Apple is set to unveil a plethora of software updates for its various platforms on Monday, June 9, at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT, during its annual WWDC 2025 developer conference. The updates will encompass new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS, with rumors suggesting that all of these operating systems will skip directly to version “26.”
The company is expected to introduce a unified visual design across its platforms, drawing inspiration from the Vision Pro’s glassy and translucent visionOS. This move aims to create a more consistent interface across devices, with the iPhone, in particular, undergoing its first major software overhaul since Jony Ive’s iOS 7 redesign in 2013.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to be a significant topic of discussion, with Apple’s brand of AI, known as Apple Intelligence, taking center stage. The question on everyone’s mind is whether Apple will address its struggles with its next-generation Siri voice assistant, which has failed to materialize despite being announced last year. Alternatively, Apple might downplay its AI features as competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic continue to release new and advanced LLM-powered chatbot and generative features at an impressive pace.
Senior Consumer Tech Editor Raymond Wong will be attending the conference in Cupertino, Calif., providing live coverage from Apple’s Apple Park. The Gizmodo consumer tech team, comprising Senior Writer James and Staff Reporter Kyle Barr, will also be on hand to break down the news announcements. Be sure to check back on Monday for live updates!
Apple May Give Its Software a Sunroom-Inspired Makeover
A beacon of hope is on the horizon, as Apple will finally unveil its next set of software updates. If rumors are to be believed, all operating systems will jump to version “26,” and instead of iOS 19 or macOS 16, we’ll get iOS 26 and macOS 26. This new naming convention suggests that Apple may be attempting to unify the design of its software, possibly drawing inspiration from the Vision Pro’s glassy visionOS.
The Mac menu bar, iPhone app icons, and widgets may also undergo a glassy transformation. Beyond the UI changes, Apple might introduce new features, such as a Preview-type app for iPhone and iPad. We may also see a section dedicated to gaming, complete with an all-new “Gaming” app for mobile devices. However, don’t expect significant updates to “Apple Intelligence” beyond new live translation features for phone calls and texts.
A Leap Forward for iOS
One of the most significant, yet superficial, changes at WWDC 2025 could be Apple’s new naming convention for its operating systems. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, all Apple software, including iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and visionOS, may skip their current version numbers (18, 16, 18, 11, and 2, respectively) and jump directly to version 26. This change would shift the year-over-year system from chronological numbers to a new naming convention, similar to that used by Toyota.
In some ways, this change may not have a significant impact, but it could also signify a major shift and potentially match the substantial vibe change we’re expecting with the new version of iOS. The new naming convention might make things simpler, but it could also cause some whiplash, particularly for visionOS.
Siri’s Struggles Continue
At last year’s WWDC, Apple announced Apple Intelligence, which included features like Genmoji, notification summaries, and writing tools. However, the highly anticipated revamped Siri with on-screen awareness and agentic functionality, which was supposed to be a major part of Apple Intelligence, failed to materialize, even after months of delay. Reports have suggested that the new Siri features were not fully functional, and Apple’s marketing team had pushed for their announcement before the Siri team had completed their work.
Our Senior Writer James Pero believes that Monday’s WWDC 2025 will be a make-or-break moment for Apple’s AI ambitions, with the focus primarily on optics. Will Apple emerge as an innovator or a laggard in the AI space?
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