WWDC25: A Glassy New Era for Apple? My Take on the "26" Generation
Apple has just wrapped up its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, and boy, was it a different kind of show. Forget your iOS 19s and macOS 16s; this year, Apple is ushering in a whole new numbering scheme and a dramatic visual overhaul. Everything is now simply "26," and it's all about glass and transparency. But given Apple's recent track record, is this a genuine leap forward or just a shiny coat of paint to distract from deeper issues? Let's dive into my review.
The Big Picture: A Company at a Crossroads
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the software, it's worth acknowledging the elephant in the room: Apple isn't in the strongest position right now. Last year's "Apple Intelligence" felt like an overpromise, underdelivered. The Vision Pro, while innovative, hasn't sparked the revolution many expected. iOS 18 was notoriously buggy, Siri continues to lag behind competitors, and developer frustration with Apple seems to be on the rise. So, with this context, does the new "26" software truly fix these woes, or is it merely an attempt to mask them?
iOS 26: A Redesign Since iOS 7, or Just a Subtle Shift?
Apple hyped iOS 26 as the biggest redesign since iOS 7. My expectations were high for a completely new look, but what we got was more subtle than revolutionary. That said, I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. The "liquid glass" material they've introduced is genuinely cool. It looks futuristic, and the way it integrates across apps like the Camera and Safari (with its dynamic, disappearing tab bar) certainly creates a more immersive experience. Apple has clearly put effort into making this feel three-dimensional, not flat like iOS 7, likely priming us for a spatial computing future.
However, glass can be problematic. Transparency isn't always clear, and some of the new "all clear icons" feel like a recipe for intense squinting. This design language also feels unique to Apple, which could be a headache for developers who've just adapted their apps to previous changes.
On the positive side, the Camera app has been beautifully simplified – a refreshing change after years of creeping clutter. The Lock Screen boasts a dynamic glass-like unlock animation and intelligently adapts the time to your wallpaper. And thankfully, they've used this new look to slightly clean up the mess that was the Photos app in iOS 18. Though, paradoxically, the new Control Center seems to have just shifted that mess elsewhere.
Beyond the design, iOS 26 brings some solid functional updates. The Phone app now has a more unified layout and the much-desired ability to screen calls from unknown numbers. But the real game-changer here is "Hold Assist," which holds your spot in line when you're on hold and rings you back when a person picks up. This is a genuinely fantastic quality-of-life improvement. Messages get customizable backgrounds (finally catching up to WhatsApp), polls in group chats (again, WhatsApp), and typing indicators. The big new feature is live translation integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls, all happening on-device without internet. In concept, it's amazing, though first-gen iterations of such tech can be clunky. Apple Music also gets lyric translation.
Then things got a little weird. A new dedicated "Games" app feels like a blast from the past, as does the updated Visual Intelligence which now allows searching within what's on your screen. It all feels a bit like déj vu from old Google events.
My Rating for iOS 26: 5 out of 10. A solid but unspectacular update, buoyed by clever little features like partial text selection in bubbles, customizable snooze alarms, and a hint to clean your camera lens if it's dirty.
The "26" Naming: A Confusing Clarity?
The new naming scheme, where all software is simply "26," is a mixed bag. It's a bit confusing for software releasing in 2025, but calling it "26" makes sense to avoid it feeling outdated by January. Ultimately, I think it's a good thing for the average user to easily track if they're on the latest software, and it might even take some pressure off Apple for each release to be a "big drop."
Apple Intelligence: Stalling or Slowly Opening Up?
Apple Intelligence feels broader in iOS 26, incorporating features like translation and visual intelligence. However, it hasn't gotten deeper. The core AI model itself hasn't improved much, aside from a few new languages. The silver lining is that Apple is opening Apple Intelligence up to developers, allowing them to build offline AI-powered apps. This is a crucial first step for encouraging curated app development on iPhone.
The challenge, though, lies in the ease of integration for developers and the actual power of Apple's offline AI model, which, based on iOS 18, isn't looking promising compared to competitors like Galaxy AI or even ChatGPT. It feels like Apple has hit a wall with self-developing this tech, leaning heavily on ChatGPT where their own AI falls short – and they must hate that.
My Rating for Apple Intelligence: 3 out of 10. Not a significant update at all.
