WWDC 2025 Likely 'Smaller-Scale' Than Past Two WWDCs, Here's Why

[MacRumors]

There are signs that WWDC will be "smaller-scale" this year than it was in 2023 and 2024, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

At WWDC 2023, Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, along with its visionOS operating system. While the headset has faced low sales, due in part to its high $3,499 starting price, this was still a major and highly-anticipated product announcement.

Apple Intelligence debuted at WWDC 2024, in response to the surging popularity of generative AI platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.

At WWDC 2025, however, Gurman said it is unlikely that there will be any major new hardware or software announcements of that scale.

"There are no major new devices ready to ship," he said, in his Power On newsletter today.

In addition, some Apple employees believe that WWDC 2025 may be a "letdown" from an AI standpoint, according to Gurman. He said that Apple "will do little" to show that it is catching up to leading companies in the generative AI space, including OpenAI and Google, and Apple's shortcomings could become "even more obvious."

Gurman does expect Apple to provide an update on Swift Assist at WWDC 2025, and he said that SwiftUI will get a rich text editor.

On the other hand, Gurman believes that Apple's redesigned software platforms should be exciting for many Apple fans. iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26 are all rumored to have a new visionOS-inspired, glass-like design with more translucent user interface elements, such as menus, buttons, and icons.

"The updated user interface will certainly be the standout announcement, even if it risks sending the message that Apple is stuck in the past," wrote Gurman.

Ultimately, where WWDC 2025 will rank in Apple fans' minds is subjective, as some might find redesigned software platforms to be even more interesting than the Vision Pro and Apple Intelligence. For others, though, Apple failing to make meaningful progress on the generative AI front might be an overshadowing disappointment.

The good news is that Apple is expected to make a bigger push into AI heading into 2026, with the company still working on a conversational ChatGPT-like version of Siri, a revamped Shortcuts app powered by Apple Intelligence, and more.

Article Link: WWDC 2025 Likely 'Smaller-Scale' Than Past Two WWDCs, Here's Why

 

[MacUserFella]

Good, we need more stable software and less gimmicky hardware

 

[DHagan4755]

I'm liking the sounds of this WWDC more & more. Focus on what you're good at & can actually deliver! What a concept.

 

[asdfjkl;]

Let's hope iXX26 will be more stable and the number of gimmicky "features" is kept to a minimum.

 

[DHagan4755]

I should add I found it interesting in Gurman's article that Apple's got an AI running internally that's as good or better than OpenAI's Chat GPT but executives are squabbling over aspects of it.

 

[nt5672]

I'm guessing they are reducing the surface area for complaints.

And "all rumored to have a new visionOS-inspired, glass-like design " is not at all what we want.

Cook's shallow quote of the day, "When you can't get things to work, just put some lipstick on it and everyone will be happy."

 

[spaxxedout]

I’m looking most forward to the redesigned calendar that might allow AI generated schedules. Also, VisionOS 26 is really the first major update for the Vision Pro. visionOS 2 got unveiled 4 months after product launch, and we all remember how rushed that release was.

 

[spaxxedout]

Another thing is that this is the first platforms release fully in the age of vibecoding. You know those PR’s are being taken care of.

 

[contacos]

Let's hope iXX26 will be more stable and the number of gimmicky "features" is kept to a minimum.

I don’t know. A lot can go “wrong“ with a redesign and new design language.

 

[contacos]

I'm guessing they are reducing the surface area for complaints.

And "all rumored to have a new visionOS-inspired, glass-like design " is not at all what we want.

Cook's shallow quote of the day, "When you can't get things to work, just put some lipstick on it and everyone will be happy."

People already lost their damn mind over the Photo look looking differently. Imagine a whole new design language

 

[MRSugarD]

I don't care if there are no new fancy announcements as long as the software is taken properly care of under the hood.

 

[McTool]

According to...

 

[nfl46]

I mean, has anyone mastered AI yet? Most see it as a gimmick on phones.

 

[rp2011]

Yay thinner fonts and glowy effects and Windows 95 marketing

 

[rp2011]

It's always a good sign for any company when marketing wins and takes over.

