What these changes mean for you is that your technology experience may differ drastically depending on which type of phone you buy in the coming years.

The first public beta of the next-generation iPhone software has landed, but it took longer for iPhone 11 users. Here’s what happened.

With the iOS 26 public beta now out, you may have chosen to give the new software update a try ahead of its general release in the fall.

Apple’s first iOS 26 public beta offers an early taste of a major software overhaul. Here are the biggest changes and features we tested.

In iOS 26, you'll get new tools for creating custom Genmoji using ChatGPT. According to Apple, "Genmoji and Image Playground provide users with even more opportunities for self-expression, including mixing their favorite emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions together to create brand-new images."

Unlike last year, several iPhone models won't be eligible to download the newest iOS when it makes its debut this fall. This trio of models first released in 2018 won't be coming to the iOS 26 party:

Apple pushed it almost to the end of July, but the public betas of iOS 26 and other upcoming updates are now available for wider testing ahead

Testing with developer and public beta versions went smoothly for even the oldest supported models. But there are safety measures if upgrading to the beta or release version goes awry.

Apple is upgrading Visual Intelligence in iOS 26, giving iPhone owners the ability to search for more information using screenshots they take.

This new behind-the-scenes feature could improve battery life without you doing anything different on your iPhone.