Apple just wrapped day 1 of its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, and if there’s one word to sum it up, it’s shine—literally. The company revealed a new design language called Liquid Glass, bringing a sleeker, more unified aesthetic across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS. This is Apple’s biggest UI glow-up since the iOS 7 redesign over a decade ago.
But it’s not just about looks. The keynote was packed with new features, smarter software, and a major push into privacy-focused AI though not without a few raised eyebrows along the way.
Goodbye numbers, hello names
Version numbers are officially out of fashion, at least for Apple. Say hello to iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and their software siblings, which will all adopt year-based naming moving forward. It’s a small change, but a symbolic one: Apple’s signaling that updates are now part of a broader, platform-wide evolution.
Apple Intelligence: AI, but make it private
The biggest headline-grabber? Apple Intelligence, the company’s take on generative AI. Instead of hyping chatbots or flashy avatars, Apple focused on practical, system-wide intelligence. Think smarter notifications, auto-summarizing tools, real-time translations (even during calls), and visual understanding that can detect info straight from your screen.
There’s also a new Image Playground for quick, on-device AI-generated art, and Genmoji, which lets users create custom emojis from text prompts. Power users and devs get early access to Apple’s foundation models via a new API.
Apple stressed that much of this AI runs on-device, with heavier tasks optionally processed via private cloud servers. Yes, ChatGPT integration is coming to iOS but it’s opt-in, clearly labeled, and anonymized. The message is clear: AI can be helpful and private.
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26: Smarter, sharper, cleaner
iOS 26 features a refreshed Phone app, cleaner Safari tabs, better battery insights, and smarter filtering in Messages including chat polls (finally). iPadOS 26 brings window resizing and a native Preview app, giving iPads even more laptop energy.
One standout? A new Adaptive Power Mode, which learns your habits and subtly tweaks performance in the background to save battery without you needing to micromanage.
macOS Tahoe and friends
On Macs, macOS Tahoe keeps things familiar but more fluid. Spotlight search gets major improvements, Safari picks up collaborative tools, and the Journal app makes its Mac debut. Continuity also gets some love, making hand-offs across devices feel even more seamless.
Meanwhile, watchOS 26 introduces a redesigned UI, an AI workout coach, and more intuitive gestures. Over on tvOS and visionOS, Apple added regional screen savers, better AirPlay management, and yes, support for PSVR2 controllers.
Where’s Siri?
One glaring omission: Siri didn’t show up. No demos, no promises, no visible upgrades. Apple admitted that its next-gen voice assistant is still in the works, but didn’t commit to a timeline. This didn’t go unnoticed. Many analysts expected a full AI reinvention of Siri, especially with Google and OpenAI moving fast.
Market Reaction: Less boom, more meh
Wall Street wasn’t exactly thrilled. Apple’s stock dipped slightly post-keynote, shedding around $75 billion in market value. Analysts described the presentation as “measured,” “safe,” and even “underwhelming,” especially in comparison to its rivals’ flashier AI showcases.
But not all was doom and gloom. Some firms praised Apple’s slow-and-steady approach to AI, especially its emphasis on user privacy and real-world utility.
A note from a long-time Apple user (Hi, it’s me)
Sure, the announcements might have felt lacklustre to many. But in my opinion? It’s such an Apple thing.
Unless you’re living inside the Apple ecosystem, you’ll probably never appreciate the small but meaningful improvements they make year after year. Mock it all you want, but Apple still does one thing better than anyone else: making your workflow smooth and efficient even if you’re not a techie.
And to be fair, the Apple ecosystem really isn’t built for everyone. It’s designed for a specific kind of user, and that’s okay.
When can you try it?
Developer betas for all platforms are already out, with public betas launching in July. Expect the full rollouts around September or October, right in time for the iPhone 17 launch.
