Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 marked a significant moment for the company, navigating a tech landscape dominated by relentless "AI, AI, AI" discourse. Faced with the choice of either doubling down on its "Apple Intelligence" initiatives or showcasing a plethora of other advancements, Apple decidedly chose the latter path. While AI was present, the keynote and subsequent hands-on experiences revealed a stronger emphasis on sweeping design changes, substantial operating system upgrades, and a particularly transformative update for iPadOS. This review delves into the key announcements, from the unifying "Liquid Glass" aesthetic to the nuanced AI strategy, and the potential implications for users and the broader tech ecosystem.  

The "Liquid Glass" Revolution & Unified Versioning

A standout announcement was the introduction of a new design language dubbed "Liquid Glass," set to permeate all of Apple's operating systems. This aesthetic treats virtually every UI element—windows, dialogue boxes, icons, sidebars—as a piece of physical glass, mostly transparent to the content beneath it. The intent is to create a fresh, modern, and unified look, drawing inspiration from the visual style of visionOS. This design philosophy aims for a sense of depth and dimensionality through transparency, background blur, and shadows.  

Complementing this visual overhaul is a significant change in versioning. Apple is simplifying its OS numbering by moving all platforms—iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS—to a single version number: 26. This move mirrors Samsung's 2020 decision to align phone model numbers with the year, aiming for simplicity and easier user understanding. Previously disparate version numbers like iOS 19, macOS 16, and watchOS 12 will now all fall under the "version 26" umbrella.  

Table: Key WWDC 2025 Announcements at a Glance

iOS 26	Liquid Glass	Redesigned Camera app, Call Screening & Hold Assist, Live Translation
iPadOS 26	Liquid Glass	Mac-like multitasking (floating windows, menu bar, stoplight controls), Background Activities, Redesigned Cursor & Files App
macOS 26 "Tahoe"	Liquid Glass	Revamped Spotlight with Raycast-like features, Live Activities from iPhone
watchOS 26	Liquid Glass	Wrist flick gesture, Workout Buddy
visionOS 26	Liquid Glass	Persistent widgets & window memory, Improved Persona fidelity, PS VR2 Sense controller support
tvOS 26	Liquid Glass	Subtle visual refresh (shimmering icons), More content

The "Liquid Glass" design is more than just a visual refresh; it represents Apple's attempt to create a cohesive and contemporary user experience across its entire ecosystem. By making UI elements appear as transparent layers, Apple aims to enhance the sense of depth and context, theoretically allowing users to maintain a better awareness of what lies beneath active windows or menus. This approach, known as glassmorphism, has been a growing trend in UI design, valued for its elegance and modern feel. However, this aesthetic choice is not without its challenges, particularly concerning readability, a concern voiced immediately following the keynote.  

The unification of version numbers to "26" simplifies Apple's software branding significantly. For consumers, it removes the confusion of tracking multiple version numbers across different devices. For Apple, it streamlines marketing and developer communication. This move, while seemingly minor, reflects a broader strategy of presenting Apple's ecosystem as a singular, integrated entity.  

iOS 26: A Glassy Refresh with Practical Upgrades

iOS 26 is a major recipient of the "Liquid Glass" treatment, with updated icons and a striking lock screen clock that appears as a large, glassy, clear time display adapting to the background. A new, optional clear home screen setup takes this transparency to the extreme, making all widgets and icons see-through, though concerns about readability with this option were immediately apparent.  

Beyond aesthetics, iOS 26 introduces several functional enhancements:

• Redesigned Camera App: For the first time in over a decade, the Camera app receives a significant redesign, simplifying the interface to just photo and video buttons and the shutter. Additional modes are now hidden, requiring a swipe to reveal, and even settings like FPS and resolution are tucked away, implying Apple believes most users rarely adjust these. The Live Photos toggle is also found under this swipe gesture.  
• Updated Communication Apps:
  • FaceTime: Features a new landing page for quicker access to main contacts.  
  • Phone App: Unifies voicemail, missed calls, and contacts into a single interface. More notably, it "matches or copies" two popular Google Pixel features: Call Screening and Hold For Me (rebranded as Hold Assist). Call Screening automatically answers unknown numbers, transcribes the caller's message, and then presents it to the user. Hold Assist waits on hold during calls and notifies the user when a human returns.  
• iMessage Enhancements: Native polls can now be created within iMessage. Group chats will feature typing indicators showing which person is typing. Users can also add picture backgrounds to individual iMessage chats. While not groundbreaking, these are welcome additions.  
• Live Translation: A significant AI-powered feature, live translation, is integrated into FaceTime, Messages, and the Phone app. Using on-device AI models, it allows users to hear a caller in their native language, with the audio translated and read out in the user's language, and vice-versa for replies. Some lag was noted, but the functionality is there.  
• Other Updates: iOS 26 also includes updates to Maps, Apple Music, a new Games app, and "Visual Intelligence" for screenshots, akin to Android's circle-to-search functionality.  

