Overview
- Operating system quality averaged 2.7 and first‑party app quality 3.1, both down from last year’s 3.4 and 3.5.
- Hardware reliability led at 4.5, reinforcing sustained praise for Apple’s devices across recent years.
- Panelists cited macOS 26 Tahoe’s Liquid Glass redesign as a key driver of the Mac’s lower score, with prominent commentators issuing harsh critiques.
- Scores fell in 11 of 14 categories overall, while iPhone and iPad each rose 0.2 points on product and software improvements.
- The “Impact on the World” rating dropped a full point to an F, which several panelists linked to Tim Cook’s stance toward the Trump administration.