iOS 26 Beta vs. One UI 7: A First Look at the Mobile OS Showdown
The mobile operating system landscape is buzzing with activity! Apple has just dropped the developer beta for iOS 26, giving us a sneak peek at what's coming, while Samsung's One UI 7 is already out in the wild, showcasing its latest advancements. I’ve spent some time diving into both, and while iOS 26 is still in its early stages, there are some clear differences and interesting trends emerging.
A Tale of Two UIs: Icons, Animations, and Control Centers
Right off the bat, you'll notice subtle distinctions in how both operating systems present themselves. The home screens on both iOS 26 and One UI 7 are familiar, with icons having slightly different aesthetics. Animations, for the most part, feel fairly similar, offering a smooth user experience.
However, a major point of divergence, and frankly, a bit of a head-scratcher for me on the iOS side, is the quick toggles and notification drawer. Samsung has seemingly taken a page from Apple's book with One UI 7, allowing users to swipe down on the left for notifications and on the right for quick toggles. What's surprising is how much better One UI 7's quick toggle situation looks. Samsung did a good job at copying Apple in a way, but they did it better. One UI 7's quick toggle situation looks so much better than on iOS 26. On iOS 26, these icons are incredibly difficult to see and read, a stark contrast to the clarity offered by One UI 7. You can barely even see these icons on iOS 26, making it very hard to read. While you can adjust this in settings, the default experience on iOS 26 is a significant step backward from what I've come to expect from Apple's Control Center. I used to like the iPhone's control center more, but if Apple does not switch this back, the One UI 7 control center is going to probably be the better one here. This right there is kind of a weird thing, and hopefully Apple can go and kind of figure this out, but that is essentially one of the more key differences you're going to see on iOS 26.
App Experiences and New Features
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Stepping into applications, One UI 7 generally maintains a consistent experience with its previous iterations, offering a stable and predictable flow. iOS 26, however, introduces a somewhat debatable visual effect where the clear app icon fades away, revealing what's loading behind it. I think that's nice in concept, but it's hard to kind of see exactly what you're looking at. It's not necessarily the nicest looking thing, and it doesn't look as... I don't know, maybe it's just going to take some time to get used to, but I'm just not that big of a fan of it. I think it's going to grow on me a little bit, but system-wide, when you're in other areas, it's not necessarily the nicest looking thing.
Camera app
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One area where iOS 26 has definitely hit a home run is the iPhone camera app. It's received a significant upgrade and looks considerably better than its One UI 7 counterpart. I feel like if you're comparing it between both, definitely I kind of like the iOS 26 camera maybe more than the One UI 7 camera. But that was just a small minor thing.
Interestingly, both operating systems are converging in some areas. Take the Settings app, for instance. Apple has now introduced a search bar at the bottom of the settings, a layout similar to what we've seen on Android for a while. Furthermore, iOS 26 finally brings call screening to iPhones, a feature Android users have enjoyed for some time. It stemmed from Androids, which have had it for a while, so I'm really glad we were able to have that type of capability here as well. It's great to see Apple incorporating such practical functionalities, even if they're playing catch-up.
Other visual elements, like the "liquid glass" type experiences on iOS 26, offer a cool aesthetic, but their impact on usability will depend on individual preferences. This can be a cool thing, but it really just depends on the way you kind of look at it. Even internet browsers show subtle differences, like the placement of the bottom bar.
The Road Ahead: AI and Stability
As both iOS 26 and One UI 7 continue to evolve, the integration of AI features will be a key differentiator. With Samsung already pushing "Galaxy AI" and Apple introducing "Apple Intelligence," we're bound to see some exciting and distinct capabilities emerge. There are some really cool things like live translations and stuff which Samsung kind of already has.
It's important to remember that iOS 26 is still in beta, so it is probably going to experience some glitches and stuff. It's totally okay. This means it's less stable than the officially released One UI 7. My hope is that Apple refines the control center experience before the official release, as it's currently the most glaring issue that's really kind of bothering me, and hopefully Apple can go ahead and address this and fix it. Hopefully, iOS 26 can stable out a little bit more.
Final Thoughts
Overall, both iOS 26 and One UI 7 are pushing the boundaries of mobile operating systems. One UI 7 feels polished, stable, and user-friendly, showcasing well-executed design choices, particularly with its quick toggles. iOS 26, even in its beta form, shows promise with its camera improvements and new features like call screening, but it stumbles in key areas like the control center's readability and the new app loading animation. As these two titans of the mobile world continue to innovate, the competition is sure to benefit us, the users.
