Apple WWDC 2025: No AI Boom, But the Biggest Software Overhaul in Over a Decade

At the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 held this past Monday, Apple didn’t deliver any groundbreaking announcements like the Vision Pro in 2023 or Apple Intelligence in 2024. However, the tech giant still made its mark with the most comprehensive user interface overhaul since iOS 7 in 2013.

Liquid Glass Design: A New Interface Wave Across the Apple Ecosystem

Apple unveiled a new design language called “Liquid Glass,” which will be rolled out across all its operating systems, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26.

Key highlights of the Liquid Glass design include:

A lock screen that appears to be made of transparent glass.

Refreshed buttons in the form of “glass pills” that glide smoothly over glass-like bars.

Subtle new animations, especially during incoming calls and in-app transitions.

Apple claims that the latest generation of Apple Silicon chips is now powerful enough to render these advanced graphics seamlessly.

AI Takes a Backseat, Though Improvements Are Present

While Apple Intelligence was mentioned, no major AI breakthroughs were announced as anticipated. The updates introduced were mostly minor and utility-focused, such as:

Real-time voice translation during phone calls, processed on-device (no internet required).

ChatGPT integration within the operating system, allowing users to send screenshots for summarization or explanation.

Minor improvements to Siri, though no major update followed the withdrawn AI Siri campaign from March.

According to investor feedback, Apple’s AI features still lag behind competitors like Google Gemini and OpenAI. Apple’s stock dropped 1.2% on the day of the announcements.

Apple Renames Its Operating Systems: iOS 26 Arrives in September

Apple officially announced a shift in its OS naming convention—from version numbers to the release year. Specifically:

iOS 18 will now be known as iOS 26.

Similarly, we’ll see iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.

This change is intended to help users more easily identify the latest versions and reinforce Apple’s commitment to annual updates.

Conclusion

WWDC 2025 may not have delivered the AI revolution some were hoping for, but it marked a significant milestone in redefining the user experience through the Liquid Glass design and broader software enhancements. While there were no blockbuster announcements, Apple reaffirmed its long-term strategy of focusing on performance and tight hardware-software integration

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