Jony Ive’s long era of flat design is dead. At WWDC 2025 today, Apple ushered in “Liquid Glass,” a new interface for iOS 26 (all of Apple’s software platforms are jumping straight to “26”) modeled after the glassy, reflective, and translucent software design it first introduced for Vision Pro’s visionOS two years ago.

Who did the glass-like design first? Was it Apple with its Aqua transparency effects in 2000, or Microsoft with its Aero Glass theme in Windows Vista in 2007? Either way, Microsoft seems to think Apple’s Liquid Glass design bears some resemblance to its glass look in Windows Media Center,

Apple revealed iOS 26 featuring Liquid Glass at WWDC 2025, but the lack of an AI killer feature left analysts questioning its competitive edge.