Apple announces iOS 26 with Liquid Glass redesign

Vista called and wants it’s ugly back

I'm sorry if it's a dumb question, but didn't Microsoft already do this with Vista and Win 7? And I'm pretty sure transparency has been a thing on Android for a good while now:-?

Frutiger Aero.
- I honestly don't even know why I'm paying attention to Apple at this point, I think it's like digging my nail into a freshly scarred-over cut, just to tease that sting out a bit. It's the only way in which they have ever contributed to my feeling alive.
i mean yes, but this is a more dynamic transperency that reacts more to backgrounds, merging/separating with other elements, etc.
- I mean... look, I'm genuinely not trying to be a sour asshole, but why did we need this? How is this furthering the development of smartphone tech? It's, like... sure, pretty graphics are nice, but do we really need ray-tracing on our phones? (I know it's not ray-tracing, but you get my point)

Gives me iOS 7 vibes.

I like it in theory, but in some of the examples they provided on https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/06/apple-introduces-a-delightful-and-elegant-new-software-design/, reading text isn't the easiest with all the colors and blurs everywhere.

reading text isn’t the easiest with all the colors and blurs everywhere
Agreed - I like the look of these things in an abstract sense, but it makes the text really hard to read. I ~~assume~~ hope there's a way to disable it in accessibility settings.
Also not a fan of the critical UI elements being popped out into floating islands, very easy to accidentally hit underlying page content when there's effectively zero padding around controls (on touch devices, as the ad companies have discovered by making the × icons smaller and smaller).
Wow, that is bad. The music one is probably the worst of the examples. The artist name is barely readable most of that clip.
The notifications are rough too, a big wall of white text against a burry multicolor background is not fun to read.

Liquid Ass

Hey, it's aqua! We've come full circle!

Honestly, it looks kind of terrible to me. Not to mention how unreadable text is since there's apparently no guaranteed contrast with black text due to the transparent backgrounds. I feel like I'm going crazy with all the random articles praising it.

These guys spend a billion dollars every couple years to invent the lock screen again

Almost everything in that list of new features sounds negative to me. A few are neutral, and one might be positive depending on how it’s implemented (having the phone monitor a phone call while sitting on hold). Pretty disappointing, Tim Apple.

Guess this means Apple has run out of ideas on how to make iPhone better.

What can we do to distract attention away from the fact that we don't have any decent new features?

"Rename the business unit so we can print new letterheads and business cards?" Our customer don't work here, sir. "Dammit!"
"Release a new color that nobody wants? How about a light blue that is so close to the regular silver no one can tell?" We did that last year, sir. "Dammit!"
"Oh, I know: Repeat the year 2000 mistake by naming our OS versions after the current year using only 2 digits. That will never bite us in the ass in the future." Brilliant, sir.

This is such a step back to 2005 and those glassy Winamp skins. It looks absolutely terrible. I wonder how Apple users put up with that

I beg to differ. It’s not a „putting up with“. I don’t hate modern flat designs but if I was putting up with anything it’s that.
Loved the translucent look back then, still love it now. Am very looking forward to the design update. Especially since the new design is not just some standard windows aero like transparency but actually has glass like refractions.
I’m very glad we’re getting something with a little more depth again, without going full 180 to the clutter of peak skeumorphic iOS <7.
I’m a little bit concerned about readability of text on the translucent backgrounds but on the other hand, it feels unlikely that Apple didn’t think of that…
Edit: typo

This makes me want to get rid of my iPhone even more

What the hell are they thinking

Trick question: null

I actually really like this…

yeah i don't remember the last time i liked something Apple made (probably over a decade by now) but this actually looks great.
- you guys are weird

I never understood products that use the next year as their version nr. Why isn't this iOS25?

I presume because due to it releasing in September, it’s lifetime will mostly lie in 2026. But honestly Idk, I am godawful at naming things.

I thought I was going crazy as my phone stopped updating after iOS 18. Then I learned that they are changing the version # to match the years. 😏

hey I had that winterboard theme like 15 years ago

kinda looks like those backgrounds Microsoft uses on their mobile apps pictures on the App Store and Google Play

jfc. that is one ugly looking ui. really scraping bottom of the barrel. that is soo last years.

It has more blur than average Hyprland rice

What’s the liquid glass exactly?

Overheating silicon

I need to buy three immediately!

The announcement also marks a change in how Apple signifies its major updates to iOS. Under the previous marketing scheme, this year’s major release would have been iOS 19 — the direct follow-up to iOS 18. But now, Apple’s big iOS updates will be numbered based on the year following their introduction

Well that's interesting. I was certain The Verge was trying to be funny. But this tracks, now Apple has Biggest Number™.

Edit: This has to be a joke. Who the fuck thought this up? I can't take this seriously...

It's not a matter of biggest number, it's a matter of consistency.
They have five operating systems, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
So currently we have macOS 15, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 & visionOS 2. That's absolute confusion. Do I have the latest version? Dropping support for an older version, how many years ago was that?
A version number should convey useful information, and the year it was released is useful information. Especially when major updates come every year.
Edit: I forgot tvOS, also version 18. So six operating systems.
- I was just discussing this with a friend, I have no clue these days what iOS or macOS version is the latest. I guess this does help but it feels like a Windows 8 to 10 jump in steroids
- It’s not a matter of biggest number, it’s a matter of consistency.
  They have five operating systems, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS.
  So currently we have macOS 15, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 & visionOS 2. That’s absolute confusion. Do I have the latest version? Dropping support for an older version, how many years ago was that?
  I don't disagree with you on principle, but I still think the implementation is fucking bonkers.
  A version number should convey useful information, and the year it was released is useful information. Especially when major updates come every year.
  Major updates should come when they're needed, not on a set schedule. CVEs don't wait. Yes, I know patches and security updates are a thing. I still think it's ridiculous. And I absolutely blame Apple for setting the "new thing every year" trend in motion.
it's not that unusual, lots of software is named by the date. i think it makes a lot of sense especailly for apple, now they don't have a different release number for all their different platforms.
- Though naming it by the following year instead of the release year is clearly a marketing move.
Samsung has been doing that with their Galaxy for a while.
- Yes, but Samsung went from S10 to S20 -> 21 -> 22, etc. That move made sense. And even skipping the Note 6 for the (ill-fated) Note 7 made sense as that was just a single number skipped.
  iOS 18 -> iOS 26 makes absolutely no sense. Maybe wait until iOS 20, then release iOS 30? IDK, but this is Apple we're talking about. Sense was never in the cards.

Android and ios are basically indistinguishable to me at this point

Lol
I use both every day. Pixel 9 Pro XL (personal) and an iPhone 12 (work). Plus my own M1 iPad Pro.
They're not even fucking close.
Seriously?
Look, the one is taking and exploiting nearly all of your data, while giving you 10.000 different well hidden opt out options, the other is taking all of your data for granted while telling you it is for your best and nobody else should have it, and promising they are never ever gonna exploit it, swear with fingers crossed... hm... OK you are right.
- i meant more like the ux, but yea also that stuff 😂

Apple is crashing down slowly, but surely