What’s New in iOS from WWDC 2025?

In this article, we’d like to share a quick recap of WWDC 2025 and, most importantly, highlight what’s coming in the next version of iOS. And by the way—starting this year, all Apple operating systems will follow a unified version number. That means all the OS releases coming this fall, designed to support users through 2026, will carry version number 26.

We’re talking about iOS for iPhone, iPadOS for iPad, watchOS for Apple Watch, tvOS for Apple TV, macOS for Mac, and visionOS for Apple Vision. All of them will now be version 26 across the board.

Apple's announcements mainly revolved around two big areas: design and functionality enhancements.

A Fresh Look: Introducing Liquid Glass

Apple claims it hasn’t really refreshed the overall design of iOS since 2007, so they took this seriously—and it shows. The new visual style is called Liquid Glass, and it brings a lot of color and transparency to the UI. It’s sleek, modern, and just plain cool.

Even better—it’s consistent across all platforms. So if you use more than one Apple device, you’ll now have a seamless experience across them all.

And don’t worry—the interface will still feel familiar. That red button with a cross? It still closes the app. No need to relearn the basics.

Apple challenged itself to create something purely digital that feels natural and alive—from the way it looks to how it responds to touch. In our opinion, they nailed it. We can’t wait to get our hands on iOS 26 and experience it firsthand. Combined with the power of modern iPhones and their high-quality displays, the user experience will be even more enjoyable.

The service bar at the bottom of the screen is gone. Buttons and menus now float on top of content like translucent glass layers. It looks elegant while maintaining full functionality.

These aren’t just transparent buttons—they dynamically adapt to the content behind them. Light or dark background? The buttons adjust accordingly to reduce eye strain. That attention to detail is what makes Apple products special. That’s also why, when selling refurbished iPhones, we’re confident in their quality and reliability. We even offer a 30-day return policy—because we trust Apple’s craftsmanship.

App icons now come in light mode, dark mode, colorful new tints, or even a fully transparent style that blends into your wallpaper. It looks stunning—on every platform.

Functionality Improvements

This redesign is tightly linked with new functionality.

On unlock, the lock screen now lifts away like a panel, revealing your home screen underneath—beautiful and fluid. When you set a personal photo as wallpaper, Apple’s 3D-style depth effect makes the subject feel almost real.

Listening to music? Tap the album cover, and it expands full-screen with dynamic wallpaper in the background. Gorgeous.

The Camera app has been rethought too. Now, there are just two main modes—Photo and Video—but all sub-modes (like Portrait or Slo-Mo) are still accessible with a simple swipe. Settings are easier to reach, and the interface is more intuitive than ever.

In Photos, Apple has simplified things down to just Collections and Library. It’s cleaner and smarter, and we love it.

Safari now lets content fill the screen completely—service buttons appear only when needed and blend in like glass layers. Simple, beautiful, smart.

FaceTime received a cleaner interface too. The main buttons appear only when needed. It’s minimal and elegant—just how we like our Apple features.

CarPlay now uses a compact design during calls. While driving, you still see your map and get a sleek call bar with essential info and buttons. Widgets have been added, letting you personalize your dashboard with weather, flight statuses, and more. There's also CarPlay Ultra, which integrates across all the car's displays, including climate control and speedometer customization.

Smarter Communication Tools

There are several cool new communication features:

• Call Screening helps you instantly gauge if a call is important or just spam. Unknown numbers are silently screened. If the caller shares their name and reason, your phone will ring—along with a summary of that info.
• Hold Assist keeps you on the line while you wait for an operator—freeing you up to do other things. When the operator finally picks up, you get an alert so you can resume or end the call.
• Group Chats are more powerful—see who’s typing, send payments, and interact like never before.
• Screening Tools filter out non-important messages. Think of it as an advanced spam filter.
• Emojis now allow for combinations. Add a picture, a face, or even generate a new emoji-style character with ChatGPT. It’s fun and surprisingly powerful.
• Live Translation is built into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone calls—and runs entirely on-device thanks to Apple Intelligence. Type in your language, and the message is shown with a live translation side-by-side. During FaceTime, real-time subtitles appear for what your contact is saying. For regular calls, it works too—just no video. Despite all the AI magic, Apple ensures your personal data stays secure. Most processing happens on your device, not in the cloud. Not even Apple can access your private info.
• Apple Music now offers real-time lyric translation. You’ll finally understand what that song is actually about. Also, the new “Mix” feature helps you auto-mix playlists (though we’ll admit it’s not for everyone).
• Maps now learns your habits. It tracks regular routes, checks traffic, and makes smart suggestions to avoid delays. It can also help you find and revisit previously visited places.
• Wallet is smarter, too. More car keys are supported. You can store your digital ID, view airport maps, track flights live, and even use rewards in-store with intelligent order tracking.
• Games App is now your central hub for gaming. It tracks your preferences, shows what your friends are playing, and introduces challenges where you can compete with others.

Visual Intelligence – Truly Useful AI

This is where Apple Intelligence shines:

1. Image Search: See something cool in Safari? Take a screenshot, hit the search button, and you’ll get product results instantly.
2. Object Highlight: Screenshot something you like, highlight the object (say, a jacket), and search for it on Etsy or similar platforms.
3. Calendar Autofill: Screenshot an event poster, hit “Add to Calendar,” and Apple fills in the event details for you.
4. Ask ChatGPT: See a mysterious object—say, a musical instrument—and don’t know what it is? Screenshot it and tap "Ask ChatGPT" to get info directly.

These tools are not only convenient—they’re mind-blowingly powerful.

Final Thoughts

With version 26, Apple has completely reimagined the design while making everyday use more intuitive, seamless, and beautiful. They’ve stayed true to Steve Jobs’s vision—creating products people want to buy, hold, use, and show off.

They’ve also given you more screen space—10% more content area—by redesigning interface elements. And they’ve packed in a host of new features, some of which will be game-changers.

For us, the biggest takeaway is that Apple continues to improve—even for devices released four years ago. If your phone supports iOS 26, you’re in for a treat.

That’s why buying a refurbished iPhone is a smart move—you get premium features for less. And with us, you always get more for less.

One of the core ideas behind our store is to offer iPhones that support the latest official iOS release from Apple. If you're curious to try out the newest iOS features, visit our online store at costplusphones.com and pick the model that suits you best.

Our latest arrivals include:
Refurbished iPhone 12 mini – minimalism at its finest
Refurbishedi Phone 12 – a solid, balanced choice
Refurbished iPhone 13 – premium performance at a great price.

CostPlusPhones team

P.S. If you’d like to see the presentation for yourself, please follow the link presentation.