The old debate of form on the function remains true with iOS 26 and the final version launched for all iPhones today. There is everything except a bad puff of this promising Apple intelligence for a long time, although you will always find a lot to love and more to complain about the creation of iOS 18 to the “26” generation.
Do not forget to reserve a certain storage on iPhone, because the update will require a good part. IOS 26 appeared as 6 GB for me on my iPhone 14 Pro, from the iOS 18.6 version. (Apple also pushes iOS 18.7 today.) Our editor -in -chief, Raymond Wong, has obtained the update on its iPhone 16 Pro and noted that it was 14.9 GB. Your mileage will therefore vary according to your device and your software version.
With iOS 26, Apple also published iPados 26, MacOS 26, Watchos 26, Tvos 26, Visionos 26 and all the others. The iPhone 17 range, from the 17 air pros, will be preinstalled with the new software update when these new phones are launched on September 19. Each Apple product now shares a similar design language centered on the “liquid glass” look. The user interface is full of semi-transparent windows and bubbles which can deform and contortion of the text and images below, as if you were looking through a convex glass lens. It is a way to separate the controls from the content itself. The changes are both subtle and manifest. For example, the “search” button on iPhones can blend more into your background wallpaper. In applications like Apple Music, the “Now Playing” bar will display a suspicion of the album illustrations below.
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Liquid glass everywhere, from iPhone to Mac
The iOS 26 version can be the most controversial since the drastic changes made to iOS 7 in 2013. Users did not appreciate having to look at short animations before entering their applications. Many have complained about the user interface hiding useful buttons, which makes it more difficult for power users to find the right tools for work. Despite the controversy, the skeuomorphism – where Apple has tried to incorporate more familiar images and conceptions, such as the image of the battery representing the life of the battery – remains to date. This brings us to now and the emphasis on “glassmorphism”, emphasizing the opaque windows for a pseudo-3D effect.
As a person who used several versions of the iPados 26 and MacOS 26 Betas during the beta period last summer, I appreciated certain design changes more than others. Apple Remove the opaque layer for the menu bar at the top of the Mac screen helps enlarge the screen without sacrificing the features. The spotlights have also been reinforced to take measures directly in applications such as messages without having to click on the icon and type your text to a recipient. The Mac is now more connected to the iPhone than ever with live activities, allowing you to monitor iPhone notifications without unlocking and playing with the device. By clicking on these notifications, also opens the iPhone Mirring, a feature that was introduced in MacOS Sequoia from last year. It’s not very great, however. There is no longer any launch launch available in the platform, and to bring it back, you must mud in the terminal. Instead, you are granted an overloaded “applications” folder of all your iPhone applications in addition to those you have installed on Mac.
MacOS 26 also has some additional minor additions, such as the largely ineffective game superposition. All of these features are now ornate in the translucent glass layer, from the icons of your application to the control center. The real innovation has been recorded for Apple tablets. The iPad is now much more usable as a dedicated laptop replacement for all your tasks. Apple added the possibility of having several applications open to the screen at the same time. You can tile them simply by turning them to the right or left side of the screen. If you want to watch YouTube and type your notes, it is now easier than the previous step manager or double -screen solutions.
iOS 26 has changed over time
Apple has refined the liquid glass of its initial beta version of Dev in the public beta version and again for the final version. The first versions were practically incoherent, in particular with superimposed text on the text. The follow -up beta counted part of the glass and liquid effect for a more “frosted glass” aesthetic. The latest public beta has perfected the current design, where you can catch a suspicion of content under the menus, as if you were looking at a glass pool. The effect wants to evoke something tangible, as you do more than scrolling the pixels on a glass pane. After months to play with all the different beta, I would always prefer a version of Liquid Glass that corresponds to the name.
Apple regular users who use their iPhone for a little more than accessing their camera or their Tiktok flows may not understand hatred, but the most dedicated iPhone aficionados can be impatient with new design. Critics say that liquid glass distracts you from the functions of each application. A few developers Publicly castigated the new design which holds important features behind the hamburger menus (these three horizontal bars which open the drop -down menus). Again, it’s a reality to live in Apple’s ecosystem. The company is more concerned with devices that concentrate applications for specific types of use.
Inevitably, you will compose against a single instance where glass words do not distract you or distract you from an important part of a text or an email. At that time, you will want to delete the whole exercise, decipher the pride of Apple and go to iOS 18. After these ephemeral moments when raw hatred overflows, you will continue to use your devices as you have always done.
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