An ex-Apple designer has weighed in on the iOS 26 design situation with a concept called ‘Living Glass’ that is absolutely remarkable.
New iOS 26 Concept by Ex-Apple Designer Shows What we Might Get Next Monday at WWDC 2025
A big redesign to iOS and iPadOS is coming next week at WWDC 2025, and a lot of people have tried their best to show what Apple might have in store.
Today, ex-Apple designer Sebastiaan de With has shared an iOS 26 concept which he has dubbed ‘Living Glass.’ That name does complete justice to what he has created.
The idea behind this concept is how the interface is an extension of the iPhone’s glass display. This makes the user interface seem continuous, true to life, and visually pleasing to look at.
While Sebastiaan goes way in-depth with his design philosophy, and I highly recommend giving it a read, but the bottom line is, this concept really gives us an idea of what Apple could announce on Monday.
What really hits you immediately is how the interface reflects the objects around it, giving an illusion of glass being alive.
Just take a look at the controls in the image below. The way the spaceship’s lights reflect off the seek bar is nothing short of amazing.
The app icons are really an icing on the cake. The reflections around them and the transparency effect add to the overall personality of the icon.
The flat-looking buttons also get a refresh in this concept, and they look more in tune with the iPhone than it has ever been.
I’m finally excited about this redesign. Though these aren’t official images, Apple’s shift away from the boring and flat UI design is going to be a fresh start.
Maybe that’s exactly what the iPhone and iPad needed lately, not Apple Intelligence.
