The Deepdive
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The Deepdive
The Glass Revolution: iOS 26 Uncovered
The tech world is abuzz with Apple's latest operating system, and we're cutting through the noise to deliver what truly matters about iOS 26. This revolutionary update introduces "Liquid Glass" - a bold new design language that transforms every visual element of your iPhone experience with translucent layers, softer corners, and immersive textures that might even hint at Apple's spatial computing future.
We explore how the lock screen becomes a canvas for personalization with interactive clocks, 3D spatial scenes that add depth to ordinary photos, and freely positioned widgets. The home screen transformation continues with three distinct icon styles - Clear, Default, and Tinted - allowing unprecedented customization. But these visual changes haven't been universally celebrated, with some users reporting inconsistent transparencies and reduced readability that draw unflattering comparisons to Windows Vista.
Beyond aesthetics, Apple Intelligence represents a fundamental shift in how AI integrates with your daily life. Unlike competitors, Apple runs these features directly on your device through their foundation models framework, prioritizing privacy while enabling impressive capabilities. Live Translation breaks down language barriers across Messages, FaceTime, and even in real-time conversations through compatible AirPods. Visual Intelligence transforms screenshots into interactive tools, while creative features like Genmoji and Image Playground unlock new forms of expression.
We don't shy away from the downsides - the significant device requirements that limit Apple Intelligence to iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, potential battery life implications acknowledged by Apple themselves, and the compatibility cutoff that leaves iPhone XS and XR users behind. Our deep dive includes practical advice for managing these concerns, along with detailed walkthroughs of improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Photos, and more.
Whether you're excited about customizing your digital experience, leveraging powerful AI tools, or simply wondering if the update is worth it for your specific device, our comprehensive analysis helps you navigate what could be Apple's most transformative iOS update in years. Subscribe to hear more episodes exploring how technology shapes our daily lives and what these changes reveal about our digital future.
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Welcome back to the Deep Dive.
Ida:Okay, so the buzz around iOS 26,. It's been pretty intense, right.
Allan:Oh, absolutely Huge expectations.
Ida:We're hearing major update, big visual changes and some serious smarts under the hood.
Allan:That's the promise.
Ida:So today we're going to cut through all that noise. We want to get into what's really new, why it matters and how you can actually use it. Does it live up to the hype for your day-to-day?
Allan:Exactly, and we've been digging through well everything Guides, tutorials, expert takes from places like 9to5Mac, macrumors.
Ida:Lots of user chatter too, I bet, oh yeah.
Allan:The early feedback's been rolling in. And look it's ambitious, no doubt about it. A big push on looks and function.
Ida:Okay, let's start with the thing you see right away, the visuals. Apple's calling it liquid glass. It seems like it's everywhere Icons, menus, navigation bars.
Allan:It really is a system-wide aesthetic. Think more translucency, softer corners, these kind of pop-out menus they've introduced.
Ida:It's definitely a statement Pretty bold.
Allan:It is. What's interesting, I think, is it's not just tweaking apps here and there. It feels like a unified design language across the whole OS.
Ida:Like a foundational thing.
Allan:Yeah, exactly.
Ida:Yeah.
Allan:Maybe even you know a subtle nod towards spatial computing. But on your phone screen, pushing those immersive textures could be prepping us for more Vision Pro integration down the line. Who knows?
Ida:Hmm, interesting angle, and you see this straight away on the lock screen right. It's not just static anymore.
Allan:Not at all. It's way more interactive. You can put that liquid glass effect right on the clock.
Ida:Pick fonts colors, resize it.
Allan:Yep, make it bigger, smaller, match your wallpaper, real personalization for that first glance.
Ida:And the photos, the 3D spatial scenes thing Right.
Allan:So you take a normal 2D photo. And now, if you tilt your phone slightly, it gets depth like it's moving. Exactly, a subtle motion creates a sense of depth. It looks cool, definitely. The question is, you know, is it useful or just flashy?
Ida:Good point, but the widgets moving is definitely useful.
Allan:You can put them at the bottom now, anywhere at the bottom, not just jammed under the clock anymore. That's a practical win for sure okay, so for you listening.
Ida:If you want to play with this, just long press on your lockscreen. It pulls up the customization options pretty easily super intuitive and it doesn't stop there. Right, the home screen gets a makeover to icon styles. Oh yeah, couple options.
