After months of rumors, Apple has officially unveiled its big iOS 26 ‘Liquid Glass’ redesign, and already the new design has made me want the forthcoming iPhone 17 Air more than ever. Here’s why.
Liquid Glass blends iPhone hardware and software more seamlessly than ever
The new Liquid Glass design of iOS 26 and Apple’s other platforms is not a short-term change.
As Craig Federighi said in the keynote, this is a once-in-a-decade kind of shift for Apple. It sets the stage for years of upcoming hardware innovations.
The more time I’ve spent considering iOS 26’s new design, the more excited I get for one upcoming product: the iPhone 17 Air.
That’s because by the time iOS 26 ships this fall, Apple will have just revealed its new ultra-thin iPhone model.
A model that no doubt was designed with Liquid Glass in mind.
Designer Sebastiaan de With, in his iOS 26 concept ‘Living Glass’, put it well before WWDC started:
Philosophically, if I was Apple, I’d describe this as finally having an interface that matches the beautiful material properties of its devices. All the surfaces of your devices have glass screens. This brings an interface of a matching material, giving the user a feeling of the glass itself coming alive.
That’s a great way to describe the new interface.
With Liquid Glass, iOS 26 aims to seamlessly merge your iPhone’s hardware and software. It’s a tighter union than has ever existed before.
But that pairing could, I suspect, shine best on the ultra-thin new iPhone 17 Air.
Why iPhone 17 Air could be the best fit for iOS 26
When I was watching the WWDC keynote, as Federighi interacted with iOS 26 on his iPhone, I couldn’t help but think: that iPhone looks too old for the new software.
What I mean is that the thick, bulky design of current iPhones doesn’t feel as well suited for Liquid Glass.
Obviously this is entirely subjective. But to me, Liquid Glass seems built for devices where the display is the sole design characteristic, and nothing else draws attention to itself.
It’s the dream “single slab of glass” design that Jony Ive long sought.
That vision is set to be most fully realized in 2027, when a special 20th anniversary ‘all-screen’ iPhone is expected to debut.
I’m sure Liquid Glass will look gorgeous on that iPhone, and also on eventual AR-equipped Apple Glasses.
But for this year, iPhone 17 Air seems like the best realization of this vision.
Liquid Glass will of course be a nice change for any and all iPhone models.
But it’s the iPhone 17 Air, with its radically sleek design, that could feel most like a taste of the future today.
When I see iOS 26 and Liquid Glass, I see a design that’s made for thinner, lighter iPhones.
That’s exactly what iPhone 17 Air is set to deliver.
Do you think iOS 26’s Liquid Glass design makes iPhone 17 Air more appealing? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
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