Is iOS 26 required for the iPhone 17?

[42545]

I know it’s irreversible, but is there any way? Like many of my friends, I’m now considering switching from the iPhone to another phone because of iOS 26. Should we just hope that they’ll drop this (LG, iOS26) in future OS updates? Or should we wait another 15 years?

 

[iSuzan]

The will refine it, adapt it and maybe we'll get a slider for the glass effect. Maybe. But they won't for sure revert it. And who knows what the next design change will bring?

If you really bothered so much by it you should switch to another phone.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

ios26 is required for the 17 series, yes. And presumably ios27 for the 18s, and so forth.

I’m not having any difficulties with ios26 on my 15 Pro Max, nor is my wife with her 17 Pro, nor my 85-year-old mother and her 12 Pro. Liquid Glass is just… there ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but it’s not causing any problems for us. It certainly has its detractors but I can’t see exactly why other than vague “I don’t like it” sorts of complaints.

But, by all means… if it’s something you can’t adapt to, maybe switching is the answer. Personally switching would be a difficulty to me; I have been using iPhone since the 3GS and I trust Apple’s privacy policy far more than Google’s. But everyone needs to make that decision for themselves.