I’ve felt my frustrations with Apple grow for some time. I remember getting my hands on the original iPhone, realizing how ancient it made my Motorola Q look. The iPhone ushered in a period of relentless innovation from Apple, with the company consistently being first to market with features that performed well year after year. It was an exciting era for Apple, and it was hard to imagine a time when the company wouldn’t push the envelope.
Unfortunately, things changed. From a business standpoint, I understand why Apple slowed its advancement, opting for cautious moves over bold innovations. Apple suddenly was the last to market with new features, but at least they ran well. Now, with a series of subpar software releases and the failure that is Apple Intelligence, I can no longer give Apple the benefit of the doubt. Here’s why iOS 26 is the last chance I’m giving Apple to turn things around.
I’ve experienced problems with iOS for the last several years. I’ve suffered through random battery drains and numerous recurring issues with system apps. iOS 18.4.1 was the worst of all, with consistent crashes and lock-ups, problems I never would have encountered a decade ago. Apple’s software was once considered the most reliable, but I now place it near the bottom of the list. The company used to get away with being last to market with features because they ran well and often included elements that other manufacturers didn’t, but that’s no longer the case.
No smartphone manufacturer has convinced me that AI adds value to the user experience, but Apple’s implementation is terrible.
Apple Intelligence is the most glaring example. The company heavily marketed the iPhone 16 Pro Max with promises of Apple Intelligence, only to see some of the promised features not released for months. When they did arrive, they worked poorly, and I found it easier just to ignore them. Notification summaries are a mess, with Apple Intelligence often doing more harm than good. In addition, the substantive upgrades to Siri were delayed, leaving us with the slowest and least-capable voice assistant among major smartphone manufacturers. Something has to change, and Apple hopes iOS 26 provides relief.