Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025 is set to kick off on Monday, June 9th. Unlike some of the recent editions, the WWDC 2026 edition promises a significant shift in the company’s software strategy and how it looks at artificial intelligence as a revolutionary factor. A new iOS 26 operating system that brings a major shuffle in the design language could make things exciting for WWDC attendees, both offline and online. There’s also a possibility of major hardware announcements, but that seems highly unlikely.
Here’s a quick rundown of everything to expect from the Apple WWDC 2025.
The Solarium redesign: A unified aesthetic
One of the most talked-about changes for WWDC 2025 is a dramatic visual redesign across all of Apple’s platforms, internally codenamed “Solarium.” This overhaul is expected to draw heavy inspiration from visionOS, featuring translucent and glass-like elements, subtle motion effects throughout the user interface, rounder icons and edges, a cohesive experience for a more consistent and unified look across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.
New names
Apple is reportedly adopting a year-based branding for all its operating systems. This means we’ll likely see:
- iOS 26
- iPadOS 26
- macOS 26 (rumored to be called macOS Tahoe)
- watchOS 26
- tvOS 26
- visionOS 26
This change aims to simplify version tracking for both developers and consumers, aligning releases with the year they primarily operate within (as the major updates typically roll out in September).
Subtle changes to Apple Intelligence
While Apple Intelligence made its debut at WWDC 2024, 2025 is anticipated to be more of a gap year for groundbreaking AI features. However, significant advancements are still expected, particularly in how developers can leverage Apple’s on-device AI models. Key AI-related expectations include opening foundation models to developers, improved translation, a smarter Siri with greater ChatGPT integration, AI-powered features in core apps like Safari and Photos and AI in Genmoji and Shortcuts.
The Apple Watch, which largely missed out on Apple Intelligence in 2024, is expected to gain AI features like message summaries, translation, and message composition assistance. Health and fitness features are also likely to see AI-powered insights.
New hardware surprises
While WWDC is primarily a software event, there’s always a slim chance of the iconic “one more thing.” Rumours, though unconfirmed, suggest possibilities of:
New Mac Pro: Given the current Mac Studio outperforms it, an updated Mac Pro with a new design in the Apple Silicon era could make an appearance.
Smart Display: A new display-enabled HomePod, potentially alongside a “homeOS” debut, is a long-standing rumour.
AirTag 2: An updated version of Apple’s location tracker is also on the cards.