The camera app redesign, in particular, signals Apple's confidence in its default settings, potentially streamlining the experience for casual users but perhaps frustrating professionals who frequently adjust parameters. The adoption of features like Call Screening and Hold Assist demonstrates Apple's willingness to incorporate successful ideas from competitors to enhance core user experiences, strengthening the iPhone's utility as a communication device.

watchOS 26: Subtle Polish, Smarter Interactions

watchOS 26 also embraces the "Liquid Glass" aesthetic, with noticeable glassy UI elements, larger touch areas, reflections, and shiny buttons. The visual refresh is palpable, aiming for a more modern feel on the wrist.  

Key functional updates include:

• Wrist Flick Gesture: A highly practical new gesture allows users to dismiss notifications, decline calls, or silence alarms with a simple flick of the wrist. This intuitive interaction is anticipated to be frequently used.  
• Workout Buddy: Described as a "Spotify DJ for Apple Watch workouts," this feature introduces a customizable, high-energy voice that provides motivation and timely information during exercise sessions. It might share stats like heart rate, mile splits, or offer encouragement, such as noting it's the user's third workout of the week.  

Despite these additions, the absence of group fitness challenges was once again noted as a missed opportunity, a feature consistently requested by some users. The wrist flick gesture, however, stands out as a genuinely useful improvement to everyday interaction with the Apple Watch, reducing the need for two-handed operation or precise taps for common dismissal actions. The Workout Buddy aims to make workouts more engaging, leveraging AI for personalized encouragement, though its actual effectiveness will depend on the quality and variety of its interventions.  

tvOS 26: The Quiet Glass Update

The "Liquid Glass" design extends to tvOS 26, though its impact here is described as barely noticeable. Icons are said to shimmer differently, but the primary update beyond this subtle visual tweak is simply "more content". tvOS appears to be the platform least affected by the WWDC 2025 changes, receiving a light touch of the new aesthetic without significant functional overhauls. This suggests Apple's current focus for tvOS remains on content delivery and minor iterative refinements rather than a major rethinking of the platform's interface or capabilities.  

macOS 26 "Tahoe": More Glass, More Power in Spotlight

macOS 26, codenamed "Tahoe," prominently features the "Liquid Glass" design, with many clear UI elements. The menu bar is now completely clear, contributing to a feeling of a larger screen. Clear widgets and a clear dock are also available options. However, not all visual changes were met with universal approval; the Control Center, with its "super classified" and "cartoony buttons," drew some personal criticism for its appearance.  

Beyond the visual refresh, macOS Tahoe brings two significant functional enhancements:

• Live Activities: Extending a popular iPhone feature, Live Activities now appear in the Mac's menu bar. This allows users to monitor ongoing events like deliveries or flight information from their iPhone directly on their Mac. Clicking the Live Activity provides more details, and a further click can mirror the relevant iPhone app on the Mac for full interaction. This is a notable continuity feature, further tightening the integration within the Apple ecosystem.  
• Revamped Spotlight: The "number one biggest update" for the Mac, according to the source, is the overhauled Spotlight search. It now incorporates many features previously found in popular third-party launcher apps like Raycast and Alfred. This phenomenon is often referred to as Apple "sherlocking" competing software.
  • The new Spotlight features a "suite animation" that separates file searches from Siri shortcut searches.
  • It allows users to perform actions within apps directly via keyboard shortcuts and execute entire command strings without opening the app or using the mouse—a boon for power users.  
  • While it doesn't replicate every feature of Raycast (e.g., direct integration with AI chatbots like GPT or Gemini for new searches), it's a substantial improvement that brings much of that advanced functionality natively to macOS.  