Watch OS 26: Design First, Features Second
Watch OS 26's main change is the design, which is important for a device often worn for its aesthetics. However, the new features were underwhelming. While it leverages Apple Intelligence from your iPhone for live message translation and improved Smart Stack recommendations, I wonder about potential delays. There's a new wrist flick gesture for navigation, which might be helpful. But then there's "Workout Buddy," a feature that gathers your workout data and uses AI to give you a "dynamic, energetic voice" to inspire you. Hard pass. It was physically cringeworthy and feels like a solution to a problem no one had, especially when there are so many fundamental improvements the Watch could be getting, like better quality tracking, automatic workout detection, and sleep scoring.
My Rating for Watch OS 26: 4 out of 10.
tvOS 26: The Unexpected Karaoke King
tvOS 26 was surprisingly good. The new glass design language truly shines here, creating an immersive experience on a TV where content should be king. And then, the unexpected: karaoke! Using your iPhone as a microphone and Apple TV for lyrics. This brilliantly leverages existing hardware and software, making Apple TV an even stronger contender in the smart home ecosystem.
My Rating for tvOS 26: 6 out of 10. Primarily for the karaoke feature, as not much else changed.
macOS 26: Redefining Interaction
macOS 26 surprised me the most. Even for a mature product category, Apple is actively trying to redesign how you interact with your computer. It gets the same call screening and live translation as iOS, and the liquid glass design reminds me of a more tastefully done Windows Aero. There's more customization, like folder colors and symbols.
But the key new features are Continuity, allowing seamless interaction with phone apps like Uber Eats on your Mac, and a reimagined Spotlight. Spotlight is no longer just for finding things fast; it's now the place to do things fast. Imagine removing an image background directly from Spotlight without opening a new app. If intuitive, this could fundamentally change how we interact with our computers, bringing outcomes directly to us rather than requiring navigation through various apps.
And, of course, a new dedicated games app. But let's be real, gaming on Mac is a perennial disappointment, with developers rarely seeing enough upside to port their games.
My Rating for macOS 26: 7 out of 10. A surprisingly strong update that could genuinely improve workflow.
Vision OS 26: Slow and Steady Spatial Progress
Vision OS has hilariously jumped from 1.0 to 2.0 to 26. This feels like a small but important upgrade, as Apple continues to flesh out the spatial computing world. We get more depthy and customizable widgets that stay put even after a reboot, which is a very cool level of object permanence. The improved tech for transforming 2D images into depthy 3D ones for spatial Browse in Safari is impressive. Personas, the digital representation of you during calls, have seen a dramatic transformation, looking eerily good despite the headset not seeing your full face. New spatial accessories like a Logitech pen for 3D drawing and PSVR2 Sense controller compatibility are also welcome.
However, Vision Pro, like the Mac, isn't currently a gaming powerhouse, especially compared to Meta Quest. While these are all good features, they aren't enough to make me pick up my dusty Vision Pro. It definitely feels like Apple is leaning more into enterprise, perhaps having seen it not be as big a hit with consumers.
My Rating for Vision OS 26: 6 out of 10. Good features, but not enough to entice consumer use.
iPad OS 26: The Mic Drop Moment
iPad OS 26 truly felt like the mic drop of the entire event. For years, iPad OS has been stuck in a limbo, getting iOS features plus a few iPad-specific additions, always inching closer to a Mac without ever fully becoming one. This year, Apple seems to have ripped off that band-aid entirely.
The new multitasking system is a game-changer. You can now fluidly resize windows from the corner, and they behave like macOS windows, staying open and reopening in their last position when minimized. You can snap them to screen corners, and the pointer is more precise with the Apple Magic Keyboard. Demanding tasks like video exports can now run in the background. There's a menu bar just like on a Mac, and a revamped file handling system.
In theory, these address the biggest complaints from pro users who couldn't fully switch from Mac to iPad. While there might still be tiny grievances (lack of loading bars, limited file type support), Apple is flying incredibly close to the sun here. The finishing touches include improvements to audio and video, with AirPods capturing clearer voices and iPads saving full-quality video files from calls, making it a plausible tool for recording interviews.
My Rating for iPad OS 26: 9 out of 10. A truly significant upgrade that pushes the iPad closer than ever to being a true computer replacement for many.
Overall, WWDC25 presented a fascinating shift for Apple. The unified "26" branding and the pervasive "glass and transparency" design language signal a new aesthetic direction. While some updates, like Apple Intelligence and Watch OS, felt underwhelming, the strides made with macOS and especially iPad OS are genuinely exciting. It remains to be seen if this new era of "26" can truly address Apple's current challenges, or if it's just a beautiful facade. I'm keen to get my hands on this software and see for myself!
