Apple yearly releases new updates and features which no other mobile company does. It’s update always brings curiosity and excitement. After spending some days exploring it , here is my honest iOS 26 new features review, covering the wins, problems and some hidden gems and a look at the beta version which helps you to test before updates.
This update is mainly from iPhone 13 series and from this blog i will help you decide if the update is worth installing. I will include the wins , problems and even some hidden gems.
Introduction: Why iOS 26 Matters
Every time Apple releases new update and features, it always try to bring a mix of flashy new tools and subtle improvements. iOS 26 new features mainly focus on AI integration, productivity and personalization and a complete new design to your phone.
Even though you can see a lot of visible changes in the phone mainly the designs of it, but there are still a lot of hidden features. They hide in the corners of the system, quietly making your life easier. So let me help you reach those hidden corners.
The Wins: iOS 26 New Features You’ll Actually Use
- Apple Intelligence Tools : Apple’s AI branded as Apple Intelligence is integrated into notes , messages , mail and Siri. Notes and mail mainly helps to summarize , rewrite text instantly. It mainly helps for writing long emails, study notes and quick reminder etc. And Siri has improves in commands like remind me to call him when I…… without precise phrasing.
- Messages improvement : We can know schedule messages which helps reminders for birthday text or any important messages. Also we can use smooth animation and use any emoji as reactions.
- Control center customization: iOS 26 has introduce new control center customization which is control center 2.0. It let’s use swipe between multiple pages of controls, customize shortcuts and layouts. Also helps to add third party app actions.
- Smarter photos app: iOS 26 introduced visual search that is, we can type “sky”, “cats”, “birthday”, etc and then AI finds it instantly for you.
Problems You May Face
Every updates cannot be perfect and iOS 26 also comes with new issues that you may face. Some issues are as follows:
- Storage space: The update of iOS 26 requires a lot of storage space. For installing iOS 26 , there is a need for 10GB storage.
- Limited AI features: Even though iOS has introduced Apple Intelligence it is only available from Iphone 15 pro onwards.
- Occasional Lags: Since the updates from iOS 18 to 26, when switching between heavy apps can be slower on older devices and some notifications may appear late or duplicate.
- Battery Drain: There maybe increase in the battery drain in the first few days.
Hidden Gems in iOS 26
Sometimes when Apple brings new updates and their features are not immediately known to some people. It is like they hide some of them but it does’nt we are not looking at it correctly. Here are some iOS 26 new features which are some hidden gems:
- Offline Siri : Now our Siri does not need internet to answer you. We can now access Siri without the internet.
- Smarter Airdrop : With the latest iOS version we can now easily transfer large media over the internet even if you move out of range.
- Quick notes : We can open a note from any screen by tapping the corner with Apple Pencil or finger.
- Background blur in face time : While we facetime our loved ones or when you are attending any meetings , latest iOS version helps you to get a professional portrait effect.
- Live voicemail Transcription : Now we have a live voicemail, latest iOS version helps you to read voicemail as they’re being left.
iOS 26 beta- What You Should Know
Before releasing the apple latest version, they released iOS 26 beta for developers and public testers. A beta is a pre-release version that lets users to test iOS 26 new features early. It is like getting a sneak peak of the latest iOS version. There are mainly 2 types of ios beta. Developer and public beta:
- Developer beta is released first which included all the features of the latest iOS version, but it can be unstable.
- Public beta is released later for anyone to try the latest iOS version but it can still be buggy.
Pros of iOS beta
- Early access to iOS 26 new features
- Test apps and new functions ahead of others
- Can provide feedback to Apple.
Cons of iOS beta
- Bugs and crashes
- battery drain
- Not ideal for daily use
Who will benefit most?
iOS 26 new features are perfect for :
- It is perfect for people who loves personalization. The apple latest version focus on personalization on lock screen modes, focus setups, control center layout etc.
- It also perfect for people who are productive. It helps in productivity with the help of quick notes, mail, Apple Intelligence.
- Since the apple latest version include visual search, clean up tool and improved memories , it is better for people who are photo lovers.
Conclusion
iOS 26 new features mainly focus on practical, user-friendly upgrades, AI integration, productivity and personalization. From AI enhancement to subtle hidden gems, it is a very well polished update that quietly improves daily iPhone use. Overall , if you love exploring meaningful upgrades, it is worth installing.
I usually loves trying new things and experiencing it. I think latest iOS version – iOS 26 is really a different from other earlier updates Apple has introduced.
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