OS-version compatibility is turning into a performance race around macOS 26 and iOS 26. Developers are chasing smoother UIs, faster launches, and tighter on-device responsiveness as the OS wave moves from beta chatter to shipped updates.
Start 9.0 arrives with a complete UI redesign for macOS 26 and a raft of performance optimizations. The update tightens navigation, makes shortcuts clearer, and even adds an activatable dock icon, signaling tighter OS-UI cohesion. [1]
Falling Blocks Puzzle Game updated with iOS 26 support, bringing a refreshed design, Game Center achievements, multiple difficulties, auto-save, and themes synced across devices, plus touch-control refinements and watch-app compatibility. [2]
On macOS 26, Apple Foundation Model benchmarks surfaced, with a MacBook Pro M1 Max posting Time to First Token of 7.32 seconds and 33 tokens per second. The test also notes on-device inference is solid but the real bottleneck is the 4K-token context window. [3]
Bottom line: OS-borne optimizations are front and center as developers chase OS-level performance gains across macOS 26 and iOS 26. Watch for more app redesigns and on-device AI benchmarks in the weeks ahead.
References
Start 9.0 is here – Complete UI redesign for macOS 26 and many more improvements!
Start 9.0 macOS update; new UI, better navigation, tag features, faster performance; promo codes offered.
View sourceFalling Blocks Puzzle Game updated with iOS 26 support
Falling Blocks update adds iOS 26 support, new design, achievements, difficulty levels; mentions Tetris comparison and in-app purchases
View sourceI tested Apple Foundation Model speed on macOS 26
Mac baseline benchmarks Foundation Model on Kerlig; 7.32s TTFT, 33 TPS; 4K window; Telescopo mention; developer pride; macOS beta
View source