What to Expect from Apple at the Upcoming WWDC 2025

Apple is feeling the need for a reboot — but it likely won’t happen at the upcoming WWDC. According to Bloomberg, the event might disappoint when it comes to AI-related announcements.

Some insiders fear the presentation may not only fail to convince users of Apple’s AI progress but also highlight how far behind it is compared to competitors.

Leaks suggest this year’s conference will be far more modest than the past two — which introduced the Vision Pro (2023) and the Apple Intelligence concept (2024). The company is now placing its hopes on WWDC 2026, when it aims to prove it can still lead in artificial intelligence. But delaying by another year is risky in a landscape where rivals continue to move fast.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the main AI-related announcement this WWDC will be Apple opening up its foundation model base to third-party developers. These are small language models (around 3 billion parameters) used for on-device tasks like summarization. Developers will now be able to integrate them into their own apps — an important, though not groundbreaking, step.

Additionally, Apple will unveil:

• a new low power mode;
• an updated Translate app, now integrated into Siri and AirPods;
• renamed Safari and Photos features, now carrying “AI-powered” labels;
• a new OS naming system based on release years — another move that shifts the focus from tech to branding.

The real changes are expected later, likely in 2026. In development:

• A new LLM-powered Siri capable of full conversation (similar to ChatGPT Voice Mode);
• AI integration in the Shortcuts app, enabling voice- or text-driven automation — delayed from 2025 to 2026;
• An “AI doctor service” named Mulberry and a redesigned Health app — set to launch in spring 2026;
• A ChatGPT competitor under the codename Knowledge, designed to access public internet data. Led by Robbie Walker, the project is reportedly stalled due to internal disputes and hallucination issues.

Apple deliberately wants to avoid repeating last year’s misstep of showing Apple Intelligence too early — which hurt user trust. This time, the company plans to announce only what will definitely ship by fall.

Internally, Apple is testing language models ranging from 3 to 150 billion parameters. The 150B model approaches ChatGPT’s performance, but Apple remains hesitant to release its own chatbot due to reputational risk. There’s no plan for a public launch yet, but internally, the AI is being benchmarked against ChatGPT, Gemini, and others through a tool called Playground.

The new OS design will be a noticeable refresh — though it still builds on traditional paradigms like touch-based interaction. As the industry shifts toward voice interfaces, Apple is doubling down on proven methods.

The key question: how long can Apple afford to wait on breakthrough AI products? A full-fledged AI comeback is promised for 2026, but if it doesn’t pick up the pace, it risks falling permanently behind Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI.