Call me a fanboi, but I wear the Apple ecosystem like a well-worn suit. From my iPhone 16 Pro to my iPad Air, my MacBook Pro to MacBook Air, my Apple Watch to my iMac, Apple’s walled garden is my digital greenhouse. So, when the public betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 “Tahoe,” watchOS 26, and everything else Apple dropped recently, I jumped in with both feet — and about eight devices.
After a little over 24 hours living in the Apple 26OS universe, here are my early impressions. Keep in mind: This is beta, and things could change before final release. But from what I’ve seen so far, I’m pleasantly surprised — and more than a little impressed.
The Liquid Glass Aesthetic: A New Coat of Paint That Shines
Let’s start with the most visible change — Apple’s new “liquid glass” interface. This isn’t just a tweak to icons or a slightly shinier Control Center. It’s a full-on aesthetic refresh that manages to feel both futuristic and familiar. Think of it as a blend between macOS Big Sur’s transparency and iOS 7’s minimalism, but more refined and immersive.
Across every device — from the iMac’s big screen to the compact Apple Watch display — the new visual language is gorgeous. It takes a little getting used to, but once you do, it just feels right. The animations are fluid, the transparency layers add depth without distraction, and everything seems just a bit more alive. Plus, I have to admit, it’s pretty.
Apple Intelligence: Understated but Ubiquitous
Apple wasn’t exactly shouting from the rooftops about how much “Apple Intelligence” would be baked into 26OS. But after just a day, I can tell you — the spoon may be subtle, but it’s definitely stirring the pot.
From the Photos app surfacing smarter collections, to Messages predicting more relevant quick replies, to subtle interface adjustments that just seem to “know” what you’re about to do — AI is in there. It’s like a good butler: Never in your face, but always making life smoother. It’s a very Apple approach to AI — refined, private and purposeful.
Expect this to be one of the sleeper stories of the 26 cycle. As developers and power users dig deeper, I think we’ll start to realize just how pervasive Apple Intelligence has become, even if it doesn’t come with a glowing halo or a catchy name like Siri 2.0 (yet).
iPadOS 26: The Biggest Leap Yet?
If there’s one platform in this release cycle that stands out to me the most, it’s iPadOS 26. Apple’s been on a mission for years to make the iPad more than just a “big iPhone,” and with 26, it’s clearly gunning for Mac-level power.
Some notable upgrades include:
- Multitasking Enhancements: Stage Manager is cleaner and more responsive, with better window control and smoother transitions.
- Floating App Shelf: A Mac-like shelf lets you minimize and switch between apps more intuitively.
- Expanded Apple Pencil Support: New hover interactions and pressure sensitivity improvements make the iPad feel even more like a creative canvas.
Honestly, this release may finally be the one where your iPad could be your primary device — if you’re not already there.
iOS 26: Small Tweaks, Big Impact
The iPhone’s update is more evolutionary than revolutionary — but don’t let that fool you. It’s the kind of update where you keep finding little gems the more you use it.
Some standout features include:
- Dynamic Wallpapers: Subtle shifts in color and lighting based on time of day. Simple, elegant and very Apple.
- Silence Unknown Callers Upgrade: You can now silence all unknown callers but allow repeated or important ones through — much more granular control.
- Camera App Redesign: The interface is more intuitive, with easier access to key settings and a less cluttered UI.
Again, none of these scream “headline feature,” but together they make iOS feel more mature and intelligent.
macOS 26 “Tahoe”: Visual Harmony and AI in the Background
My iMac has been running macOS 26 “Tahoe” beta, and it feels like the most polished of the bunch. The liquid glass design really shines on the larger screen, and the new Safari — faster and more predictive — feels like a genuine upgrade. But I don’t think it will have me ditching Chrome. I am waiting to see the OpenAI and Perplexity browsers.
Highlights include:
- AI Summarization in Notes and Safari: It’s basic for now, but a taste of what’s to come.
- Stage Manager Improvements: Still not everyone’s favorite, but definitely better implemented this time around.
- Smarter Spotlight: Suggestions are faster and more accurate, likely due to background machine learning.
Nothing earth-shattering here, but everything feels just a bit more intelligent and cohesive.
watchOS 26: A Subtle Evolution
On my Apple Watch, 26OS is mostly about polish and performance. The new fitness widgets are more customizable, and there’s improved integration with Focus modes. The update brings more consistent styling with the rest of the ecosystem, and notifications feel better timed and more useful.
One interesting note: Siri seems smarter. Or at least faster. That could be part of the Apple Intelligence undercurrent again — smarter parsing, better voice-to-text and more relevant suggestions.
A Few Rough Edges, But It’s Beta
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and Siri. I’ve seen a few crashes here and there, some battery drainage on the iPhone, and a couple of UI bugs in Safari. That’s expected at this stage of the game, and frankly, the stability is better than I would have thought for early public betas.
Final Thoughts (For Now…)
I’ve only scratched the surface of what Apple 26OS is bringing to the table, but even after just a day, a few things are clear:
- Apple is doubling down on visual polish in ways that enhance usability, not just make things prettier.
- AI is here—quietly, pervasively and thoughtfully integrated.
- The iPad may finally be coming into its own, with enough power and flexibility to make it a legitimate laptop alternative.
I’ll be putting the various betas through more paces over the next week or so and will report back with deeper thoughts and more findings. But for now, let’s call it what it is: A strong showing from Apple.
We may not be living in a Jony Ive-narrated, AI-powered utopia just yet — but Apple 26OS is a step in that direction. And it’s a beautiful, intelligent step at that.
Stay tuned for the follow-up, where I’ll dive deeper into specific use cases, developer reactions and how this update positions Apple in the broader tech ecosystem.
Until then, I’m off to play with Safari (no, it’s not replacing Chrome for me). Again.
— Alan Shimel
Editor in Chief, Techstrong
Fanboi and proud
