This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
There are just a few months remaining until Apple kicks off its WWDC conference, where it will showcase its newest operating systems for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Who knows, we might even see some new hardware unveiled given how many new products Apple is expected to release in 2026.
Of course, for most people, iOS 27 will probably be the main attraction, given just how popular iPhones are globally.
Usually, I'm excited about the prospect of a new iOS software update, but after the Liquid Glass/Apple Intelligence fiasco back in 2025, this year I'm actually dreading the event. I'm not really anticipating what Apple has in store for the iPhone and MacBook software, especially if it's something as forced as the Liquid Glass abomination.
This year, I don't really want any major new features, "groundbreaking" new functionalities, or even any major redesigns. I just want iOS 27 to be a housekeeping software update that will polish Liquid Glass and fix all the bugs and issues that iOS is still teeming with.
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iOS 27 better be a maintenance upgrade
How bad was iOS 26 at launch? With such software updates, the evidence and the personal experience of every user are usually anecdotal, as any existing issues are often challenging to reproduce or stem from the unique device setup. That said, as someone who has been around for more than a dozen iOS releases, iOS 26 was easily among the most issue-ridden ones, with the most bugs reported online and the largest amount of software gremlins harassing the iOS user base.
But don't take my word for it. Here are some first-party comments from one of the many disheartening posts in the r/Apple subreddit, where many have expressed their dissatisfaction with iOS 26:
"I thought I was going insane. I used to be able to type entire paragraphs without even looking at my phone. Now I have to retype sentences several times just to form a coherent message. How do you **** a keyboard this late in the game? Basic functionality should be prioritized over this translucent interface that quite literally no one asked for and few seem to like."
"Because it’s a perfect example of trying to iterate on software that is pretty close to perfect and ignoring the parts of the software that need to be addressed. It’s the ultimate mistake of many people in tech, the software has to be functional to the end users. Just because it looks cooler or has better effects it’s not really relevant. For me, iOS 26 was pretty much unusable for a solid 5 to 6 weeks until they’ve released enough updates. Even so I’d gladly downgrade to 18 in a heartbeat."
"with a iPhone 13 pro max, iOS 26 makes my iPhone feel as laggy as an iPod touch from 2015"
"Aside from having an actual Windowing system on iPadOS, I hate this update. My M1 iPad Pro still felt very fast for everything I did on it up until this update where it now feels sluggish. This update feels like Apple just forcing the use of more resources for its liquid glass garbage so you feel like you need to upgrade. I regret updating."
"It just made the phone run slower."
"Do we really need a new iOS and new MacOS every year? Do we really need change every year? Moving forward a bit slower may get us further."
"Liquid Glass doesn’t bother me but my 15 pro max obviously struggles, lags and has other technical issues that weren’t present previously."
"I've seen my friends phones lock up or fail to do basic functions enough to know I'm staying on this iOS 18 island as long as I can"
For me personally, the bugs and the un-Apple-like Liquid Glass redesign were too difficult to bear, forcing me to drop my iPhone for an Android device. A cardinal sin, given I have used a MacBook Pro for years along with Apple's excellent AirPods Pro 2.
I neither like the accessibility mess that earlier Liquid Glass iterations were; I couldn't stand the inconsistent transparency issues, and finally, I didn't really like the many questionable UI changes.
That said, I'm still emotionally involved with iOS and want to see it in the best light on an iPhone near me. In order for that to become reality, however, Apple needs to take a year off from introducing major new features and changes and clean house with iOS 27.
Liquid Glass can stay but needs to be fixed
In no universe is Apple abandoning Liquid Glass after less than a year of existence, even though it was not the best met software redesign we've seen over the years.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the shape that Liquid Glass shipped in, but I admit that the original demonstration at WWDC'25 looked pretty decent. Sadly, Apple didn't follow up with an actual iOS 26 that looked as cool as the demoed one or felt like the good ol' iOS we've come to appreciate.
If Apple spends a year or so honing the way Liquid Glass looks and, more importantly, feels, then we might be in for a very decent successor to the colorful flat design of old. At the moment, though, the current iteration is not it. It still has a ton of issues, bugs, and accessibility lapses that make it a usability nightmare for me.
As a matter of fact, it's been a while since iOS has abandoned its roots of being intuitive, polished, and easy to use for me. The software has been resting on these old laurels for a while now. I can't remember the last time I thought, "Hey, iOS is pretty cool to use", it's been literal ages.
Bug-fixing or AI infestation?
At this time, it's pretty safe to say that Apple has so far failed in the AI race. To me and many others, Apple Intelligence can be considered a flop, but that's actually a good thing! As someone whose AI usage boils down to tech support from Gemini or ChatGPT, I actually want less AI on my phone, which is obviously in contrast to what the majority of phone manufacturers out there actually do.
Apple's inability to make Apple Intelligence an actually usable part of iOS is a boon to me, and the fact that you can switch all the AI features with the flick of a toggle is immensely useful.
Sadly, I am pretty certain a large part of the upcoming WWDC summit will be dominated by Apple Intelligence talk and how the future of AI on the Apple ecosystem looks brighter than ever.
What I want instead is Craig Federighi taking one hour to tell us how Apple's software team dismantled iOS and built it from the ground up to deliver a super-stable and bug-free iOS 27.
Apple needs to read the room, and iOS 27 shouldn't try to wow us with major new features. Instead, we should be getting an incognito software update that fixes plenty of earlier promises in the background, quietly doing everything right. That used to be Apple's superpower.
Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.
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