Apple to Unveil Major OS Redesigns at WWDC 2025, AI Features Still Limited

Apple's upcoming developer conference is set to focus on major design and productivity enhancements for its core operating systems but may do little to alleviate fears that the company is behind on AI, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The WWDC25 keynote on Monday, June 9 will introduce redesigned software for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, alongside more minor updates for the Vision Pro.

As part of the overhaul, Apple is reportedly making a sweeping change to its software branding, switching to a year-based system. This means the company will introduce iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, macOS 26, and watchOS 26 — all named for 2026. Internally, the operating systems are reportedly known as Luck (iOS), Charisma (macOS), Discovery (tvOS), Cheer (visionOS), and Nepali (watchOS). The Mac operating system will also keep its California landmark theme, with this year's release to be known as macOS Tahoe.

The standout announcement will be a brand-new interface, internally codenamed "Solarium," for all of Apple's operating systems, including CarPlay. This new look is based on visionOS, with a focus on "digital glass," light, and transparency. Tool and tab bars will look different, and there will be redesigned app icons and buttons, with a strong emphasis on pop-out menus. On the Mac, the menu bar and window controls will also get fresh designs, and widgets across platforms will be redesigned to match the new interface. While there has been speculation about round app icons to match the Apple Watch and Vision Pro, their shape is expected to remain largely the same on iPhone and iPad.


Though most core apps will only receive design changes, Mark Gurman reports that the Phone, Safari, and Camera apps are due for significant revamps. The Phone app will get a new, optional view that combines contacts, recent calls, and voicemails into a single window. Safari will receive an updated, more transparent look, while the Camera app will be redesigned for simplicity. The Messages app is also getting a notable upgrade, adding the ability to create polls and set custom backgrounds that sync between users.

Apple will also reportedly bring its longstanding Preview app from macOS to the iPhone and iPad for the first time, preinstalling it for PDF management and editing. A new Games app will also be preinstalled, serving as a hub for game downloads and Apple Arcade. The Vision Pro is set to gain eye-scrolling and support for third-party "magic wand" controllers, like those used with the PlayStation VR. Multitasking on the iPad will be revamped to be more Mac-like, a feature that may require a keyboard and trackpad. Other enhancements include a digital reed calligraphy pen mode for Apple Pencil, a bidirectional keyboard for Arabic and English, and a feature to sync captive Wi-Fi network logins across devices.

On the AI front, consumer-facing features will be more modest. A systemwide translation service will be a key addition, including live translation for AirPods. The Genmoji feature will be updated to allow users to combine two existing emoji to create a new one. The biggest AI news will be for developers, as Apple is set to open up its on-device foundation models for the first time. The Shortcuts app will also be upgraded to use Apple Intelligence. Last year's Swift Assist, an AI code-completion tool, was delayed due to performance issues, but a new version of Xcode will reportedly tap into third-party LLMs, like Anthropic's Claude, which Apple is already testing internally. An AI-powered battery optimization mode is also in the works but may be delayed until the iPhone 17 launch.

These announcements come as Apple faces increased competition from Google, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The company is also facing potential future hardware competition from its former design chief, Jony Ive, who has partnered with OpenAI's Sam Altman to develop new AI devices.


Several of Apple's more ambitious AI projects have been delayed. The revamped Siri, or "LLM Siri," which was recently put under new management, is still a year or two away. A revamped Calendar app and an AI-powered Health app (Project Mulberry) are also not expected until next year at the earliest. The company is unlikely to announce a rumored integration with Google's Gemini until the Justice Department's antitrust case against Google's search deal is resolved.

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