Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 kicks off on June 9 with high expectations but potentially modest AI advancements, according to industry analysts and recent reports.
While Apple Intelligence was announced with fanfare at last year's WWDC, the company has struggled to deliver on many promised features. Bloomberg reports that Apple "will do little at WWDC to show it's catching up to leaders like OpenAI and Google" in the artificial intelligence space, despite mounting pressure to innovate.
Instead, the spotlight will shine on what Apple is calling 'Solarium' – a significant visual overhaul across all platforms that represents one of Apple's biggest design changes ever. The revamp is said to draw inspiration from Apple's mixed reality headset, featuring translucent elements and a more unified look across devices.
Apple will unveil major new OS versions including iOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26, and more, with every new OS version expected to receive a redesign and Apple rebranding its OS updates with new year-based naming. The next macOS will be named "macOS Tahoe," after California's Lake Tahoe, continuing Apple's tradition of California landmark names.
Among the few AI features expected at WWDC is a new AI-powered battery management mode in iOS 26 that will "analyze how a person uses their device and make adjustments to conserve energy." Apple is using battery data collected from users' devices to understand trends and make predictions for when it should lower the power draw of certain applications or features.
Apple is also developing a new standalone gaming app to replace Game Center, offering a unified platform for launching games, tracking achievements, adding social features, viewing leaderboards, and accessing editorial content. The app will support both Apple Arcade titles and third-party games currently distributed through the App Store. On macOS, it will also detect and organize games installed outside the Mac App Store.
The timing of WWDC is particularly significant following former Apple design chief Jony Ive's recent $6.4 billion deal with OpenAI, where he will head up the design for a new series of AI hardware products. This partnership has caused "major shockwaves at Apple," especially after a design-team brain drain and struggles in artificial intelligence, increasing the pressure on Apple to demonstrate innovation at this year's conference.