Apple has once again raised the bar for innovation with the grand unveiling of iOS 26 at the WWDC 2025 online event, held on Monday. Packed with cutting-edge features and futuristic upgrades, the event gave a first look at the much-anticipated iPhone 17, setting the tone for the next era of smartphones. From major AI enhancements to an all-new design philosophy, Apple showcased how it’s blending hardware and software like never before. Here’s a look at the top 15 features that are making waves among tech enthusiasts and iPhone lovers around the world.
1. Liquid Glass Visuals
A stunning translucent interface (“Liquid Glass”) refreshes every corner of iOS—icons, widgets, even scroll bars shimmer and subtly refract light, making the screen feel alive and glass-like .
2. Dynamic Lock & Home Screens
Lock Screen clocks and Home widgets now fluidly adjust position and size based on your wallpaper or lock screen elements, creating a deeper, more immersive space .
3. Live Call & Text Translation
Engage in conversations in real-time—whether voice calls, FaceTime, or Messages—while iOS seamlessly translates between languages on-device .
4. Intelligent Call Screening & Hold Assist
Spam calls are intercepted by AI answering bots, with clear transcripts. “Hold Assist” even stands in for you when waiting on hold—alerting you when a real person is on the line .
5. Messages Goes Powerful
New tools in Messages include polls, custom chat backgrounds, group typing indicators, Apple Cash in groups, and a smart “Unknown Senders” folder .
6. Visual Intelligence
Take a screenshot, tap to ask questions about what’s on your screen—Apple Intelligence identifies objects, offers actions, or even triggers searches .
7. Notes & Call Transcription
Record phone calls directly inside Notes, automatically transcribing important details—ideal for meetings or interviews .
8. Smart Battery Insights & Adaptive Mode
Get advanced battery analytics—daily comparisons, app-level usage stats—and activate Adaptive Power Mode for subtle optimizations before low-power mode kicks in .
9. Apple Music AutoMix + Karaoke
An AI “AutoMix” DJ mode blends tracks smoothly, while lyrics now offer real-time translation and karaoke support—your iPhone becomes the mic .
10. Revived Photos App
Tabs return to Photos with reintroduced “Library” and “Collections.” Transform 2D images into spatial, depth-illusion photos for Lock Screen flair .
11. Game Central Hub
A new Apple Games app merges App Store games and Apple Arcade with social Game Center features—easier event tracking and challenges .
12. Smarter Maps
On-device AI recognizes your frequent routes (e.g., home‑work), suggests faster alternatives, tracks visited places, and helps navigate airports .
13. Wallet Powers Travel
Your boarding passes now include airport terminal maps and real-time updates. U.S. users can finally add digital passports in Wallet .
14. Safari & Privacy Upgrade
Safari gets edge‑to‑edge browsing with built‑in fingerprinting defense, keeping trackers off your back .
15. Enhanced Apple Intelligence
Across the system—Messages, Camera, Photos, Shortcuts—Apple Intelligence, chat‑GPT-powered and privacy-focused, summarizes emails, edits visuals, and generates new images.
iPhone 17 – The Perfect Canvas
The iPhone 17/17 Pro is expected to ship with iOS 26 pre-installed. Rumored to include 12 GB RAM, faster charging (Qi2), a smaller Dynamic Island, and perhaps the fresh Liquid Glass design baked into its hardware aesthetic . It’s clear that iOS 26 is crafted with the iPhone 17 in mind—to showcase both style and substance.