The introduction of such powerful features into the native Spotlight significantly enhances the out-of-the-box capabilities of macOS. For years, users seeking advanced launching, window management, clipboard history, and shortcut execution have turned to third-party utilities. By integrating a substantial portion of this functionality directly into Spotlight, Apple makes macOS more powerful for everyone, potentially reducing the necessity for these external tools. This move can be seen as Apple reasserting control over core system utilities and enhancing the value proposition of its operating system. While dedicated users of apps like Raycast may still find value in their more extensive feature sets , the new Spotlight will likely satisfy the needs of a much broader segment of Mac users.  

The expansion of Live Activities to the Mac further illustrates Apple's "continuity creep"—a strategy of creating seamless, integrated experiences across its devices that are difficult for competitors to replicate. Each new feature that bridges the iPhone, iPad, and Mac experience reinforces the ecosystem's allure and increases the friction for users considering a move to a different platform for one of their devices. These features subtly underscore the "better together" narrative that is central to Apple's marketing.

visionOS 26: Deeper Immersion and Persistent Spaces

Despite technically being only its third iteration, visionOS now aligns with the new unified numbering as visionOS 26. The updates focus on enhancing usability and expanding its capabilities as a spatial computing platform.  

• New Persistent Widgets: Described as "awesome" and "super cool," new widgets for clocks, weather, and picture frames can be pinned to persistent locations in the user's space. These are customizable in size, depth, and color, and lauded for their "convincing location pinning plus all the reflectivity and depth" inherent to visionOS.  
• Window and Widget Memory: A critical usability improvement, visionOS will now remember the placement of windows and widgets, even through a reboot. This addresses a major previous complaint and makes the environment feel more stable and personal.  
• Improved Persona Fidelity: Personas, Apple's term for realistic virtual avatars, have received a "pretty big jump" in photorealism, appearing "much better and less cartoon ghosty." It's uncertain if a new scan is needed to benefit from this.  
• Enhanced Gaming and Media:
  • PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller Support: This addition promises "more precise controls in certain games," potentially broadening the appeal for gaming.  
  • New Jupiter Environment: Users can experience being on one of Jupiter's moons, with the gas giant looming in the sky.  
  • Native 360 Video Support: visionOS 26 adds native playback support for 360 videos from popular cameras like GoPro, Insta360, and Canon. However, the availability of high-quality 360 content remains a point of anticipation.  

The updates to visionOS 26, particularly the persistent window and widget placement and enhanced persona fidelity, signal a maturation of the platform from a novel technology demonstration towards a more practical and usable spatial computing environment. The ability for the system to remember user configurations was a significant pain point for early adopters , and its resolution is a fundamental step in making Vision Pro feel like a dependable workspace rather than a transient experience. Similarly, more realistic personas are crucial for reducing the "uncanny valley" effect and making virtual interactions more comfortable and socially acceptable.  

Apple's strategic cultivation of a content ecosystem for Vision Pro is evident in the addition of native 360 video support and PS VR2 Sense controller compatibility. Supporting popular 360-degree cameras directly addresses the current scarcity of high-quality immersive video content. By enabling easier content creation and consumption, Apple hopes to stimulate this market segment. The inclusion of precise controller support, like that from the PS VR2 Sense, opens possibilities for more complex and engaging gaming experiences, potentially attracting developers and titles that require more than hand-tracking can offer. These moves are crucial for solving the classic "chicken-and-egg" dilemma faced by new platforms: content attracts users, and users attract content developers.  

iPadOS 26: The "Game Changer" – An iPad Evolving into a True Computer

iPadOS 26 emerged as arguably the most transformative update of WWDC 2025, hailed as a "game changer" that genuinely lives up to the often-overused term. For years, the iPad Pro's powerful hardware has been perceived as being held back by an operating system that, while capable, maintained a deliberate functional gap with macOS, partly to avoid product line cannibalization. iPadOS 26 significantly blurs these lines.  