 

[tridley68]

Its about money Timmy has got to keep the board of directors and investors and his own pockets full .

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Apple added translucency to macOS window chrome some years back, along with very thin fonts, and then spent each subsequent year rolling both back. Translucency is often an impediment to usability, and is best used sparingly and subtly, in places only where it makes sense. Docks and menu bars, there it makes sense. Translucency in upper window/app chrome only makes sense to show hidden content when barely visible, and can easily be very distracting, as Apple and Microsoft Windows Vista showed. Change for change’s sake is getting old.

I’d prefer they focus on useful stuff like system-wide video cropping outside of Photos apps (especially on iPad and Mac), fixing longstanding bugs, dynamiting the iOS Photos app, quick access for ALL volume sliders, and cross-platform iMessage so users of the Apple ecosystem can message everyone out-of-the-box with ease from any Apple device without third party apps. RCS is handy, cross-platform iMessage would be far more desirable, and payments. We shouldn’t need to have Venmo, PP, CashApp, Revolut, Zelle and Square to send small amounts of money around. Payments should be cross-platform, industry standard, and just work, like physical cash. We should be able to iMessage Apple and Android users “$50” as simple text (and in person by tapping phones) with an automatic prompt for confirmation ✅. Open a photo, tap phones, open contacts, tap phones, open wallet, tap phones, it’s 2025, someone get to fixing the basics.

 

[thiscatisfat]

I hope they scale down on the number of presenters, this switching from person to person is annoying. Bring back the pre-pandemic style WWDC, prerecorded WWDC feels like an hour long ad.

 

[Anonymous123]

Good, we need more stable software and less gimmicky hardware

Redesigning the software UI does not mean it will be more stable. If anything, it may be the opposite. I do agree making it more stable should be the focus though.

 

[verniesgarden]

People already lost their damn mind over the Photo look looking differently. Imagine a whole new design language

I do not foresee the design revamp being well received. people are still made at iOS7 even thought iOS6 was an absolute eyesore and terrible to use

 

[crisneat]

If this is all Apple has for WWDC 2025, it feels like a missed opportunity. A glassy UI facelift might look pretty, but it’s hardly exciting when the rest of the tech world is sprinting ahead in AI. The fact that even some Apple employees expect a letdown says a lot.

And if Apple keeps lagging in generative AI, no amount of translucent menus will hide that. Let’s hope 2026 isn’t too late for them to catch up.

 

[nt5672]

Apple added translucency to macOS window chrome some years back, along with very thin fonts, and then spent each subsequent year rolling both back. Translucency is often an impediment to usability, and is best used sparingly and subtly, in places only where it makes sense. Docks and menu bars, there it makes sense. Translucency in upper window/app chrome only makes sense to show hidden content when barely visible, and can easily be very distracting, as Apple and Microsoft Windows Vista clearly demonstrated. Change for change’s sake is getting old.

I’d prefer they focus on useful stuff like system-wide video cropping outside of Photos apps, fixing longstanding bugs, and cross-platform iMessage so users of the Apple ecosystem can message everyone out-of-the-box with ease from any Apple device without third party apps.

Yep, I've turned off Translucency everyplace I can. Just because something can be done, does not mean it should be done.

 

[AlexESP]

Obviously Gurman has really good sources, and he’s valuable for it, but his analysis are usually not great from my point of view.

“The company will be doubling down on the decades old touch-screen and point-and-click interface paradigms while the rest of the industry has moved on to AI.”

No one has moved away from the “old” paradigm. AI is very interesting, but the overwhelming majority of customers still use a visual UI. I think that’s because, even if LLMs are impressive, chatbots are not the best way to interact with a phone for the majority of tasks — traditional UIs are faster and provide a better feedback loop.

I’m much more interested in this year’s WWDC.

 

[Amadeus71]

Give me a Snow Leopard year with no visible changes and I’m all good.

 

[sgreen314]

I find it amusing the leaks report a new UI for standard "i" devices. Swap millions of device's UI for one based a headset that probably sold less than 500,000. All for the sake of change and a new "shiny"?! I can hope they simply make as few UI changes as possible and work on squashing bugs. I'm not seeing the appeal of AI either! But as they say, wish in one hand...!