(Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
I'll soon be on a plane to California with PCMag's software expert, Michael Muchmore, for Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), where we expect to see a design overhaul for iOS and maybe a surprise or two. Here's how to tune in and what we expect Apple to show off.
How to Watch the WWDC Keynote
The event runs from June 9-13 and begins with a keynote at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET on Monday, June 9, at Apple Park in Cupertino. It will be live-streamed on the Apple Developer app, the Apple developer website, and the Apple Developer YouTube channel (below).
Where Is Apple Intelligence Going?
As a developer-focused event, WWDC is all about software. Apple provided a first look at Apple Intelligence during WWDC 2024, but the company is still working on fulfilling its AI promises. It released a few features, like a ChatGPT integration, notification summaries, and Writing Tools, but is still struggling to deliver a big Siri revamp (prompting several false advertising lawsuits). Will Apple acknowledge these shortcomings at WWDC or breeze right along with details about upcoming AI features?
The main update to Apple Intelligence we are expecting is the open-sourcing of some backend models to developers, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Also look out for an AI-based battery-management feature, more about plans for an "AI doctor" and Health app revamp, or new AI partners, like Google's Gemini. But Apple will need to offer more consumer-facing features, and live up to the hype it started at last year's WWDC, to compete in the long run, Muchmore writes.
iOS 26? Meet Me in the Solarium
WWDC typically includes the introduction of Apple's next-gen operating systems, so developers have a few months to play around with them before a formal launch in the fall.
If we were following the typical naming convention, this year's launches would be iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16. However, rumors suggest Apple will rename its OSes to coincide with the year (or next year, like car model launches). So, we might instead get iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, which could make it easier for consumers to track software updates.
Apple is also reportedly planning a major user interface (UI) overhaul called Solarium, according to Bloomberg. It will bring design elements from the Vision Pro to other Apple devices, which could mean more translucent backgrounds and circular app icons. YouTuber Jon Prosser last month also hinted at rounded corners on options within dialog boxes, app menus, and search bars, plus a floating translucent navigation menu and the repositioning of the search bar to the bottom of the screen.
Where Are the Smart Glasses?
Making the visionOS interface the new look for all devices could help usher in Apple's reported shift to "visual AI." In March, CEO Tim Cook reassigned the Siri revamp to Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell, and we've heard rumors about Apple's ambitions to put cameras in AirPods and Apple Watches. Apple has reportedly abandoned plans for the latter, but AirPods are still on the table and might receive a live translation feature with iOS 19/26. Concrete features and new hardware experiences would be welcome after the letdown of Apple Intelligence.
But while the Vision Pro might set the tone for Apple's next evolution, the Vision Pro itself remains too expensive for the average user at $3,500. Apple is reportedly working on a more user-friendly pair of glasses to compete with Meta's Ray-Ban specs and Google's Android XR glasses, but that's not expected to debut anytime soon. As arguably the most "fashionable" of the tech companies, we expect Apple to ultimately nail the style side of this. The question is how much advanced Vision Pro tech can it fit into pared-down smart glasses?
Until then, we expect Apple to announce visionOS 3 at WWDC. Earlier this year, Gurman said the next visionOS is "pretty feature-packed," but details are scant.
We won't see new iPhones until the fall (hopefully without a significant tariff-related price hike), but the iPhone 17 lineup will likely support whatever Apple introduces at WWDC.
Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing the 175-acre Apple Park for the first time, the ideal mothership for a few days of Apple geekdom.