Apple’s iOS 26 introduces a stunning Liquid Glass design, marking the biggest visual overhaul since iOS 7. Featuring translucent interfaces, dynamic animations, and enhanced Apple Intelligence, the update redefines user experience across iPhones. Despite initial backlash over readability, Beta 2 tweaks improve clarity, making it a bold step toward Apple’s future vision for devices like the iPhone 17.
iOS 26 Unveils Liquid Glass: A New Era for iPhone Aesthetics
Apple unveiled iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, introducing a transformative “Liquid Glass” design that reimagines the iPhone’s user interface with a translucent, glass-like aesthetic. Described as the most significant redesign since iOS 7 in 2013, Liquid Glass brings fluid visuals, dynamic animations, and depth to app icons, widgets, and system interfaces, creating a cohesive look across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. The design draws inspiration from Apple’s Vision Pro, with translucent layers that shift based on ambient light and device movement, offering an immersive and intuitive experience.
The Liquid Glass overhaul extends to core elements like the Lock Screen, Home Screen, and Control Center. The Lock Screen now features a frosted glass clock with customizable colors and realistic light reflections that respond to iPhone tilts. App icons and widgets adopt a rounded, transparent look, while buttons in apps like Phone and Maps have a floating, less intrusive design. CarPlay also embraces Liquid Glass, introducing compact alerts, widgets, and light/dark mode support for a seamless in-car experience.
However, the redesign sparked mixed reactions. Initial user feedback highlighted readability issues, particularly in the Control Center, where transparency made buttons and sliders hard to distinguish against Home Screen icons. Posts on X echoed this sentiment, with some users calling for Apple to “tone it down.” In response, Apple released iOS 26 Beta 2 on June 24, 2025, increasing contrast and adding blur to the Control Center for better clarity. This update, available to Apple Developer Program members, shows Apple’s commitment to refining the design based on user input.
Beyond aesthetics, iOS 26 integrates advanced Apple Intelligence features. Live Translation, embedded in Messages, Phone, and FaceTime, enables real-time language translation for seamless communication. Visual Intelligence allows users to analyze on-screen content, such as identifying objects in screenshots or searching for similar items online. The Photos, Safari, and Apple Music apps have been visually refined, with animated album art and smoother navigation enhancing the user experience.
The update supports iPhones from 2019 onward, including the iPhone SE (2nd gen), iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 series, but excludes older models like the iPhone XR and XS. The iPhone 17 series, expected to launch in September 2025, will ship with iOS 26 pre-installed. Industry analysts suggest Liquid Glass is a precursor to future hardware, such as the rumored 2027 “Glasswing” iPhone with curved glass construction or Apple Glasses, aligning software and hardware aesthetics.
Despite early backlash, some users and tech experts praise Liquid Glass as a bold evolution. Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar noted its resemblance to Microsoft’s Windows Vista Aero design but appreciated its modern execution. Others see it as a strategic move to unify Apple’s ecosystem, aligning version numbers across all platforms at 26. The public beta, launched in July 2025, continues to evolve, with the final release slated for mid-September alongside the iPhone 17.
Disclaimer: This article is based on recent news reports, official Apple announcements from WWDC 2025, and user feedback from X posts and tech blogs. Information is sourced from reputable publications like Hindustan Times, Times of India, GSMArena, and MacRumors. The article reflects current sentiment and beta updates as of July 7, 2025, and may not represent the final iOS 26 release.