Theory: Apple introduced the Liquid Glass design to distract from the AI disaster

[fatTribble]

I normally find technology discussions interesting especially when folks opine on how technology might evolve in the future. It’s a sharing of thoughts and ideas.

Predictions, not so much. When someone talks about their predictions it sounds to me like they’re just looking for some sort of credit in case it comes true.

None of us know what the future will bring. We are all equals without a Nostradamus.

 

[Ta_whirimatea]

Not even slightly.

The need for a new design paradigm has probably been in the works for a long time. This had to happen now because of the 20th anniversary iPhone and, most importantly, because of the Vision product line. The 20th anniversary iPhone is a year a half away so they want as many apps as possible to adopt the new design language before then and for everyone to get used to it (it also gives Apple time to fully perfect it themselves).

We are quickly approaching the point where Apple hardware becomes invisible: either you're looking through the hardware with Vision products, or products like iPhone become bezel-less and converge on the "magic sheet of glass." Both of those future product categories will markedly feel different than current technology and Apple are intent on revamping their software to complement the new hardware era.

Apple have been super clear in their design guidelines that the point of Liquid Glass is to be a distinct character in the design language ensemble that "sits on top of the content layer" -- in other words, it is NOT for the content layer itself, it should be selectively applied in moderation for the most important control points. What they didn't really emphasize out loud is that "the content layer" won't just be apps anymore, it will increasingly be the physical world. The question that Liquid Glass answers, if any, is how do you make the perfect AR 'material' that doesn't feel out of place when superimposed onto the real world AND/OR digital content and remains legible when you can't guarantee what the 'content layer' will be (i.e, the real world).

Liquid Glass then is supposed to be the universal material and signal which tells the user "this is the thing I interact with to make stuff happen" whether it's the send button on their email app or a floating on/off switch that fades into view when you look at your lampshade with Vision AR glasses on 5-10 years from now.

That's why I'm so excited about it, this is the biggest teaser Apple have ever given us about what the next couple decades of their products will feel like.

(also; my bet is the new lensing effect we see on the iOS 26 lockscreen as you slide up to unlock will be uniformly applied around the very edge of the 20th anniversary iPhone's screen, where the bezel currently is on the 16 Pro -- to really reinforce the illusion that this device is a magic lens into the software realm)

2nd paragraph about hardware becoming invisible got me thinking. Could apple use the camera video function so that when you unlock on Home Screen / menus etc it displays what the camera sees as a blurred live feed behind all your icons thus giving a ‘slab of glass effect’ device.

 

[The Game 161]

Release something that many will not like to hide and distract something that many don’t like. Genius! You’ve cracked the code.

Personally, I like the new UI. Just has a lot of refinement that needs to happen. I feel many people feel that September is next week and this is the GM build.

More people seem to like the design than those who don’t.

 

[The Game 161]

If they wanted attention away from AI they'd just never mention it again like airpower.

Well that would be stupid seeing as al is the future of smartphone technology. Most year on year improvements will be based on al.

 

[HouseLannister]

More people seem to like the design than those who don’t.

73% of all statistics are made up.

Most people haven’t even seen it yet and haven’t formed any opinion. And everyone who has seen it, hasn’t seen its final form.

 

[Parowdy]

And, you probably have to admit that, at least in theory, it would be possible, even if it sounds unlikely to you.

If you really believe that it is possible for Apple to deliberately tank their reputation with their biggest redesign EVER right again after failing to finally deliver with Siri and "Apple Intelligence", you belong in the same camp as folk that believe in other completely outlandish and illogical fantastical "theories".
Just because something is theoretically possible doesn't mean it is plausible.

 

[thadoggfather]

could be but I dont think so.

an iOS re-design has been in the rumor mill / roadmap for a few years now.

 

[Parowdy]

could be but I dont think so.

an iOS re-design has been in the rumor mill / roadmap for a few years now.

Well, obviously only so they have something to harm their reputation with because they knew they would mess up with Apple Intelligence, duh

 

[klasma]

Oh, interesting. Why not? I especially love that it works in the dark.

So does Touch ID. 🥳

 

[klasma]

Outside of an echo chamber on shills claiming AI will replace everything, AI has been a disaster. Ai is far from zero shot. I got to be in a boot camp recently, and folks were asking cursor build this, it wouldn’t work, then please fix the code, again and again. Finally the guy gave up.
We are in the same phase of early days of Ecom/internet days with AI. What we have is Netscape/AOL or yahoos of AI. The Google and Amazon of AI are few years away.

