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iOS 26 Preview: Liquid Glass Is More Than Just a Visual Refresh
In a bold move, Apple has released the latest iteration of their operating system, dubbed iOS 26. This new design overhaul, referred to as Liquid Glass, brings a plethora of changes that go beyond mere aesthetics.
The revamped design, which Apple is calling “Liquid Glass,” offers a visually stunning experience, with overlapping transparent elements that create a unique and immersive feel. The home and lock screens have undergone significant redesigns, featuring a striking new skyscraper-inspired font that stretches out from the background of your photos, complete with subtle transparency. This feature, dubbed 3D effect, infuses your photographs with spatial magic, granting iPhone users an air of Vision Pro.
While initially plagued by a transparent icon and notification system, subsequent updates have significantly addressed this issue by making floating elements more opaque. Fortunately, there’s also a toggle within the Accessibility tab in Settings to further reduce transparency for those who find it overwhelming. One could hope that Apple would provide a slider so users can personally customize their level of opacity.
Another welcome change is the relocation of the search bar from its position at the top of the screen to the bottom. This adjustment, in particular, should be music to the ears of iPhone Pro and Plus users who have struggled to reach these bars before. It’s an improvement that adds utility when searching for files or menu items.
Furthermore, iOS 26 brings significant enhancements to screenshots. Visual Intelligence can now identify types of plants, food, and vehicles within an image, allowing for seamless transfer of information between apps without the need to manually select them. This feature initially appeared in the Camera app but is now available on screenshots as well.
However, there are some disappointing aspects of this release. The new “Games” app has received criticism from users for being overly complicated and lacking any significant innovations or discoveries. In an effort to improve gaming experiences, Apple has introduced a tab that combines the Games section of the App Store with pre-installed games on your device, which can lead to confusion. It appears to be limited at this point due to restrictions imposed by the beta build. Still, there is potential for it to develop into something more comprehensive.
Another new addition is the Apple Watch-inspired Preview app that will be familiar to Mac users. This tool allows easy access to sent or downloaded files like menus, ticket QR codes, and more. While navigation across both apps remains identical, Preview’s capabilities are naturally restricted to openable files.
On a related note, iOS 26 has brought about significant upgrades in quality-of-life improvements for Apple’s headphones. Users of the AirPods can now receive notifications when their earbuds are fully charged, which is long overdue given the Apple Watch achieved this feature back in iOS 14. Moreover, Apple has promised “studio-quality sound recording” through its earbuds, which incorporates computational audio enhancements. Interestingly, it appears that AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 will record at a sample rate of 48 kHz, an improvement from previous years.
Lastly, the new iOS release has also introduced sleep detection for these earbuds. If your earbuds detect minimal movement, they’ll automatically switch off, potentially proving helpful during long-haul flights.
In conclusion, while iOS 26 prioritizes design changes and consistency across Apple devices, it seems to have overlooked substantial updates on Siri.
Source: www.engadget.com