Table: iPadOS 26 - Key Mac-like Enhancements

Advanced Multi-Window System	Grab handle to resize apps into floating windows; stack or place side-by-side. (Mac: Freeform window management)	Enables true desktop-like multitasking, allowing users to manage multiple app windows with unprecedented flexibility on iPad.
Three-Dot Window Controls	"Stoplights" (red, yellow, green dots) in window corners for minimize, full screen, close. (Mac: Standard window controls)	Provides familiar and efficient window management controls, mirroring the Mac experience.
Literal Mac Menu Bar	Persistent menu bar at the top of the screen with File, Edit, View, Help options for apps. (Mac: Standard application menu bar)	Offers access to deeper app functionality and a consistent interaction model for users accustomed to Mac applications.
Redesigned "Normal Mouse" Cursor	Cursor is less of a "floating blob" and more like a precise Mac pointer. (Mac: Standard mouse cursor)	Improves precision for tasks requiring fine control, enhancing the experience with a trackpad or mouse.
Updated Files App	Finder-like sorting options, downloads in the Dock. (Mac: Finder app)	Makes file management more robust and intuitive, aligning it more closely with the desktop experience.
Background Activities	Apps like Final Cut Pro can continue tasks (e.g., exporting) after being closed. (Mac: Standard background processing)	Allows users to be more productive by not having to wait for tasks to complete before switching apps or locking the device.
Audio Input Selector	System-wide, easily accessible audio input selection for media apps. (Mac: System audio settings)	Simplifies a previously cumbersome process, crucial for content creators and users with multiple audio peripherals.

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The core of this transformation lies in a completely new multitasking and multi-window system. Users can now grab a handle on any app to shrink it into a floating window of any desired size. These windows can be stacked, placed side-by-side, and managed with a freedom previously unseen on iPadOS, with the presenter managing up to four open windows simultaneously. Each window features the iconic three-dot "stoplight" controls from macOS for minimizing and resizing.  

Further "Mac-ification" includes a literal Mac-style menu bar at the top of the screen, offering familiar File, Edit, and View menus within apps. The cursor has been redesigned to behave more like a traditional mouse pointer, shedding its previous "floating blob" appearance. The Files app also receives a substantial update, with Finder-like sorting capabilities and the ability to have downloads in the dock, making it feel "exactly like a Mac".  

Pro-level functionality is also enhanced with a built-in audio input selector for all media apps—addressing a long-standing frustration—and the introduction of true background activities. For instance, an export from Final Cut Pro for iPad can continue even if the app is closed, just like on a computer.  

These changes collectively move the iPad, especially the powerful Pro models, "way further on the spectrum of compelling laptop alternatives". The sentiment was that Apple "never thought that they would go this far," delivering on many "wishlist things" that users had been requesting for years, perhaps "in lieu of some other AI stuff". This evolution builds upon a history of gradual multitasking improvements, from basic split-screen in iOS 9 to Stage Manager in iPadOS 16, but iPadOS 26 represents a quantum leap.  

This profound shift in iPadOS represents a significant strategic pivot by Apple. It's a clear acknowledgment of the demands from professional users who have long sought to use the iPad as a more capable primary computing device. By finally imbuing iPadOS with these Mac-like powers, Apple is unlocking the latent potential of its M-series chips in iPads, where the hardware often seemed to outpace the software's capabilities. This move may be a calculated effort to bolster iPad Pro sales and expand its utility, even if it further blurs the previously distinct lines separating the iPad from the MacBook. It also serves as a very tangible and immediate "win" for users, providing a strong counter-narrative to any perceived stagnation in Apple's AI development.  

For developers, this "Mac-ification" of iPadOS presents both opportunities and challenges. The new windowing model, menu bars, and cursor behavior will necessitate a rethinking of app UI/UX to take full advantage of the more desktop-like environment. This could spur a new generation of more powerful, feature-rich iPad applications that truly rival their desktop counterparts. However, it also introduces added complexity, as developers must now design for an even broader array of interaction models on the iPad. The success of these new capabilities will hinge on robust developer adoption and the availability of comprehensive APIs.  

