<p>Oracle has released the 26th version of Java and the virtual machine. As the first non-LTS version following the previous one, its final feature set includes 10 JEPs, five of which are still being advanced in preview or incubator feature forms. The JEPs included in this version are as follows:</p>
<p>The five JEPs— including making the final keyword truly final, adding HTTP/3 support to the HTTP client API, delayed constants (second preview), structured concurrency (sixth preview), and Vector API (eleventh incubator)—focus on improvements to the Java class library. The remaining JEPs emphasize language innovation, performance enhancements, and security improvements.</p>
<p>This version also introduces a fourth JEP based on the framework: early object caching that supports any GC.</p>
<p>As shown in the chart below, which is sourced from Oracle's Java Platform Group Senior Director of Global Developer Projects, it illustrates the number of JEPs in each Java version since JDK 8.</p>
<p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://static001.geekbang.org/infoq/62/620dc94f5ed0c2e3fce6c60fecd86819.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://static001.geekbang.org/infoq/62/620dc94f5ed0c2e3fce6c60fecd86819.png"/></p>
<p>We will explore some of these JEPs in detail and predict features expected to be included in JDK 27.</p>
<h2>Early Object Caching Supporting Any GC</h2>
<p>JEP 516 () aims to enhance JEP 483 () delivered in JDK 24 to optimize startup and warm-up times, making it adaptable to any garbage collector, including the low-latency ZGC.</p>
<h2>Delayed Constants (Second Preview)</h2>
<p>JEP 526 () proposes a second round of preview after the first round (i.e., JEP 502 () ) and includes corresponding improvements. This feature was previously named stable values and computed constants, and it now formally introduces the concept of computed constants, defining them as immutable value containers that can be initialized at most once. It combines the performance and security advantages of final fields while providing greater flexibility in initialization timing.</p>
<p>The revisions to this JEP include changing the name from &#34;stable values&#34; to &#34;delayed constants,&#34; which more accurately reflects the design intent of its higher-order use cases and enhances discoverability.</p>
<p>For more detailed information about this JEP, please refer to this article on InfoQ.</p>
<h2>Vector API (Eleventh Incubator)</h2>
<p>JEP 529 () proposes to initiate the eleventh round of incubation, with no significant implementation changes compared to JDK 25. This feature has undergone ten rounds of incubation from JDK 16 to JDK 25. It introduces a set of APIs for &#34;expressing vector computations that can be compiled at runtime into optimal vector instructions on supported CPU architectures, achieving better performance than equivalent scalar computations.&#34; The Vector API will remain in the incubator stage until the necessary features are released in preview. At that time, the Vector API team will adjust the Vector API and its implementation to utilize these features and elevate it from the incubator stage to the preview stage</p>
<h2>Remove Applet API</h2>
<p>JEP 504, after the delivery of JEP 289 in JDK 9 and JEP 398 in JDK 17, officially removes this long-deprecated API. With browsers no longer supporting Applet, this API has become completely obsolete.</p>
<h2>PEM Encoding of Cryptographic Objects (Second Preview)</h2>
<p>JEP 524 proposes a second round of preview after the first round preview (i.e., JEP 470 delivered in JDK 25) and includes corresponding changes. This feature provides a set of APIs to &#34;encode objects representing cryptographic keys, certificates, and certificate revocation lists into the widely used Privacy-Enhanced Mail (PEM) transfer format, and also decode back from this format to objects.&#34; This JEP will support the conversion of cryptographic objects between PEM text format and binary format.</p>
<p>Changes in this preview include: renaming the class; enhancing the classes to support encryption and decryption of the classes.</p>
<h2>JDK 27</h2>
<p>Scheduled for official release (GA) in September 2026, currently only one JEP has been confirmed for inclusion. However, combined with numerous JEP candidate proposals and drafts, especially the submitted draft versions, we can speculate on which JEPs are likely to be included in JDK 27.</p>
<p>JEP 531, after two rounds of preview in JDK 25 and JDK 26, proposes a third round of preview and includes two adjustments. The specific changes are: removing the methods from the interface, as these two methods do not align with the design goals of this feature; adding factory methods to create stable, predefined elements for three Java collection types (List, Set, and Map).</p>
<p>JEP 527 has been confirmed for inclusion in JDK 27. This JEP proposes to adopt the specifications being drafted by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), combined with JEP 496 delivered in JDK 24 to enhance the implementation defined by RFC 8446.</p>
<p>JEP 401 proposes enhancements to the Java language to support value objects. The definition of value objects is: containing only final fields, having no identity, and being distinguished solely by the values of its fields.</p>
<p>JEP draft 8376991, after two rounds of preview in JDK 25 and JDK 26, proposes to finalize this feature and includes relevant changes. Specific changes include: changing the API from record type to class type; adding a class to capture exceptions that occur during runtime cryptographic processing; and renaming the DEREncodable interface to better &#34;accurately describe the binary data stored in PEM text.&#34;</p>
<p>JEP draft 8329758 proposes enhancements to ZGC to allocate memory more efficiently based on application needs. By creating a smaller initial heap to reduce operating system overhead, it shortens startup time
Please note that draft JEPs may change at any time.</p>
<p>It is expected to be officially released (GA) in September 2026, with the specific date to be announced soon by the Chief Architect of the Oracle Java Platform Group. This version is expected to enter the feature freeze phase in early June 2026.</p>
<p>For more details on other JEPs released in JDK 26, as well as other draft JEPs and candidate JEPs, please refer to this more detailed article from InfoQ.</p>
<p>JDK 26 is now available from , and binaries from other vendors are expected to be available in the coming days.</p>
<p>【Statement: This article is translated by InfoQ and reproduction without permission is prohibited.】</p>
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<p>Oracle released the 26th version of Java and the virtual machine, which is the first non-LTS version, containing 10 JEPs, five of which are preview or incubator features. The new version focuses on language innovation, library optimization, performance enhancement, and security improvements, adding features such as HTTP/3 support, delayed constants, structured concurrency, and Vector API. JEP 516 aims to optimize startup and warm-up time, supporting any garbage collector. The delayed constants JEP 526 has undergone a second round of preview, enhancing discoverability</p>

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Java 26 released, bringing language innovations, library optimizations, performance improvements, and enhanced security