Apple unveils iOS 26 with Liquid Glass design at WWDC as AI features lag

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) has been making headlines this week with the major announcements that have already been unveiled. The Cupertino-based company has introduced new software versions for Macs, iPhones, iPads, and more, all with a unified naming scheme using a “26” suffix. This means iOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and more. Along with the name changes, the software updates bring a new Liquid Glass design reminiscent of the old Windows Vista.

While the updates and design changes are exciting, some tech enthusiasts have noticed that Apple’s AI features this year seem lackluster when compared to the cutting-edge AI advancements made by competitors like Google. Let’s take a closer look at WWDC 2025 and Apple’s ongoing AI challenges.

iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 have received unified naming and the new Liquid Glass design, giving them a fresh look and feel. The updates bring redesigns to core apps such as the Camera app, Safari, the Phone app, and Messages. iPadOS 26 also introduces new windowing capabilities, making iPads more Mac-like with resizable app windows and a more precise mouse pointer.

On the Mac side, macOS Tahoe 26 brings the Liquid Glass design to the Mac platform, along with a dedicated Phone app that works in conjunction with an iPhone. Spotlight search has been revamped to offer quicker commands and a mini launcher for all apps.

Apple’s AI integration, known as Apple Intelligence, includes the integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT into system-wide features for writing suggestions and Siri enhancements. While this partnership with OpenAI brings some new capabilities to Apple devices, some critics believe that Apple’s AI features are falling behind compared to other tech giants.

Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, was notably absent from major upgrades at WWDC 2025. Last year’s promised features for a more dynamic Siri experience have yet to be fully realized, with a vague timeline of “in the coming year” for updates. This slow progress on Siri updates raises concerns about Apple’s ability to keep up with competitors in the AI space.

Overall, while Apple’s WWDC 2025 announcements have brought some exciting updates and design changes, the company’s AI advancements still leave something to be desired. As competitors continue to push out AI updates at a rapid pace, Apple will need to step up its game to regain its edge in AI innovation. The groundwork is being laid, but the most ambitious AI updates remain out of reach for now.