Despite these sweeping changes, some "iPad-isms" remain, notably the continued absence of multiple user profile support. This omission, along with other missing "basics," suggests that Apple, while dramatically enhancing productivity, still maintains certain fundamental distinctions between iPadOS and macOS. These lingering differences will continue to define the boundary of how "Mac-like" the iPad can become and fuel the ongoing debate about its viability as a full Mac replacement for all users and use cases. The underlying file system, APFS, is shared with macOS , but differences in user-level access, app data sandboxing , and historically stricter RAM limitations for apps may continue to differentiate the platforms even as their UIs converge.  

Apple's AI Strategy: "Apple Intelligence" – Integrated, On-Device, and Evolving (Slowly)

In stark contrast to the major platform overhauls, Apple's AI announcements at WWDC 2025 were more subdued, characterized by an emphasis on integration and on-device processing rather than groundbreaking generative AI capabilities. The term "Siri" was notably scarce during the keynote, mentioned only twice in the 90-minute presentation, indicating it "clearly wasn't a big focus".  

Apple's stated AI strength lies in "how well integrated their features are" within the ecosystem, rather than the raw power of the AI models themselves. Many new and existing features utilize AI without being explicitly branded as "Apple Intelligence" all the time. The company is making its own foundational models available to developers for on-device applications, touting benefits like privacy, local processing, offline capability, and speed due to the absence of internet round-trips. However, it was acknowledged that these on-device models are "probably not... the best models in the world," at least for now. The expectation is that this will lead to more apps incorporating "little AI features," such as summarizations.  

The anticipated "big LLM Siri upgrade," however, has been officially delayed. Apple released a statement: "This work required more time to reach our high quality bar and we look forward to sharing more about it in the coming year. 2026. We will see". This pushes any major Siri revolution significantly into the future. One new AI feature highlighted was "Visual Intelligence" for screenshots, allowing users to interact with on-screen content in a manner similar to "circle to search".  

This approach suggests "Apple Intelligence" is, for now, largely a branding exercise for a suite of incremental, privacy-focused AI features, potentially masking a capability gap in large-scale generative AI compared to competitors. The downplaying of Siri and the explicit delay of its major upgrade to 2026 underscore this. While practical, features like Live Translation and summarization, which form part of the "Apple Intelligence" umbrella , are not necessarily at the cutting edge of what competitors are demonstrating with large language models. Apple's emphasis on "on-device," "local," "offline," and "fast" processing cleverly leverages its hardware integration and plays to its well-established privacy strengths. This allows Apple to frame its current AI capabilities as distinct user benefits, even if those capabilities are more limited in scope than some cloud-based alternatives. The strategy appears to be focused on making AI "ambient, responsive, and respectful of privacy" , prioritizing seamless integration over raw computational power, thereby buying time for its more advanced AI initiatives to mature.  

By providing developers with access to its on-device foundational models , Apple is aiming to seed its ecosystem with a new category of AI-powered app features that inherently prioritize privacy and offline functionality. This empowers third-party developers to innovate within Apple's privacy-centric framework without the need to build, host, or manage their own complex AI models for many common tasks. This could lead to a proliferation of useful, "little AI features" across the App Store, reinforcing Apple's "private AI" narrative and enriching its platforms without Apple having to develop every AI-driven function itself. The success of this initiative, however, will depend on the actual capabilities, ease of use, and performance of these developer-facing models.  

The explicit delay of the major Siri upgrade to 2026 is a clear act of expectation management. Apple's statement about needing "more time to reach our high quality bar" attempts to frame this postponement positively, as a commitment to delivering a polished and reliable product. This contrasts with the sometimes-criticized rapid rollouts from other players in the AI space. Apple is betting that users will ultimately prefer a more refined AI assistant, even if its arrival is later than anticipated. However, a delay of this magnitude in the fast-evolving field of AI is significant and risks Apple falling further behind in perceived AI leadership, giving competitors more runway to solidify their positions. This sets the stage for WWDC 2026 to be a pivotal event where Apple will be under immense pressure to deliver on this long-promised, next-generation Siri.  

The Readability Conundrum: Balancing "Liquid Glass" Aesthetics with Everyday Usability

A significant concern emerging from WWDC 2025 is the potential impact of the new "Liquid Glass" aesthetic on readability and overall usability. While the design is described as "modern," "fresh," and visually aligned with visionOS, its reliance on transparency and blur effects raises questions about text legibility and UI clarity in various contexts.  

