Today is the day that iOS 26 finally emerges from beta and is officially launched.The headline feature is of course the Liquid Glass look, which has proved almost as controversial as the minimalist look of iOS 7 back in 2013.Apple has made some pretty substantial changes to the look of the operating system after beta testers complained about poor legibility and confusing design elements.
Even so, some developers are not at all convinced that Liquid Glass is ready to be unleashed … Craig Grannell is not a fan.A number of developers agree with him.Hello Weather designer Jonas Downey said that while there are things he likes, “the new interfaces feel complicated” and simply get in the way a lot of the time.
Obscura Camera creator Ben McCarthy likes what Apple is trying to do, but doesn’t think it’s very successful.Héliographe developer Gulliaume Ardaud worked for Apple for seven years, but still isn’t sold on Liquid Glass.Grannell argues that at a time when smartphone design has plateaued, Apple is looking for Liquid Glass to provide some form of excitement.
9to5Mac’s Take I’m not sure the ‘boring hardware hence glossy software’ argument quite holds water given that the iPhone Air is the biggest hardware development we’ve seen in iPhones for many years.At the same time, it is true that Apple hasn’t given me a reason to upgrade this year.Personally, I am on balance a fan of Liquid Glass, though I would certainly acknowledge the problems identified during the beta process and would agree that it’s still far from perfect.
But the official launch is of course not the end of development, so I’m confident we can expect further improvements.What’s your take now that it is officially launching? Please share your thoughts in the comments.Highlighted accessories Official Apple Store on Amazon Apple 40W Dynamic Power Adapter for iPhone 17 Official Apple iPhone Air cases and bumpers iPhone Air MagSafe Battery Official iPhone 17 cases Official iPhone 17 Pro cases and Pro Max cases You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.
Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
