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Apple’s Liquid Glass Is Beautiful. But It Breaks the Rules of Usability

3 min readJun 10, 2025

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Image: https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2025/06/apple-introduces-a-delightful-and-elegant-new-software-design/

Apple have just announced Liquid Glass, and it might just be their most ambitious aesthetic leap since the flat overhaul of iOS 7. It’s stunning. It shimmers.

There might be problems though. What about usability and battery life?

Let’s take a look.

The Good

At WWDC, Apple made a big deal about Liquid Glass being harmonious, immersive, and accessible.

Apple’s new visual language is, undeniably, a technical and aesthetic achievement. To me, it does not feel that new, but to others they love it because it does not feel alien.

At its best, it creates a subtle depth and movement that brings interfaces to life. Buttons feel tactile. Navigation feels responsive.

Giving Apple operating systems a new coat of paint means that users are likely to be very happy with their new phones come September, and that’s a great thing.

The Bad

I’ve seen firsthand the impact visual overhead can have on real-world apps. In one project, I had to carefully optimize image…

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