The core issue is that the "glassy sheen," while sometimes "cool," can make text and UI elements "harder to read". This was observed across notifications, menus, and other interface components. There's a fundamental reason why backgrounds are typically added to text elements in visual design: to provide contrast and make information easier to see. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), for instance, specify minimum contrast ratios (e.g., 4.5:1 for normal text) to ensure legibility, particularly for users with visual impairments. Transparent UIs can struggle to consistently meet these standards if the underlying background is complex or variable.  

Apple's operating systems are designed to adapt to the "Liquid Glass" by providing light text with dark backgrounds and dark text with light backgrounds. However, problems arise when the background is mixed—"half light, half dark"—leading to situations where readability is compromised. Early user reports have echoed these concerns, with some testers finding the translucent effects challenging, especially with patterned wallpapers or for individuals with visual impairments.  

This "Liquid Glass" design represents a potential conflict between Apple's aesthetic ambitions and its long-standing reputation for user-friendly, accessible design. If a significant number of users find the new OS more difficult to read, it could undermine the "it just works" philosophy that Apple often champions. The prioritization of a futuristic aesthetic, possibly to create visual harmony with visionOS, might come at the cost of pragmatic information display in all scenarios. This could be seen as a departure from some of Apple's traditional human-computer interaction strengths, where clarity and ease of use have been paramount.  

The adaptive system intended to maintain contrast is a crucial component of making "Liquid Glass" viable. However, its acknowledged failure points, such as with mixed-light backgrounds , indicate that the algorithmic solution is not yet foolproof. This may necessitate more robust user-configurable accessibility options, like the "Reduce Transparency" setting , becoming more prominent, or require further refinement of the adaptive algorithms before the public release. The performance implications of widespread real-time blur and transparency effects are also a consideration; while Apple's silicon and Metal API are powerful , these effects are computationally intensive and could impact performance or battery life if not meticulously optimized across all devices.  

Conclusion: WWDC 2025 – A "Fascinating" Leap, Sidestepping AI Hype for Foundational Shifts

WWDC 2025 was described by the source as a "fascinating" event, with a palpable excitement to explore the new software betas. Apple made a clear strategic choice: rather than engaging in an all-out AI arms race at this moment, it focused on delivering substantial, often long-requested, foundational improvements across its operating systems, headlined by the transformative iPadOS 26 and the sweeping "Liquid Glass" redesign.  

The question of whether these impressive non-AI features are "enough to... tide us over to distract us from the lack of AI stuff" is central to evaluating this WWDC. Apple indeed showcased "much more other stuff than AI," and that "other stuff was actually kind of a lot". The profound changes to iPadOS, in particular, felt like the delivery of many "wishlist things" that may have been prioritized "in lieu of some other AI stuff".  

This WWDC can be interpreted as a "reset" year for Apple. The company chose to solidify and significantly advance its core platform fundamentals, especially for the iPad, thereby recalibrating user and developer expectations after a period of intense AI hype from competitors. This approach allows Apple to play to its inherent strengths—deep hardware-software integration, ecosystem coherence, and a meticulous focus on user experience refinements (though "Liquid Glass" introduces new challenges here)—while its next-generation AI, particularly the overhauled Siri, continues to mature. The open acknowledgment of the Siri LLM upgrade delay to 2026, framed as a commitment to quality , is an attempt to control the narrative around its AI progress, positioning patience as a virtue aligned with Apple's brand. It is a tacit admission that Apple is not yet ready to compete head-on with the latest generative AI offerings from rivals, choosing instead to bolster areas where it can unequivocally demonstrate leadership and tangible progress.  

The significant upgrade to Spotlight on macOS, "sherlocking" many features from popular utilities like Raycast , is indicative of a broader Apple trend: re-centralizing utility and integrating popular third-party functionalities into the core OS. While this benefits users by providing powerful features natively and deepens ecosystem lock-in, it also poses an ongoing challenge to third-party developers who innovate in spaces Apple might eventually enter.  

Ultimately, WWDC 2025 was less about chasing the immediate AI spotlight and more about reinforcing the foundations of Apple's ecosystem, with a clear emphasis on making its platforms more unified, visually modern (albeit with readability caveats), and, in the case of iPadOS, dramatically more capable. The major AI advancements are promised for the future, setting high expectations for 2026.