Allan:there's clear, which is like totally transparent glass, lets your wallpaper really show through. Then default, which is new, to sort of a stacked textured glass look and tinted, which adds this subtle translucent color overlay kind of unifies the look.
Ida:And you can match that tint to your phone or your case.
Allan:You can. If you've got a specific color iPhone or an Apple case, you can sync the eye content. It's all about layers of personalization they didn't have before.
Ida:Making it feel like your phone. So quick tip, long press the home screen, hit edit, then customize. You can mess around with all these styles there.
Allan:And you can tone down the transparency too, if liquid glass is a bit much for you.
Ida:Which is good, because, well, the reaction hasn't been universally positive, has it? It seems kind of divisive.
Allan:That's fair to say. It's definitely a mixed bag in the early feedback.
Ida:What are the main complaints? Just looks, or is it causing problems?
Allan:It's a bit of both, Based on the reports. People were mentioning things like inconsistent transparencies. Sometimes it looks different in different places.
Ida:Okay, I kind of see that being annoying.
Allan:Reduced readability is another one. Yeah, Text maybe not standing out as much against those glassy backgrounds and even some stuttering animations.
Ida:Oof, not what you want.
Allan:No, and you know the comparisons to Windows Vista's Arrow UI. Wow bringing out the big guns. Yeah, it sounds harsh, but it points to this idea that maybe the visual flair is sometimes, you know, getting in the way of that super smooth performance Apple's known for. It's a tricky balance.
Ida:Definitely OK. So that's the surface layer, the liquid glass. But what's going on underneath the brains of this update?
Allan:Right, apple intelligence. This is where I think the really big shifts are happening. Even though Apple's kind of admitted they were playing catch up a bit in AI, this feels different. It feels like they're baking AI deep into the core experience. Now.
Ida:And a big part of that which everyone cares about is privacy. This foundation models framework. Why is that such a big deal?
Allan:OK, yeah, this is crucial. So this framework lets apps hook directly into Apple's AI model that runs on your device.
Ida:On the phone itself.
Allan:Yeah. Not sending data out Exactly your prompts, your requests. They never leave your iPhone. That's huge for privacy, obviously, but it's also like a serious technical achievement, pushing what the chip can do.
Ida:So potentially faster AI features too.
Allan:Yeah.
Ida:And ones that work offline Potentially yeah.
Allan:More secure, always available. It could really change how we interact with AI on our phones.
Ida:Game changer, okay, and for people who love automation, shortcuts.
Allan:Oh yeah, shortcuts get a massive boost. You can now embed Apple intelligence directly into them.
Ida:Like, use the writing tools or image, playground or even chat GPT.
Allan:All of the above. You build it right into your automated flows. This could genuinely change workflows, make complex stuff happen with just a tap.
Ida:Seriously recommend people check that out then, even if automation seems a bit daunting.
Allan:Definitely it could save you a ton of time on everyday tasks. Turn those multi-step things into one-button actions.
Ida:Nice. Okay, sticking with making the phone smarter. Language barriers Live translation looks pretty impressive.
Allan:It really does. It's integrated across the board. Now Messages. It'll auto-translate text back and forth FaceTime. You get live captions popping up Phone calls, spoken translations.
Ida:And the AirPods thing. That sounds kind of sci-fi. How does that work?
Allan:Right. So if you have the right AirPods that's Pro 2, pro 3, or AirPods 4, with noise cancellation and the latest firmware, you can have a real-time face-to-face conversation with someone speaking another language. You speak, your AirPods translate into their ear. They speak, it translates back into yours.
Ida:Whoa, that's incredible. It removes a lot of friction.
Allan:Totally. And, on a related note, apple Intelligence is summarizing voicemails. Now, too Little summaries pop up with the missed call. Saves you listening to the whole thing.
Ida:That's handy. What languages are we talking for live translation?
Allan:For the AirPods feature. It's starting with English, french, german, portuguese and Spanish Messages. Supports a wider set including Chinese, italian, japanese, korean. More are likely coming.
Ida:So definitely worth turning on automatically translate in messages or grabbing those compatible AirPods if you talk to people internationally.
Allan:Absolutely. And then there's visual intelligence. It's not just for your photos anymore.
