Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) bold new design in iOS 26, dubbed "Liquid Glass," is drawing sharp criticism online -- and investor Ross Gerber thinks the backlash may be warranted.
What Happened: Unveiled during Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote on Monday, Liquid Glass is a translucent, reactive interface meant to make the iPhone experience more fluid and immersive.
It now extends across buttons, sliders, the lock screen, Control Center and more. Apple executive Alan Dye described it as combining "the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve."
However, users aren't convinced.
A user on X, @Greggertruck, shared a screenshot of the new Control Center and wrote, "Steve Jobs would have fired everyone." The post quickly gained traction, with investor Gerber chiming in with a Hundred Points emoji.
See Also: Pierre Ferragu Takes Apple To Task For Dismissing The AI Revolution: ';Has Its Head In The Sand’
The user wanted Apple to make the design more opaque.
Other users echoed the sentiment, calling the design "a smeary mess of colors and overlapping functionality." One said, "Looks like when you get someone to use Photoshop for the first time, every effect box is clicked."
Some were more measured. "I'm gonna keep an open mind," said @SawyerMeritt, "but it definitely feels like things are going to be harder to read with this new design."
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During the keynote, Apple acknowledged it still needs more time to finish its long-overdue revamp of the Siri voice assistant.
Wedbush analyst and longtime Apple supporter Dan Ives described the event as showcasing "slow and steady improvements," but ultimately called it "a yawner."
On the other hand, Deepwater Asset Management’s Gene Munster said, “At this point, they're [Apple] not ready to talk about the more advanced AI they're likely working on. The good news is they have a couple of years to figure it out.”
He also said that the most significant announcement at WWDC 2025 was Apple's unveiling of the Foundation Model framework, a tool designed to help developers more easily integrate Apple Intelligence directly on-device.
Why It's Important: Apple has long prided itself on design simplicity -- a principle its legendary co-founder Jobs championed.
Jobs' return to Apple sparked a legendary business comeback, driven by his focus on simplicity, intuitive design and a deep commitment to crafting products that were both functional and beautifully minimal, even in unseen details.
In 2019, Apple's design legend Jony Ive's departure seemed sudden, but reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg suggested that it was the result of a years-long shift in the company's priorities--from design to operations.
Ive and his team reportedly grew frustrated as design took a back seat under CEO Tim Cook, whose lack of involvement in product development led to discontent and departures within the design team.
Price Action: Apple shares fell 1.21% on Monday, closing at $201.45, but edged up 0.15% in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings show a short-term upward trend for Apple, though the stock is trending downward over the medium and long term. Additional metrics are available here.
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Photo Courtesy: Kemarrravv13 on Shutterstock.com
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
