
"Delightful", "elegant" and "modern" were the three main adjectives Apple used when it launched its new Liquid Glass UI design for iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and MacOS Tahoe 26 at Apple WWDC 2025 event this week. But for some the transparent elements looked positively retro.
While the Cupertino tech giant sees VisionOS as the main inspiration, there were immediate comparisons to much older software that dates back to before even the iPhone (along with big, big controversy over the corner radiuses in MacOS Tahoe 26). Even Microsoft is suggesting that Apple stole the idea from Windows Vista, but the joke may have backfired.