Oracle announced the release of Java 26, the latest version of its widely used programming language and development platform, introducing enhancements aimed at improving developer productivity, strengthening AI and cryptography capabilities, and modernizing the broader Java ecosystem.
The new release includes 10 JDK Enhancement Proposals and a wide range of additional updates designed to improve performance, security, and scalability. Among the notable improvements are updates to structured concurrency, the Vector API, HTTP/3 support, and enhancements to garbage collection and startup performance. Oracle also removed the legacy Applet API, continuing its effort to streamline the platform and eliminate outdated components.
Java 26 places a strong emphasis on enabling developers to integrate artificial intelligence and data-driven functionality more easily into applications. Enhancements to language features, libraries, and runtime performance are intended to support modern workloads, including AI inference and cloud-native deployments.
In conjunction with the release, Oracle introduced the Java Verified Portfolio, a curated collection of enterprise-grade tools, frameworks, libraries, and services supported and validated by Oracle. The portfolio includes commercial support for JavaFX, a graphical user interface framework, and Helidon, an open source microservices framework designed for cloud-native and AI-enabled applications. Oracle said it plans to align Helidon’s release cadence with the Java Development Kit and propose it as an OpenJDK project.
The company is also reintroducing commercial support for JavaFX in response to growing demand for interactive visualizations used in AI and analytics applications. Support will be available across new Java versions and long-term support releases, with extended support timelines for older versions such as JDK 8.
Oracle emphasized that the Java Verified Portfolio is intended to simplify lifecycle management and reduce software supply chain risks by providing a trusted, fully supported set of components. The offering is included at no additional cost for Java SE subscribers and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure customers running Java workloads.
Java 26 also delivers improvements in cryptographic capabilities, including support for hybrid public key encryption and updates aimed at future-proofing applications against emerging threats such as quantum computing. Additional updates include improved JVM startup times, enhanced memory management, and expanded support for global standards.
The release continues Oracle’s long-standing collaboration with the global Java developer community through OpenJDK and the Java Community Process, reflecting ongoing efforts to evolve the platform while maintaining its reliability and security for enterprise applications.
KEY QUOTES:
“For more than 30 years, organizations have relied on the Java platform and language to help power their mission-critical systems and support the rapid development of applications and services. The platform’s continuous evolution enables organizations to incorporate transformative capabilities into their applications, while preserving the reliability and security that define mission-critical software. By extending Java’s functionality with new features and services such as advanced AI and security capabilities, Java 26 offers organizations a faster path to innovation.”
Arnal Dayaratna, Research Vice President, Software Development, IDC
“Java has played an integral role as a foundational enterprise technology for more than 30 years, serving as the backbone of organizations’ application stacks and helping them build powerful, reliable, and secure applications and services. The new features in Java 26 reflect Oracle’s commitment to helping customers harness AI and cryptography to build applications that accelerate business growth. With the introduction of JVP, developers can streamline their development projects using a trusted collection of Oracle-supported tools, including Helidon, which is a fast, lightweight Java framework for building high performance microservices and AI-enabled applications.”
Georges Saab, Senior Vice President, Oracle Java Platform And Chair, OpenJDK Governing Board
