This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
A week after Apple released the first iOS 26 Public Beta, we get a brand new Developer Beta 5, and just like all previous releases, this one introduces a hefty amount of changes once again.
The iOS 26 beta release has been nothing short of a rollercoaster change for all those riding the beta train, with each particular beta release introducing major changes to Apple's new Liquid Glass design language. Granted, changes are expected for beta software, but it appears as if Apple doesn't really know how intense it wants the Liquid Glass effect to be.
Some like it as extreme as possible, others don't really care for it too much, and a third group of people is just vibing along the way. I'm definitely among the conservatives here and can't really stand the greasy transparency of Liquid Glass, but let's give Apple the chance to perfect its new design language, shall we?
Surprisingly, this new beta doesn't play around with the Liquid Glass intensity itself. It's just as translucent as in the previous Developer Beta 4 and the Public Beta itself. Those two introduced a slightly more legible level of transparency that wasn't as intensive as the very first Developer Beta back in June, but also wasn't as mellow as the frosted glass effect in DB3, which weirdly backtracked the Liquid Glass language.
Among the more interesting new features we're getting with iOS 26 DB5 is a new AirDrop icon that's a fairly stark change from the previous one we've grown used to over the years. This change will probably make you double-check what you're clicking, which is precisely what happened with me despite the muscle memory.
Another small and change in iOS 26 DB5 that's only immediately visible if you directly compare the new interface with the old one is the dock at the bottom of the screen, which now boasts a slightly more frosted and not as refractive background as the older dock.
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Here's a comparison between the old and new iOS 26 docks with the same wallpaper behind to illustrate the difference. It's a small improvement that isn't something you should lose sleep over.
< New iOS 26 DB5 dockOld iOS 26 DB4 dock >
Another playful change has also come to the Control Center: iOS 26 now features an exaggerated "stretching" effect when you pull the menu all the way down. It's a pretty nice animation that doesn't really add much to the overall utility of iOS but feels very natural and responsive.
May I even suggest it looks… responsive in a Material Design type of way?
iOS 26 DB5
iOS 26 DB4
Other than that, Apple has introduced many small changes to the iOS 26 interface as well. Here are some of them, in no particular order:
There's an updated low battery pop-up notification in the Dynamic Island. The new icons are more expressive and colorful, which makes them a bit more accessible. I definitely like that change, as it makes the interface a bit more user-friendly and intuitive, at least from a visual point of view.
iOS 26 DB5 new Dynamic Island icons for low-power mode and battery saver
There's a new button that lets you clear all calls in your Dialer app. It beats me why you'd want to clear the calls database, but hey - you do you.
New Clear All button in Dialer app
Performance and issues
It probably wouldn't be surprising to say that iOS 26 DB5 is the best-performing one so far. Performance is pretty much on the level of iOS 18.6, and if it weren't for the new design language and the larger amount of small bugs, you probably wouldn't be able to discern the new iOS from the old one. That's good.
Speaking of bugs, there are still many lurking around every corner, but your mileage may vary as to which gremlins affect you and which ones don't. One of the major ones, the Photos app bug when a video would still play even after you switch to another video, has finally been fixed in DB5.
But of course, many others still exist and will hopefully be addressed in further betas down the road.
Conclusion
iOS 26 is slowly assuming a pretty decent shape.
Apple seems to be on a good track improving the stability and fixing the bugs, while all the changes to Liquid Glass seem to cater to the most common denominator of iOS users who will possibly enjoy the changes without needing too long a time to readjust.
Most of these changes will possibly arrive as Public Beta 2 in the coming days.
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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