Since JavaOne 2025, JDK 25 was released, the latest version with long-term support. But Java never stands still; it’s already time to ship JDK 26. This talk summarizes the most important changes between Java 21 and 25:

• from unnamed patterns and flexible constructors to module imports
• from the foreign-function and memory API to stream gatherers and the class-file API
• from a simpler main to launching multisource-file programs
• from Markdown in JavaDoc to quantum-resistant encryption
• from faster launch times to improved garbage collection

… before taking a closer look at the newest release, including its preview features:

• Primitive patterns and lazy constants
• Updated structured concurrency
• PEM encoding and HTTP/3 support
• New command-line options to enable deep reflection

There are plenty of features in the language, API, and runtime to discuss; whether new, improved, or finalized. Let’s go over them.

Make sure to check the JavaOne 2026 playlist.