Ida:It works on screenshots now.
Allan:Yeah, take a screenshot and visual intelligence can identify stuff in it. Search for similar images online or even like ask chat, gpt questions about what's on your screen.
Ida:Turn a screenshot into like an interactive search Pretty much.
Allan:It's making static images much more dynamic and useful. You can even spot dates, times, locations and screenshots and suggest calendar events.
Ida:Oh, that's smart. Currently just for English images. You said.
Allan:For the calendar suggestions. Yeah, starting with English. So for you, take a screenshot, tap the preview and look for those. Ask, search or highlight to search options. Super quick way to get info.
Ida:Love it. Okay, let's talk fun stuff. Genmoji image playground.
Allan:Yeah, the creative side gets a boost too. Genmoji lets you mash up existing emoji, two or more. Add some text, maybe to create totally new ones.
Ida:Like a custom emoji generator.
Allan:Kind of, and you can even tweak expressions using faces from your photos library, which is slightly weird, but also kind of cool.
Ida:Uh-huh, okay so robot emoji plus party papa, plus my dog's face. Theoretically yes, the possibilities are pretty wild, and Image Playground gets OpenAI's image generator built in so you can use presets like watercolor oil or just type what you want.
Allan:Exactly Create images from text prompts or use it to generate messages, backgrounds, even Genmoji, directly within Image Playground.
Ida:Okay, how do you get started with Genmoji?
Allan:Easiest way is in messages. Tap the emoji button, then hit Genmoji. Try mixing like an emotion with an object. You get ways. In messages. Tap the emoji button, then hit Ginmoji. Try mixing like an emotion with an object. You get some fun results.
Ida:Will do Now the catch All this cool AI stuff.
Allan:Ah, yes, the catch. It's a big one.
Ida:It doesn't work on all phones running iOS 26.
Allan:Nope, these specific Apple intelligence features, the advanced stuff we've been talking about, requiring an iPhone 15 Pro or newer.
Ida:Wow, so iPhone 15 standard doesn't get it, or iPhone 14 Pro no.
Allan:Meets the 15 Pro chip or better, it definitely creates a split in the user base. How Apple manages that going forward will be interesting to watch.
Ida:Huge detail for listeners. Okay, shifting gears slightly. The practical stuff battery life performance Always a worry with major updates. Apple actually put out a statement right.
Allan:They did, yeah, basically explaining why you might see your battery draining faster right after updating to iOS 26.
Ida:And it's normal.
Allan:It is initially. Your phone gets warmer, battery drains quicker. It's doing a lot in the background indexing files, downloading stuff, updating apps. All that setup work.
Ida:So don't panic, right away.
Allan:Exactly, Give it a day or two. It should settle down.
Ida:But they also mentioned longer term impacts.
Allan:Yeah, they acknowledged that if you heavily use the new, more demanding features, it could have a longer-term effect because, well, those features need more power. They said it depends on individual usage, which is careful wording.
Ida:Very careful and there's speculation, isn't there, that maybe the liquid glass look itself is part of the issue.
Allan:There is Some testers and users are suggesting that this visually intensive UI you know all the translucency and effects might just inherently use more processing power, potentially impacting battery life permanently for some users.
Ida:So the statement might be partly covering for the visual demands, not just the AI.
Allan:It's possible it could be Apple managing expectations, acknowledging that this fancy new look has a resource cost, even if you're not hammering the AI features.
Ida:Interesting. So practical advice let your phone settle for a few days post-update If the drain persists. Think about how you're using those new features and maybe check out adaptive power mode in settings.
Allan:Good call. It can help manage things automatically.
Ida:Okay, let's dive into some app specifics. Messages got more than just translation, right.
Allan:Oh yeah, custom backgrounds for chats Individually for people or groups.
Ida:Nice. But wait, everyone in the chat sees the background you set.
Allan:They do so choose wisely, especially for work chats.
Ida:Definitely noted. How do you set them?
Allan:Tap the name at the top of the chat, then backgrounds, and you can also turn off seeing other people's custom backgrounds if you find them distracting.
Ida:Good option. What else in messages?
Allan:Polls. You can create polls right inside a chat now and typing indicators. Finally, come to group chats.
Ida:How about time for typing indicators? Okay, phone app.
