Apple WWDC Preview: Software Ecosystem Welcomes Major Iteration, AI Ecosystem Open Strategy to Become the Focus

According to Zhitong Finance APP, Apple's (AAPL.US) 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will kick off on June 9 in Cupertino, California, where developers and users will be able to preview the company's software product update direction for the coming year.

At last year's conference, Apple launched the Apple Intelligence artificial intelligence platform. Although the demonstration showcased impressive technological presentations, the company has yet to deliver on all its grand promises.

It remains unclear when Apple will launch the generative AI-driven Siri, and its released AI features have not truly impressed Wall Street or other sectors. This year's event may reveal more information about Apple's AI plans, but it is difficult to replicate the sensational releases of last year.

However, Apple is sure to introduce a series of new features for systems such as iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS. While it is unlikely, Apple may also unveil new hardware at this conference.

Here are the highlights to look forward to at Apple's WWDC 2025:

Comprehensive Design and Naming Updates

According to well-known Apple journalist Mark Gurman, Apple is undergoing a major overhaul of its core software, drawing on the design language of the Vision Pro headset's visionOS to bring a new visual style to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

Updates will be made to icons, menus, and applications, with Gurman stating that this is the biggest style change for iOS since 2013 and the most thorough design innovation for macOS since 2020.

Tech blogger Jon Prosser claims to have accessed the next-generation iOS beta, with his YouTube video showcasing new features triggered by clicking app icons and a redesigned camera application.

Gurman also pointed out that Apple will adjust its operating system naming conventions to adopt a release year suffix. This means there will be no "iOS 19" this year, but it will be directly named "iOS 26." While this change has limited impact on most users—after all, few people are aware of the specific system version they are using—it is worth noting.

These software updates combined with the next-generation iPhone are highly anticipated. Reports suggest that Apple will launch a significantly thinner iPhone 17 this fall, which may help boost sales in the Chinese market (Apple's revenue in China has declined for several consecutive quarters since the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023). With the new system, the upgrade value of the iPhone 17 will far exceed simple hardware improvements.

Gradual Updates to AI Features

While artificial intelligence may not take center stage like at WWDC 2024, Apple will still showcase several new AI features. According to Gurman, these include an AI battery management system and real-time translation capabilities for AirPods.

As part of Apple Intelligence, the battery management system can learn user habits and dynamically adjust power supply based on usage scenarios. The real-time translation feature for AirPods supports cross-language conversation understanding (similar functionality is already available in Google headphones), but for two-way communication, both parties must wear AirPods Previously, Apple added over-the-counter hearing aid functionality to AirPods Pro.

Apple is preparing to open its large language model architecture to third-party developers, which may encourage developers to create AI applications that can run directly on the iPhone, rather than relying on the cloud.

In addition, Apple is reportedly developing a unified gaming application to replace the existing Game Center, continuously strengthening its gaming ecosystem.

Although it still lags behind console and PC platforms in traditional gaming support, Apple has become one of the largest mobile gaming platforms in the world thanks to the App Store. Integrating gaming services will be a win-win for both users and Apple