tl;dr
At WWDC 2025, Apple showcased extensive updates to its operating systems and introduced a new design called "Liquid Glass" for better UX consistency across devices. Despite previous AI ambitions announced in 2024, Apple's advancement in AI, branded as Apple Intelligence, remains limited and has face...
At Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote, the tech giant unveiled broad updates to its operating systems alongside a striking new design dubbed "Liquid Glass," aimed at enhancing user experience consistency across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro devices. The redesign brings responsive, context-aware elements that adapt seamlessly across platforms, impacting everything from system icons to the lock screen. Public betas are scheduled for release in July, with full rollouts expected in the fall.
Despite the visual and functional enhancements, Apple’s much-anticipated AI initiative, Apple Intelligence, introduced in 2024, showed limited progress, battling industry critiques and unmet expectations. Apple reframed its AI narrative through a recent research paper titled "The Illusion of Thinking," which highlighted the limitations of large language models, explaining their reliance on pattern recognition rather than true reasoning.
On a brighter note for developers, Apple announced new AI integration tools including a Foundation Models Framework that opens its AI infrastructure for broader app development. Xcode received generative AI capabilities such as ChatGPT integration, predictive code completion, and Swift Assist for conversational programming, aiming to streamline coding processes.
Additional software enhancements included upgrades to Messages with features like polls, custom backgrounds, typing indicators, group payments, and live translation through AI in Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls. The Phone app improved with Hold Assist, a standby mode to notify callers when their call is answered, and Call Screening, requiring callers to identify themselves before connection, a feature paralleling Google Voice’s 2009 rollout.
Alongside these, iPadOS 26 introduced a revamped windowing system and enhanced audio/video workflows, VisionOS 26 offered spatial computing advances and third-party accessory support including the PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller, and WatchOS 26 debuted a motivational “Workout Buddy” feature providing workout encouragement.