Java 26

Java 26: Stable Values (JEP 526 — Preview)

March 26, 2026

What if you could have a lazily-initialized field that the JIT compiler treats exactly like final? JEP 526 introduces Stable Values — a new API for constants that are computed once and then permanently trusted by the JVM, enabling the...

Java 26: G1 GC Throughput via Reduced Synchronization (JEP 522)

March 25, 2026

Invisible to your application code, but measurable in your throughput metrics. JEP 522 refactors internal synchronization in the G1 garbage collector to reduce thread contention, delivering higher application throughput on multi-core servers — no JVM flags, no code changes required....

Java 26: Ahead-of-Time Object Caching with Any GC (JEP 516)

March 24, 2026

Faster startup and lower initial GC pressure — without changing a line of application code. JEP 516 extends Java’s Ahead-of-Time (AOT) cache to include heap objects, and lifts the restriction that previously limited this to SerialGC only. In JDK 26,...

Java 26: Remove the Applet API (JEP 504)

March 23, 2026

After 28 years, the java.applet package is gone. JEP 504 removes the Applet API entirely from JDK 26, completing a deprecation journey that started in JDK 9.

Java 26: Prepare to Make Final Mean Final (JEP 500)

March 22, 2026

The final keyword is about to mean something again. JEP 500 introduces runtime warnings in JDK 26 when reflection mutates final fields — the first step toward making final truly immutable. In a future JDK, those mutations will be blocked...

Java 26: Vector API — SIMD for Java (JEP 529 — Incubator)

March 21, 2026

Want 4x–16x speedups on data-parallel workloads? JEP 529 brings the Vector API to its 11th incubator round in JDK 26, enabling explicit SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) computations that compile to optimal hardware vector instructions.

Java 26: PEM Encodings of Cryptographic Objects (JEP 524 — Preview)

March 20, 2026

No more manual Base64 wrapping or Bouncy Castle dependency. JEP 524 introduces a built-in API for encoding and decoding cryptographic objects in PEM format — the ubiquitous text format used by OpenSSL, SSH, TLS, and virtually every crypto tool.

Java 26: Structured Concurrency (JEP 525 — Preview)

March 19, 2026

Concurrent programming in Java just got a lot safer. JEP 525 continues Structured Concurrency as a preview API that treats groups of related concurrent tasks as a single unit of work with automatic lifecycle management.

Java 26: Primitive Types in Patterns (JEP 530 — Preview)

March 18, 2026

Pattern matching in Java is now complete. JEP 530 extends patterns to support primitive types in switch, instanceof, and record patterns — closing the last gap in Java’s pattern matching story.

Java 26: HTTP/3 for the HTTP Client API (JEP 517)

March 17, 2026

Zero-RTT connection setup, no head-of-line blocking, and connection migration across networks — Java’s built-in HttpClient now speaks HTTP/3. JEP 517 finalizes HTTP/3 support in JDK 26, making it the first JDK version with zero-dependency QUIC-based HTTP.