Surprise! A New Post.

Yes, I know, I know. It's been a minute. Or, well, several months if we're being precise. My last post was way back in January, which, let's be honest, feels like a lifetime ago in tech years.

Remember all those whispers swirling around WWDC in January? The ones that sounded almost too good to be true? Well, as it turns out, the rumor mill was working overtime and got it spot on. Apple officially unveiled its new Liquid Glass design at WWDC, and let me tell you, it's the biggest redesign to iOS in years. It’s like they decided to give iOS a spa day, and it came back looking absolutely radiant.

My iOS26 Lock Screen and Home Screens

Now, I'm not one to jump the gun on betas so early. Usually, I'm all in beta 3 or 4. "This isn't the final product, people! Patience, my friends!" And that still holds true, as I'll probably do a deep dive on the final release in a later blog post. However, I must admit that I've been running the iOS 16 beta for the past few weeks, and I'm genuinely impressed with the Liquid Glass design. It’s a bit of a chameleon, though. In Beta 1, we saw more of that pure, unadulterated liquid glass vibe. Then Beta 3 rolled around, and suddenly it's feeling a little more… frosted. Like someone left the glass in the freezer too long, but that's the beauty (and sometimes the headache) of betas; Apple is clearly still tweaking things, and I'm sure it's going to evolve again before we see the finished product.

One of the things I'm beyond excited for is CarPlay. This is, hands down, the biggest update to CarPlay since it first appeared on our cars. We're talking dark icons, those oh-so-satisfying Tapbacks (in messages), and, of course, the Liquid Glass design carries over, making your car's display look like a fancy, futuristic portal. But here’s a little nugget I stumbled upon in CarPlay: Smart Zoom under display settings. Now, this is a game changer for me. It takes those big, sometimes a little too big icons, and shrinks them down just a smidge. It may depend on your vehicle model, but in mine, it makes everything look significantly more refined and sleek. It’s like CarPlay went on a diet.

And speaking of public opinion, I conducted a highly scientific (read: casual) poll on Threads to gauge your thoughts on the Liquid Glass design. The results are in, and it's looking pretty good for Apple’s new aesthetic. As of right now, the poll sits at a resounding 68% love it, with a small but vocal 8% who hate it, and a diplomatic 24% who simply don't care. So, it seems the majority are drinking the Liquid Glass Kool-Aid, and honestly, after using it, I can see why!

What are your thoughts on Liquid Glass? Are you loving the new look, or are you still clinging to the old design like a security blanket? Let me know in the comments below or share them with me on Threads.