How Apple and Google are taking smartphones in different directions with AI and design

How Apple and Google are taking smartphones in different directions with AI and design

For nearly two decades, smartphones have looked and functioned largely the same—rows of colourful apps that users tap to open. Whether you used Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android, the core experience felt interchangeable. But in 2025, that’s changing. With Apple's iOS 26 on the horizon and Google's Android 16, the two tech titans now are taking their smartphones in decidedly divergent paths—one with a focus on visual sparkle, the other artificial intelligence immersion, the New York Times reported.

Apple introduces 'Liquid Glass' and system-wide design improvements

Apple's latest operating system, iOS 26, introduces a new design look called Liquid Glass. It applies glassy, translucent effects to app icons and buttons so they blend into the background content behind them. The look is rolling out across Apple's entire ecosystem, on Macs and iPads, to create a more unified experience. But under the glamour, Apple's AI breakthroughs are quantifiable—more in the form of incremental features like real-time translation and smart screenshot abilities than full automation.

Android gets brasher in colour—and much smarter with Gemini

Google's Android 16, though, is going more bolder than just in appearance, but also in design. Its new look, Material 3 Expressive, is a pop-art design with striking colours and personalized themes. More exciting is Google's bold foray with Gemini, its AI chatbot generative. Elegantly integrated into Android, Gemini will be capable of carrying out tasks like creating to-do lists, reading movie subtitles, and app-controlling with voice or text commands. Android's UI overhaul is impressive, but it's Gemini that signals where Google thinks the future of the phone is headed.

Google gets aggressive with AI, while Apple takes a guarded approach

Such vastly different philosophies manifest in their AI strategies. Google is leading the charge, building phones that use machine learning to predict and react to user behaviour. Apple is playing catch-up. Its Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26 have some bright spots, like live translation during FaceTime or contextual suggestions based on screenshots, but most of those are features Android users have had for years. Even Apple's plans to renew Siri with more advanced AI have been delayed after internal tests discovered significant flaws.

The future of the phone: automation or refinement?

The split is stark. Android phones are becoming assistants that act on your behalf—sifting through data, acting, and deciding. iPhones are becoming thinner, more intuitive, and marginally smarter, yet the reins remain in the hands of the user. Whether people want a phone that acts on its own or one that's merely more gorgeous will soon be the determinant of their smartphone experience.

Your decision will determine your tech experience

In this new world, the decision is no longer "iOS or Android?" but "Automation or polish?" As AI sets out to redefine what phones can do, your next upgrade will be about so much more than the logo. The direction you go will decide how much your phone works for you—or with.