Apple has started building iOS 28, iPadOS 28, and macOS 28 to be released in 2028. Renowned American technology journalist, Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter reported that the first two share the code name ‘Bell’ while the Mac update goes by “Poppy.”
Apple hasn’t even shipped this year’s big software update, and it’s already knee-deep in the one landing in 2028. The internal code names alone are worth the price of admission. Mash those together and you get what staff reportedly call the entire 2028 slate: “Boppy.”
This year’s batch gets the same treatment, with iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 nicknamed “Rave,” macOS 27 dubbed “Fizz,” and the combined cycle landing on the inevitable ‘Rizz.’ Individual features of the new Boppy include new apps, with design work in progress before any of it gets stitched into a full operating system.
Even with that, Gurman says the ‘28’ releases are shaping up to be far more significant than this year’s iOS 27 lineup. That’s a bold claim, because iOS 27 is no small update on its own. Building the next platform before the current one ships is routine for Apple, but flagging 2028 as the bigger year this early says plenty.
iOS 28 is being built to launch right alongside the iPhone’s 20- year anniversary hardware, rumored to be an all-screen design with no bezels and no Dynamic Island. So the playful names are a fun footnote, while the roadmap behind them is the real signal. When Apple front-loads a cycle this hard, the hardware attached to it is usually a tentpole.
Code names are mostly trivia, and ‘Boppy’ will be forgotten the second Apple slaps real branding on these updates. The takeaway worth keeping is the priority order Apple just tipped its hand on. We’ve already seen early hints of what iOS 28 could bring, and pairing that with a milestone iPhone is a one-two punch Apple rarely lines up by accident.
Relatedly, Apple is also set to launch its smart home hardware lineup with refreshed features after years of relative silence. Gurman reported that the tech firm is preparing updated versions of both the Apple TV set-top box and the HomePod mini, with launches currently planned for later this fall.
The timing is notable because Apple’s home-focused products have largely remained unchanged while rivals like Amazon and Google aggressively expanded their smart home ecosystems with AI-powered assistants and connected devices.
Apple now appears ready to reposition its home products around the company’s next-generation Siri and Apple Intelligence strategy. According to BloombergP, the new Apple TV hardware is essentially complete and nearly ready for release.
Gurman says Apple had initially planned to launch the refreshed device earlier, but delays surrounding Siri and Apple Intelligence pushed the launch timeline further into 2026. The updated Apple TV reportedly will not receive dramatic hardware changes externally, but internal upgrades are expected to be much more significant.
Apple is said to be focusing heavily on AI readiness, including support for newer Siri capabilities and Apple Intelligence features that current Apple TV hardware cannot fully support. One of the major expected upgrades is a newer chip replacing the aging A15 processor currently powering the Apple TV 4K.
Gurman notes the existing model has started feeling slower compared to newer Apple hardware, making a refresh increasingly necessary. The HomePod mini is also reportedly receiving an update, though Apple appears to be taking a more conservative approach with the smaller smart speaker.
Bloomberg says the key change will involve support for Apple’s upgraded Siri and AI features through a newer wireless chip. Apple’s broader smart home plans appear much larger than just these two devices.
Gurman reports the company is still developing a delayed smart home hub featuring a display and facial recognition capabilities, alongside deeper AI integration across Apple’s ecosystem.
The company is also reportedly preparing AIpowered smart glasses and future Siri upgrades designed to function more like modern conversational AI assistants rather than traditional voice command systems.
Apple’s smart home ecosystem has increasingly felt stagnant compared to competitors. While Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant evolved into broader AI-powered ecosystems, Apple’s Siri and HomePod products struggled to keep pace.
The new Apple TV and HomePod mini appear to represent Apple’s attempt to rebuild its smart home strategy around AI rather than simply releasing incremental hardware updates.
For users already invested in Apple’s ecosystem, the upgrades could also matter because many future Siri and Apple Intelligence features may rely on newer chips and updated hardware.
