Will the upcoming Apple event be lackluster?

Unlike last year, this year's Apple Developers Event will not focus much on AI, nor will there be any new hardware products.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. Photo: Bloomberg .

WWDC 2025, Apple's annual developer event, will take place starting June 9th. Besides the new iOS and macOS updates, all eyes will also be on Apple's AI strategy, a race in which the tech giant is lagging behind its competitors.

In the latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman suggests that Apple will “not say too much” about AI at WWDC 2025. This move may disappoint users, but it is appropriate given the current challenging environment.

WWDC 2025 will not focus on AI.

Last year, Apple first introduced its AI toolkit to the public. Many expected the tech giant to replicate its past success, entering the market late but offering the best possible solution.

When Apple Intelligence released its first beta in August 2024, developers were disillusioned. Apple's system performed less efficiently than OpenAI, Google, or Microsoft. Even when the iPhone 16 went on sale, things were still not perfect, causing the company to release it 1.5 months late.

In the next phase, new features emerged such as Writing Tools, Genmoji, and Priority Notifications. While useful, they couldn't match the models from competitors. Meanwhile, the new version of Siri couldn't be released on schedule due to technical issues.

“A year after launching Apple Intelligence, the company is still facing a difficult situation. Apple needs to create a buzz about AI at WWDC on June 9th, but there isn't really much to talk about,” Gurman said.

The venue for WWDC 2024 at Apple headquarters. Photo: Bloomberg .

Over the past few weeks, major AI companies have made new strides. OpenAI reached a product development agreement with Jony Ive, dubbed the "Apple design wizard." Meanwhile, Google garnered attention with its Veo 3 video creation model at the I/O 2025 event.

Google's moves solidify its position as one of the leading companies in the AI ​​field. Beyond its video creation model, Google has integrated AI into its search engine and expanded its ability to exploit personal data, something Apple has yet to achieve.

“Apple needs to get back on track, but that might not happen at WWDC this year. People inside the company believe Apple will disappoint in terms of AI. Some sources close to the company fear the upcoming event will only further expose the company’s shortcomings,” Gurman wrote.

What to expect at WWDC 2025?

Based on rumors, WWDC 2025 will be smaller in scale than two years ago. For comparison, Vision Pro was announced at WWDC 2023, while Apple Intelligence appeared at the 2024 event.

According to a Bloomberg writer, Apple may wait until 2026 to launch groundbreaking AI features. However, skipping a year is risky because many competitors are improving their technology every day.

At this year's WWDC, Apple's biggest AI highlight may have been its Foundation Model for third-party developers. This tool allows developers to access AI features that run directly on the machine, such as text summarization.

For users, Apple is expected to launch an AI-based battery management feature, a completely new Translate app, and rename some features to highlight the AI.

The logo for WWDC 2025. Photo: Apple .

Apple plans to change its operating system numbering system to years, such as iOS 26 instead of iOS 19. According to Gurman, this is seen as a way to attract attention and "distract" from the shortcomings in AI.

In the future, Apple hopes to regain trust with several developing AI features. First is a new version of Siri with a Large Language Model (LLM), allowing the assistant to interact with users using natural language similar to ChatGPT.

Next up is an improved version of the Shortcuts app, allowing users to create actions based on Apple Intelligence. The Health app is expected to have a new interface and integrate AI doctor services starting in 2026.

Finally, Apple is developing a chatbot codenamed “Knowledge,” capable of extracting information from the internet. According to Gurman, the project is being led by Robby Walker, who was removed from his position as head of Siri and Apple Intelligence a few weeks ago.

"Apple may still reveal some new technology at WWDC, but things will be more cautious."

When Apple Intelligence launches in 2024, most of the features will still be unfinished. This is why the company hopes to regain user trust,” Gurman said. He added that Apple will prioritize introducing features that are definitely available in the fall.

Does the new interface compensate for the shortcomings?

Internally, Apple is developing various AI models with different levels of complexity. According to Gurman, the company is testing models with 3 billion, 7 billion, 33 billion, and 150 billion parameters. Of these, the 150 billion-parameter model, which operates in the cloud, is considered more efficient than existing models on iPhones and iPads, with improved reasoning capabilities.

“Internal reviews showed the model’s quality was close to recent versions of ChatGPT. However, the company postponed its adoption of the model for chatbots due to concerns about ‘illusions’ and differing philosophies among leaders,” Gurman said.

Despite positive developments, Apple will not introduce the new model at WWDC 2025. Company employees are evaluating the model using an internal tool called Playground, and comparing its effectiveness with competitors such as ChatGPT and Gemini.

An Apple representative introduces iOS 18 at WWDC 2024. Photo: Apple .

Overall, Apple's AI offerings at WWDC 2025 are primarily geared towards developers, including its accessibility platform and Swift Assist – an AI-powered code generation tool. First launched last year, Apple is expected to share more about Swift Assist at this year's event.

Ultimately, WWDC 2025 is unlikely to feature any new hardware products. According to Gurman, Apple's next device upgrade cycle (including iPhones, Apple Watches, etc.) will take place this fall.

Despite the lack of major breakthroughs, the Bloomberg writer noted that WWDC 2025 still had many distinctive features as usual, including an opening speech focused on the ecosystem, design, and security.

"Focusing on the fundamentals and emphasizing the operating system still offers appeal to both users and developers."

"The new user interface is definitely a big highlight, although it might easily make users feel like Apple is still 'living in the past,' focusing on the decades-old touch interface while the rest of the industry has moved on to AI," Gurman added.

Source: https://znews.vn/wwdc-2025-se-nhat-nheo-post1557804.html