Unveiling the Future: Apple's WWDC 2025 Showdown
Apple Moderates AI Expectations During Presentation of New iPhone and Mac Specifications
Led by a captivating new visual system titled Liquid Glass, Apple dazzled at WWDC 2025 with a barrage of updates across its devices. However, the question on everyone's lips: What's the deal with Apple Intelligence?
Since its introduction at WWDC 2024, Apple Intelligence was billed as a seismic shift for the tech titan, pairing hardware prowess with surging AI momentum. Apple Intelligence was designed to position the company alongside giants such as OpenAI, Nvidia, Google, and Microsoft.
Yet, a year later, the promise remains largely unfulfilled, garnering criticism and resulting in internal turmoil.
One of the most significant impacts of Apple Intelligence may have been a research paper titled "Illusory Thought" last week, wherein the company pinpointed the limitations of large language models and cautioned against overestimating their reasoning abilities. The paper highlighted that while LLMs may demonstrate intelligence, their primary function relies on pattern recognition.
Kicking off the conference, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, trumpeted the AI integration: "We're strengthening the generative models powering Apple Intelligence, making them more efficient, and tapping into Apple Intelligence in more places across our ecosystem."
Enter, the "Foundation Models Framework"; Apple allows developers to tap directly into the on-device intelligence that powers their own software by opening its AI infrastructure. Updates to Xcode now offer generative tools for developers, including integration with ChatGPT, predictive code completion, and conversational programming via Swift Assist.
Perhaps the delay in the launch of Apple Intelligence was rooted in under-promising and over-delivering after the debacle of its initial rollout.
Instead, the spotlight during the presentation gravitated towards a comprehensive visual redesign of macOS and iOS, fostering more uniformity across Apple's entire product range. Presenting the visually striking Liquid Glass-a fluid, adaptable design element that cascades across touch, content, and context-the redesign impacts everything from the lock screen to system icons, facilitating smoother transitions between devices.
Additional updates that surfaced at WWDC comprised enhanced Messages features, such as polls, customizable backgrounds, typing indicators, group payments, and improved spam filtering. Real-time language translation enables seamless translation within Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls through AI technology.
The Phone app benefits from upgrades like Hold Assist-a tool geared toward combating being put on hold-and Call Screening, which requires callers to validate their identity prior to connection. A step that, might it be noted, was first introduced with Google Voice in 2009.
Other updates include:
- iPadOS 26: A revamped windowing system, a beefed-up Files app, and professional-grade audio/video workflows.
- VisionOS 26: Improvements in spatial computing and compatibility for third-party accessories, like the PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller.
- WatchOS 26: A chatty "Workout Buddy" motivated users during their routines.
Apple announced the updates would be available to the public in July through beta testing, with full releases scheduled for autumn.
- The "Foundation Models Framework" unveiled at WWDC 2025 enables developers to leverage Apple's on-device AI infrastructure, integrating tools like ChatGPT, predictive code completion, and conversational programming via Swift Assist.
- Despite the recurring commitment to AI dominance through Apple Intelligence, the tech giant has also demonstrated an interest in data-and-cloud-computing and technology sectors, showcasing a comprehensive visual redesign of macOS and iOS, as well as updates to Messages, Phone, iPadOS, VisionOS, and WatchOS.
- Amidst the unveiling of various technological advancements, the conversation around Ethereum (ETH) and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications was notably absent at Apple's WWDC 2025, leaving investors and enthusiasts in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space eagerly waiting for signs of integration within Apple's ecosystem.
