With the termination of WWDC25, the next major step in the Apple calendar is the release season of the fall operating system. And while many already have a mental card of the way these deployments are usually taken place, a new graphic making the rounds offers an excellent visual snapsh at the moment when each operating system has landed since 2013.
Initially poster by Reddit user Alexaessner, the Datawrapper interactive chronology highlights the usual model: the opening of autumn in the first half of September (blue points), iOS and iPados come out about a week after that (red dots), then macOS dragging a little behind (orange points).
What stands out is how MacOS slipped between 2019 and 2022, often landing well in October and even November. But in the past two years, Apple has succeeded in filling this gap, the versions of macOS getting closer to iOS and iPados, even to drop out of an outcome last year.
What to expect for 2025
If history is a guide, iOS 26 and iPados 26 will probably be shipped mid-runner, just after the Apple autumn iPhone event.
MacOS Tahoe 26, on the other hand, is a question mark. Last year marked the first combined version of MacOS alongside iOS and iPados, but as this graph is clear, it is far from the norm.
That said, the deadlines could change. Apple now juggles more complex multiplatform features, new integration of AI and construction realities for several categories of devices. And although the overhaul of this year’s liquid glass user interface can help align things, it could just as well create new challenges.
It should also be noted that iOS versions are linked to iPhone launches, and Apple has faced its share of the uncertainty of the supply chain in the midst of the American trade tensions of Chinese. And although the last days have brought signs of de -escalation, recent history clearly indicates that nothing is guaranteed on this front.
