App developers: Why Apple needs Liquid Glass on the iPhone
Veteran developer Craig Hockenberry has an interesting theory about Apple's UI changes in iOS 26, which he sees as preparatory measures for later iPhones.
Structure of the Liquid Glass UI: Looks pretty good without bezels.
(Image: Apple)
Why did Apple start a new conversion of its user interfaces this year – – with what felt like a lack of motivation? Aren't things like a sensible AI competitor to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Co. more important? Craig Hockenberry, long-time developer of macOS and iOS apps and founder of Iconfactory, has some thoughts on this in his blog. In his opinion, Apple is investing in its own future with the big switch to Liquid Glass, especially in terms of hardware.
Memories of iOS 6 after iOS 7
Apple's last major break in user interface design took place during the transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7. Back then, design legend Jony Ive himself oversaw the redesign. The idea was to move away from the somewhat sad skeuomorphism in apps with artificial wood, virtual green felt or pixelated leather applications and towards a look that was minimalist and put the content in the foreground. iOS 7 also had an impact on macOS (years) later, but the major redesign that Apple is now planning for all its systems did not take place back then.
At first glance, the changeover from iOS 18 to iOS 26 seems less harsh than from iOS 6 to iOS 7. Basic elements have remained. However, the glassy changes are visible in many small and large places. There are numerous new icons, tab bars have been moved, as have search bars. The first look at the operating system after installation is likely to take some getting used to for people who did not participate in the beta. But why now of all times?
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Nobody needs Liquid Glass – except Apple
"I don't know anyone outside of Apple who thinks we really need more liquid glass in our designs," writes Hockenberry. The answer is simple: we don't need it, but Apple does. He believes that Apple is working on devices where the screen will blend seamlessly into the physical edges. "Something where a flexible OLED display blurs the difference between the pixels and the edge." Hockenberry can imagine a "wraparound" display, for example.
Such devices do indeed appear to be in Apple's pipeline. The company's first foldable is planned for the fall of 2026, with the "wraparound" iPhone possibly coming the following year as an anniversary model for the 20th birthday of the smartphone line. While working with iOS 26, Hockenberry noticed that Apple does not want controls or containers to touch the edge of the screen. This reminds him of certain areas that were not allowed to be occupied with iOS 11 because that's where the notch and home indicator ended up. "That changed everything." Hockenberry believes that the work on the user interface, which has cost many developers many hours over the last few months, "will soon make a lot more sense". Those developers who weren't paying attention would then experience a "holy shit" moment.
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