Apple has a bold new look with its software this time. — Reuters
Days after revealing a suite of new iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods, Apple’s brand-new operating software for the new year is out, bringing novel designs and features to your personal and business iDevices. Here’s what you can expect to see once you’ve upgraded your hardware with the latest OS.
iOS 26: What’s in a name?
Until now Apple’s labelled its various operating systems following different patterns, ticking up the version number year by year. So you might have been running iOS 18 on your iPhone, WatchOS 11 on your Watch, and MacOS 15 on your Mac.
From now on though, all of Apple’s software will be numbered the same way, by year – though, curiously, you won’t be downloading iOS 25 today. It’s iOS 26, because Apple clearly doesn’t want the software to sound outdated mere months after it gets released. One neat upshot of this change: it’ll be easier to see, at a glance, if your device is running the latest code.
Liquid Glass
Apple’s trying a bold new look with its software this time, and it’s probably one of the biggest changes you’ll notice on every updated Apple device you look at. Called Liquid Glass, it’s all about transparent or semi-transparent graphics and menus, and little moving highlights around the edges of icons, reminiscent of the way light changes direction as you look through glass at different angles.
Practically speaking, there’s no real change here: it’s just a visual tweak, even though it covers pretty much every aspect of the operating software. It’s similar on all Apple devices that run the new OS. Everything works the same, but the new design is attractive and modern, and you’ll have some different options for customising how your phone, iPad, or Mac looks in line with this new style of interface.
Some icons might also look a little unfamiliar, so you may find yourself hunting for them for a few days.
AI by any other name: Apple Intelligence
Apple’s been accused of falling behind the cutting edge when it comes to AI, and to some extent that’s true. But what the tech giant is also doing is what it’s always done: quietly developing innovative features until they’re safely ready for release.
So there are some new or expanded AI features in this year’s big software update, but not a huge amount – things like boosts to its “visual intelligence” feature that lets an AI interpret what’s on your screen and allows you to ask questions about it, and new graphics features in its AI-image generating system Image Playground.
But one of the main features that will be useful to business users is Live Translation. Apple demonstrated this feature when it announced its new AirPods Pro last week, showing how the headphones and phone work in concert so that two people who don’t share a common language can still communicate in near real time. This feature is also integrated into the text messaging app, Apple’s FaceTime video calling system, and the phone app, without needing headphones, so they all deliver the same nearly real-time translation from a number of different languages (including Spanish, French and more).
Business users who speak to people overseas will likely love this, and be reassured that all the clever processing happens on your phone, rather than a remote server somewhere. This means your private conversations shouldn’t leak out.
Live translation also works on the same apps on a Mac computer too, in just the same way.
Apple didn’t release a new AI-powered Siri, though. It’s been struggling to make its aging digital assistant sound and act as smart as rivals like ChatGPT. It looks like we’re going to have to wait awhile until Siri gets true AI power.
A packed Wallet
As well as being the way many iPhone users pay for goods without having to use a physical credit card, Apple’s Wallet app is great when you’re flying since it also houses digital boarding passes.
This system is upgraded for iOS26, with a really useful tweak so that you can see Live Activities relating to your flight and boarding pass on your phone’s lock screen. This includes information like your flight number, gate, and baggage claim information so you can keep on top of your travel details at a glance.
Airport maps will also help you navigate through the often maze-like architecture of the typical airport, and there’s a new luggage tracking system in Apple’s device-locating Find My app, so you may be less likely to lose track of your suitcase.
Spotlight on your Mac
As well as many of the same features listed above, Apple has really boosted the Spotlight app on Mac computers. This has always been a useful, central way to get to key apps, settings, and more on your device without having to click through a long list of menus or file folders. As well as helping you find that all-important file or email, you can now carry out a long list of actions from the spotlight interface. That means that with just a few taps on your keyboard, no matter which app you’re working in at that moment, you can send an email, make a digital note, start a podcast playing, and so on.
It sounds like a tiny tweak, but if you’re familiar with using a Mac for work or play, the spotlight app is definitely a time-saver.
A watch on your health
Apple has revamped the operating system for the Apple Watch. WatchOS 26 also has some of the transparent, cool-looking liquid glass design, but alongside a list of other features and improvements, the biggest new feature Apple launched was hypertension monitoring.
The Watch has always been health-centric, and the new feature adds to a list of health monitoring tricks like sleep apnea detection and irregular heartbeat warnings. Though it won’t tell you your blood pressure right that a particular moment, like a traditional blood pressure cuff can, it can spot worrying trends that emerge over time, and then alert you to check in with your doctor.
Apple’s privacy stance
Apple’s always been big on privacy, and with the new suite of operating systems for its devices that issue has only gotten better.
Perhaps the most powerful trick Apple’s tried is a new Advanced Fingerprinting Protection system which, by default, tries to block websites from tracking your activity by identifying your device using subtle, unique snippets of code and analysis.
Another useful business feature is improved call screening, which means when an unknown number calls your phone the call is answered silently by Apple’s systems. The caller is then asked to state their name and reason for calling – the answers are shown automatically on your phone’s lock screen, so you can decide to ignore the call or answer it in real time.
It could be very useful in preventing a robocall from a salesperson interrupting your important meeting. – Inc./Tribune News Service
