I've been following Apple’s AI journey closely, and WWDC 2025 didn’t just showcase software—it revealed how carefully Apple is threading the needle between privacy and progress. Here’s what stood out to me.

Apple Unveils iOS 26 and 'Liquid Glass' Design at WWDC 2025—But AI Progress Remains Slow

Cupertino, CA — June 9, 2025 — Apple launched its newest operating system, iOS 26, at today’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), alongside a stunning new visual overhaul called Liquid Glass. The design, now spanning across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, brings translucent, fluid interfaces to the full Apple ecosystem. But behind the polished graphics and interactive emoji tools, critics and developers alike are beginning to question whether Apple is falling behind in the AI arms race.

Apple Intelligence: Real Power or Branded Middleware?

Apple may be calling it “Apple Intelligence,” but under the hood, many of its most exciting features—like Visual Intelligence, live image generation, and contextual screen analysis—lean heavily on OpenAI’s ChatGPT and potentially even Google’s Gemini models. Despite Apple’s sleek branding and emphasis on privacy, the actual intelligence powering your iPhone’s new tricks isn’t proprietary. In a sense, Apple is outsourcing the AI brain while keeping the face and wrapper in-house. The result? A highly polished experience that still depends on third-party generative models to do the heavy lifting—raising long-term questions about Apple’s true AI independence.

Is Apple’s Privacy Obsession Limiting Siri?

Apple’s dedication to user privacy is one of its signature selling points. But that same commitment may now be holding Siri back from evolving into a competitive assistant. While rivals like Microsoft and Google lean on real-time, cloud-based reasoning to offer dynamic multi-step tasks, Apple’s on-device architecture still limits Siri’s ability to handle open-ended or contextual requests. Siri’s much-hyped AI overhaul, originally expected this year, has now been postponed to 2026. For many users, that delay confirms what they’ve long suspected: Siri is still in a sandbox while competitors are racing on the open track.

The Highlights: What’s New in iOS 26

• Liquid Glass Interface: A translucent UI makeover across all Apple platforms, offering a more immersive and distraction-free layout.

• Live Translation: Real-time translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Phone calls using on-device models.

• Visual Intelligence: ChatGPT-enhanced screen reading lets you identify objects, learn their context, or shop for them directly within apps.

• Hold Assist: AI holds your spot in call queues and alerts you when a live agent becomes available.

• Workout Buddy: Apple Watch now offers motivational coaching based on your fitness data and workout history.

Apple Shares Dip Despite Flashy Presentation

While the features impressed fans, markets were less enthused. Apple’s stock slipped over 1.2% during the keynote, reflecting investor disappointment over the lack of a next-gen Siri or headline-grabbing AI moment. The dip comes on the heels of a broader correction from the stock’s $259 peak in late 2024 to a recent low of $172. Analysts say the WWDC didn’t offer enough to change the short-term AI narrative.

Foundation Models: A Quiet but Powerful Developer Shift

One major, under-reported shift: Apple is now allowing developers to access its on-device foundation models—the core AI engine running locally on Apple silicon. This gives third-party app makers a direct channel into Apple Intelligence without needing cloud APIs. The move could supercharge app-based generative features across categories like finance, health, education, and productivity—especially in markets where cloud data sharing is restricted or regulated.

Apple’s AI Position: Strategic or Falling Behind?

Some observers see Apple’s AI strategy as quietly brilliant—letting developers do the heavy lifting while it maintains platform control. Others worry the company is falling dangerously behind in an era where real-time AI assistants, image generators, and personal copilots are reshaping how users expect their devices to behave. WWDC 2025 offered refinement and polish—but little firepower.

📌 People Also Ask (PAA)

What is Apple Intelligence?
A suite of on-device AI features integrated across Apple platforms. Includes Visual Intelligence, Live Translation, and Writing Tools.

Is Apple using OpenAI or ChatGPT?
Yes. Apple Intelligence leverages ChatGPT under the hood, with users optionally sending screen content to ChatGPT for analysis.

Why wasn’t Siri upgraded at WWDC 2025?
The Siri overhaul has been delayed until 2026. Apple cited the complexity of integrating voice assistants with on-device models.

When will iOS 26 be released?
The developer beta is available now. Public beta begins in July, with full rollout expected this fall.

What is Liquid Glass in iOS 26?
It’s a new UI style across Apple’s operating systems—transparent, fluid, and minimal—designed for visual clarity and focus.