Allan:A couple of really useful things. Call screening lets your iPhone ask unknown callers for their name and why they're calling before it rings for you. Great for spam.
Ida:Oh, that's brilliant.
Allan:And an on hold tool. If you put on hold, your phone will basically wait for you and alert you when a real person comes back on the line.
Ida:That might be the best feature yet. Saves so much time.
Allan:Where do you turn on call screening?
Ida:In phone section of the settings app. Definitely worth enabling and.
Allan:AirPods besides the translation Right, assuming you've got the firmware update on those compatible models Pro 2, pro 3, airpods 4. You get auto-pausing if you fall asleep wearing them and you can use them as a remote shutter for your iPhone camera.
Ida:Handy Safari updates.
Allan:Mostly the liquid glass. Look rolling out there. Some tab bar tweaks, usual privacy enhancements. Quick tip If you hate the new compact tab bar, you can switch back to the old style and Safari settings.
Ida:Good to know Apple Maps.
Allan:Getting smarter? What Learns your commute, gives better traffic alerts, saves location history. If you wanted to More personalized, Notes and reminders. Notes gets weirdly specific with 3d graphics. Support for three variable equations.
Ida:Sheesh very.
Allan:Yeah, reminders apparently has some hidden Apple intelligence stuff lending your habits. Camera app UI changed quite a bit too for switching modes and accessing settings, streamlining things time new card style, look call screening. Like the app, an option to block nudity, useful for kids' devices and those live translation captions. Apple Music gets auto-mix for smoother transitions between songs. Like a DJ Plus, lyric translation and pronunciation features More interactive.
Ida:Photos I heard good news here.
Allan:Yes, big one for many users. Collections and Photos Library are back to being separate tabs, undoing a previous change people didn't love, and it supports those spatial scenes too. Great Podcasts app, liquid glass design, naturally, new playback speed controls and some dialogue enhancement features to make voices clearer.
Ida:Wallet anything major.
Allan:Digital passports are starting to be supported in some places and boarding passes are improved, apparently integrating better Plus a whole new app Games.
Ida:Oh, a dedicated Games app pre-installed, Yep.
Allan:Pulls together your App Store games. Apple Arcade stuff has social features too One central hub for gaming.
Ida:And finally alarms and ringtones. Anything new.
Allan:New reflections, variations for ringtones and a new alarm sound called Little Bird. And maybe the best tip, you can finally customize this news duration no way, not just nine minutes yep, one minute, five, ten up to fifteen your choice now in the clock app hallelujah, okay, crucial question time compatibility.
Ida:Who gets left out with iOS 26?
Allan:yeah, unfortunately it's the end of the line for the iPhone XS, XS Max and the iPhone XR. They won't get iOS 26.
Ida:Okay, xs and XR series out. Bummer for those folks who does get it.
Allan:Good news is it's a pretty wide range, starts from the iPhone 11 series goes all the way up to the latest iPhone 17 series Air Pro, romax included, and the iPhone SE second generation and newer.
Ida:So most phones from the last what five or six years are covered.
Allan:Generally yeah, but and we have to stress this again- the Apple intelligence features. Exactly. Just because your phone runs iOS 26 doesn't mean you get all the flashy AI stuff that requires the iPhone 15 Pro or newer. It creates that clear feature. Divine Got it.
Ida:But so, wrapping this up, we've covered the liquid glass visuals, the powerful Apple intelligence features and who gets them battery life stuff, tons of app updates.
Allan:It's a massive update, no question.
Ida:So for you listening, iOS 26 offers a real mix New aesthetics, some potentially game-changing AI tools, lots of practical tweaks. It's really about making your iPhone potentially smarter, more personal, maybe more efficient.
Allan:And as these devices get smarter, with AI running right on the phone, privately, it does make you think, doesn't it? How does this change our relationship with technology, these private, local AIs? What are the unexpected benefits going to be? Or maybe, what are the tradeoffs we haven't even thought of yet, as your phone becomes less of a tool and more of a? Well an intelligent companion.
Ida:Definitely something to ponder as you start exploring iOS 12 and 6 on your own device. That's been our deep dive for today. Hope you feel ready to tackle all the new features.
Allan:Yeah, dive in and see what works for you.
Ida:Until next time, keep exploring.
