phenomena. Furthermore, it explains that this occurs because devices need time to complete setup processes in the background, including indexing data and files for search functionality, downloading new assets, and updating applications.

Regarding the "rapid battery drain" situation, an Apple customer service representative explained that typically within 24 to 48 hours after software updates, phones undergo a buffer adaptation process before returning to normal operation.

During the phone's buffer adaptation period, the customer service representative suggested that users can try restarting their devices and attempt to disable notifications, location services, and background refresh features for unused applications - three major categories of battery-consuming functions - to optimize battery performance.

According to Apple's official website, iOS 26 is compatible with iPhone 11 series, iPhone SE (second generation and subsequent models), and iPhone 12 through iPhone 17 series models.