iOS 26 & New Apple Devices Released

I joined the Apple ecosystem several years ago, and, while I have no regrets about it, there is plenty of room for criticism. One of the loudest complaints I hear is 'same thing different package' – and they're admittedly doing a pretty poor job at refuting that.

Aside from the major change to their new Liquid Glass design language, this seems to be another underwhelming OS update across the board. The last few iOS updates have seemed to be heavily lacking in regard to useful or even innovative features, with interactive widgets (iOS 17) and a failed attempt at AI incorporation being the only notable additions beyond adding a fresh UI experience to legacy apps like Reminders, Notes, and Photos. Overall the new coat of paint is nice, but the rest of this "overhaul" feels very thin.

Apple also announced the latest lineup of iPhones: iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17 Pro. While the typical tactic of "good-better-best" pricing would have the top-of-the-line model seem reasonable to spend more on, the only feature setting the 17 pro apart from the 17 is a negligible camera upgrade and bad redesign.

In the middle of the two main models is the new iPhone air, which is the thinnest iPhone ever created. This new line comes in at 5.6mm (one Oreo wafer, 3 quarters, or 3 toothpicks thick, according to this durability test by Jerry Rig Everything) at the body. Of course with this comes the caveat that a smaller battery is required to fit the form factor, but no worries, as you can buy the redesigned MagSafe battery pack for an additional $100, which also makes the Air's key selling point moot by effectively making the thinnest iPhone the same thickness as every other iPhone. That being said, the strength of the Air is honestly surprising, being able to withstand 216LBS of pressure at its weakest point (again, demonstrated by JerryRigEverything). That is genuinely impressive, especially in the context of the iPhone 6 "bendgate", but when your flagship feature can be negated by your own accessory, it raises questions about whether these products are solving real problems or just creating new ones to sell solutions for.

I love the accessibilty and ease of use that comes with the ecosystem, and the Liquid Glass design looks good, but this only adds fuel to the "same thing, different package" issue I mentioned. For a company that built its reputation and constantly flaunts its ability to innovate, this feels more like maintenance than the groundbreaking update you would expect with this much hype.