If you’ve looked at your iPhone or Mac lately and thought things seemed a bit… transparent, you aren't imagining it. Apple is currently undergoing its most aggressive design pivot since Jony Ive stripped away the leather and felt back in 2013. We're talking about Liquid Glass.
Honestly, the "Apple design news today" isn't just about a new color or a slimmer bezel. It is about a fundamental shift in how we interact with glass and pixels. The release of iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe (which Apple notably unified under the "26" versioning system this year) has officially killed the flat era.
The Lemay Era Begins
For years, Alan Dye was the face of Apple’s Human Interface. But the big news dropping right now is the rise of Stephen "Steve" Lemay. Lemay is a 26-year Apple veteran—one of the original iPhone team members—and he just took over as VP of Human Interface Design after Dye's departure for Meta.
Insiders call him "Margaret," a nickname Steve Jobs gave him decades ago to avoid confusion with the other Steves in the room. Unlike the high-polish, fashion-forward vibe of previous years, Lemay is an interaction guy. He cares about how things feel when you touch them.
The "Liquid Glass" aesthetic is his first major stamp on the company. It uses depth, translucency, and refractive layers to make the screen feel like a physical object. Critics are already calling it "visually noisy."
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"Apple is betting that we want our screens to look like living, breathing glass rather than flat stickers." — Tech Between the Lines
Hardware Leaks: The Fold and the Thin
While the software is getting "glassy," the hardware is getting thin. Like, impossibly thin.
Leaks regarding the iPhone Fold (codenamed V68) suggest Apple is aiming for a 4.5mm thickness when opened. That would make it the thinnest device Apple has ever produced. It’s a book-style design with a 7.6-inch internal display.
But here is the catch: to get that thin, they might have to ditch Face ID for a fingerprint scanner on the power button, similar to the iPad Air. It’s a design trade-off that has the community split. Do you want the futuristic fold, or do you want the convenience of looking at your phone to unlock it?
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What’s actually coming in 2026:
- iPhone 18 Pro: Rumors point to under-screen Face ID finally arriving, which would effectively kill the Dynamic Island.
- Budget MacBook: A colorful, 13-inch Mac powered by an A18 Pro chip (yes, a phone chip in a Mac) starting at roughly $699.
- OLED MacBook Pro: Expect a late 2026 refresh with M6 chips and displays that finally match the iPad Pro’s contrast levels.
- Apple Home Hub: A 7-inch "iPad-lite" for your kitchen that runs a brand-new OS called homeOS.
The Software "Subscription" Gamble
Earlier today, Apple officially announced Apple Creator Studio. This is a massive shift in how they design the "pro" experience. Instead of buying Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro once, they are bundling them into a $12.99/month subscription.
The new Logic Pro 12 (arriving January 28) is a perfect example of Apple’s new design philosophy: AI-first but invisible. It features a "Synth Player" and "Chord ID" that uses on-device machine learning to write music for you.
The interface has been stripped of the "pro" clutter. It's cleaner. It looks more like an iPad app even on the Mac. Some power users hate it. They feel the "Liquid Glass" menus hide too many tools. Others love that they can finally see their wallpaper through the app windows.
Reality Check: The Crease and the Costs
Apple design news today isn't all sunshine and rainbows. The supply chain is hitting a wall.
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DRAM prices are skyrocketing, and Apple’s long-term memory contracts expire this month. This means those sleek new designs might come with a "design tax" (higher prices).
There is also the "crease" problem. While Samsung has embraced the fold, Apple is reportedly obsessing over making the screen perfectly flat. If they can’t get the hinge design to disappear, the iPhone Fold might get pushed back even further. They won't ship a product that feels "beta."
Actionable Steps for the Apple-Obsessed
If you’re trying to stay ahead of these changes, here is how to prepare for the 2026 design shift:
- Audit Your Storage: With the new "Liquid Glass" assets and high-res AI models in iOS 26, system files are getting larger. If you're buying a new device today, do not settle for 128GB.
- Learn the Gestures: The new "Pop-out" menus in macOS Tahoe replace many traditional right-click actions. Spend ten minutes in the System Settings to re-map your muscle memory.
- Hold Off on the MacBook Air: Unless you need a laptop today, the M5 refresh is expected by March/April with better thermal management for the new AI features.
- Watch the "e" Line: The iPhone 17e arriving early this year will be the first to feature Apple's in-house C1 modem. It’s a design experiment in connectivity. If it works, Qualcomm is in trouble.
Apple is no longer just a hardware company. They are a "glass and AI" company. The designs we're seeing today are the foundation for the next decade of how we'll touch and see our digital lives.