It’s good enough for developers to be willing to pay $200/month for Claude Code: https://aplus.rs/2025/ai-sceptic-in-llm-adventure-land/

 

[TechnoMonk]

It’s good enough for developers to be willing to pay $200/month for Claude Code: https://aplus.rs/2025/ai-sceptic-in-llm-adventure-land/

I have paid and tried them, it’s fun games for basic stuff. The moment the app needs logic and work around api/algorithms, and account for security, it utterly fails.
I will give you a very basic example, not even a complicated one. I had a requirement of an iOS App to utilize those remote camera buttons which simulate down volume button in camera app. Mine wasn’t a camera app, but generic app. Claude, Open AI and pretty much most of them gave me garbage. I had to instruct them the solution and they gave me adjusted code.
Like I said if you are vibe coding and shilling to make money online. It’s great, but it’s long way to get to zero shot pr code. And the vibe coding is so insecure, you don’t need security researcher. A script kiddie can hack the whole app to backend.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I have paid and tried them, it’s fun games for basic stuff. The moment the app needs logic and work around api/algorithms, and account for security, it utterly fails.

Hit the nail on the head there. The moment I have to tell the "coder" how to fix the issue in its code I might as well be doing it myself. Sure it might save time, but I might also end up spending twice as long figuring out what the thing is doing wrong and how to fix it.

 

[WebHead]

When someone talks about their predictions it sounds to me like they’re just looking for some sort of credit in case it comes true.

None of us know what the future will bring. We are all equals without a Nostradamus.

So we're not allowed to even dream?

 

[fatTribble]

So we're not allowed to even dream?

Not what I said. Dream away!

 

[TechnoMonk]

Hit the nail on the head there. The moment I have to tell the "coder" how to fix the issue in its code I might as well be doing it myself. Sure it might save time, but I might also end up spending twice as long figuring out what the thing is doing wrong and how to fix it.

I see more and more that LLM may not be the answer. It’s way early but I do expect AI to get better and eventually be worth. But it’s long ways.

 

[TechnoMonk]

This pretty much sums up the AI hype.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1934345488612180295

https://twitter.com/x/status/1934359857018081775

 

[Tig_one]

I disagree. I have been a Mac user forever and IMO the last decade and a half has been the strongest yet for users.

How is a 2006 failed design concept from your competitor, with bizarre legibility and contrast issues, better for the user?
Why are you gaslighting people?

 

[Sumo999]

Why anthropomorphize the media buzzword "AI" like it's a hyper-competitive thing that Apple "lost"? Bit Coin level BS.

 

[GioGiusi]

There is no AI disaster.

 

[aibloop]

They already knew a year ago that their AI was failing, and maybe that’s when they started developing this Windows Vista copy.

All Ai has failed, its something.. But it is absolutely not whatever the hype suggested..

If anything, Apple has the least nutty implementation

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

How is a 2006 failed design concept from your competitor, with bizarre legibility and contrast issues, better for the user?
Why are you gaslighting people?

Apple was doing transparency and translucency and their interfaces long before Windows Vista was a thing.
Going back to Aqua 1.0 in 2000/2001, or the Leopard menu bar, or iTunes, any number of things from the time.

 

[nathansz]

The need for a new design paradigm has probably been in the works for a long time.

there was absolutely no need for macOS to adopt a new design paradigm

the sequoia UI is perhaps the best macOS has ever been and "liquid glass" is a massive step backwards

sequoia may end up being remembered as absolute peak macOS if this is the direction they are heading

 

[xxFoxtail]

They've likely been working on this visual update for a few years now to make sure each OS gets it simultaneously. I wonder what started first, Apple AI or liquid glass?

 

[Tig_one]

Apple was doing transparency and translucency and their interfaces long before Windows Vista was a thing.
Going back to Aqua 1.0 in 2000/2001, or the Leopard menu bar, or iTunes, any number of things from the time.

Aqua was top notch design.

 

[fisherking]

there was absolutely no need for macOS to adopt a new design paradigm

the sequoia UI is perhaps the best macOS has ever been and "liquid glass" is a massive step backwards

sequoia may end up being remembered as absolute peak macOS if this is the direction they are heading

people say that every time apple makes changes to their GUIs. so i'll bet you a macbook that, in time, the current look will become comfortable for (almost) everyone. and someone will say the same thing you're saying now when we see the next major shift in apple GUIs...