Matisyahu's Blog

After staying up for the Keynote then heading off to sleep so I could wake up in the afternoon to watch the Platforms State of the Union I am gradually working through the sessions from WWDC 2025. So far I am greatly underwhelmed but I am hoping that as I watch the session videos along with people reporting back on improvements not covered by the initial reviews of the developer preview that my impression moves from being underwhelmed to something more positive. I’m not expecting something revolutionary but rather I was hoping that they would get the basics correct – fixing up bugs with iCloud integration, deal with how Webkit/Safari trails behind Chrome when it comes to web standards implementation (according to Interop 2025 Chrome is sitting at 88 and Safar is sitting at 50 – the year is already half completed) and compatibility not to mention the implementation of MV3 regarding the standardised APIs lag behind with the net result being content blockers lag behind what one can find in regards to extensions for Chrome.

I also look at the user interface change – sorry but I am not a fan of the ‘liquid glass’ just as I wasn’t a fan of the aero look that came with Windows Vista. I also did a quick second look not only at Android 16 but also Samsung’s spin on it aka OneUI 8.0 resulting in me leaning more towards the changes Google was pushing in Android 16 and OneUI 8.0 than what Apple announced with its ‘liquid glass’. The legibility of text and icons is difficult not to mention that the over the top glossy nature of the UI elements is rather off putting for me since I much rather prefer flatter simplified user interface where the design isn’t distracting me from the content itself but it appears that UI design ideas come in cycles just like Gen Z guys are sporting the broccoli haircut that was all the rage in the 1980s. I can’t help but get the feeling that the whole ‘liquid glass’ is a solution in search of a problem relating to the failure of Apple Intelligence so they want something that gives people the impression of a sizeable change through changing it visually. The cycle part of me also views it as an UI redesign to give tech YouTubers to talk endlessly about as they ignore how last year the same tech YouTubers hyped up AI to the heavens and beyond while never questioning the practicality of it all.

With the UI changes in store for macOS it appears that Apple have done the impossible – I have a new found respect for Windows 11, something I didn’t think I would say but it appears that the UI design of Windows has become the ‘least worst option’ whereas macOS at least for me was always the saving grace even if I disagreed with the direction of Apple with their other platforms.

I’m going to watch some more videos and read some more articles – maybe my cynicism will be mellowed out by reports of the issues I’ve raised being addressed but I’m not hopeful.