Apple Renames Its Operating Systems, OnePlus Adds AI Button, and Samsung Prepares New Foldables

This week’s technology news highlights major shifts by top mobile and software companies. Apple is reportedly rebranding its operating systems to align their naming convention by year—starting with iOS 26 and watchOS 26 at WWDC 2024—rather than using version numbers. This redesign also signals a push for a unified user experience across all platforms, potentially including visual updates and new design language.

OnePlus is making a more aggressive move into artificial intelligence with the introduction of the ‘Plus Key’ on the upcoming OnePlus 13s, replacing the traditional alert slider. This button activates the new ‘AI Plus Mind’ feature, which lets users capture and extract relevant screen information to organize tasks like calendar events. The brand is also working on AI features for translation, meeting summaries, and photo editing.

Samsung, meanwhile, is preparing to launch the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, which will be the first devices running One UI 8 based on Android 16, ahead of Google’s Pixel phones. This reflects Google’s rescheduled Android 16 release for midsummer.

Google Photos marked its 10-year anniversary with a revamped editing interface and new AI tools, while Ricoh announced the GR IV pocket camera with upgraded hardware, including better autofocus, higher ISO, and built-in storage.