At Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) on Monday, Senior Vice President Craig Federighi opened the keynote with a sort of apology, rather than jumping straight into the headline news about a revamped AI-powered Siri. For the past two years, Apple has been racing to catch up in AI while frustrations with its core software quietly accumulated: a design overhaul users disliked, a barely functional search feature, a file-sharing system that frequently failed, and a Health app that neglected half its user base. Although Apple didn't mention any of this on Monday, the structure of its keynote spoke volumes, leading with fixes before features and framing a better Siri as just one item on a long list of improvements rather than the main event. "Instead of just introducing a host of new features, we're also taking the features you already rely on and making them even better, because we believe the best operating systems aren't just built on big breakthroughs, they're built on sweating the details," Federighi stated.
The first item on the agenda was the company's controversial Liquid Glass design language that first appeared in iOS 26 and triggered consumer backlash due to readability and usability concerns. While visually impressive, Liquid Glass's glass-like aesthetic made certain on-screen elements harder to see. Users pointed out numerous shortcomings, especially on the Mac, and pleaded for tools to restore a more frosted look. Apple approached the moment carefully, stating it "really appreciates" the user feedback received over the past year regarding Liquid Glass. Apple has now allowed users to dial back the design entirely with a new slider that goes all the way to "fully tinted."
A few other small but telling updates followed. Apple showed a "more uniform" toolbar in macOS designed to better distinguish controls and text from the content beneath them. App icons received additional Liquid Glass refinements to make them "sharper and more defined," even when set to clear mode. Performance improvements were also announced, with iPhone and iPad apps launching 30% faster, new photos appearing up to 70% faster in libraries, and files transferring up to 80% faster via AirDrop, a notoriously flaky file-sharing system. Apple acknowledged that users are holding onto their phones longer by extending performance improvements to all models back to the iPhone 11, released in 2019.
Apple also addressed several long-standing friction points: smoother transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular, a new indicator showing when messages are taking longer to go through (useful on low bandwidth or when sending large files), and a rebuilt search experience described as "more stable, more efficient, and more comprehensive of content." The Health app finally added support for perimenopause and menopause tracking. iCloud shared photo albums can now accept contributions from Android and Windows users, making the feature more useful for shared trips and group events.
After these smaller updates, Apple turned to the main event: the announcement of the AI-enhanced Siri. By stacking a long list of smaller improvements at the front, Apple reframed its Siri update as part of a broader effort, rather than the pivotal AI moment the industry has been watching for. Siri is launching into "beta" for consumers later this year, but not in the EU or China, where Apple still has regulatory hurdles to clear.
Apple outlined other smaller AI advancements, including how Apple Intelligence will organize web page tabs, analyze web pages for information, and check pages for updates. Users can now generate a custom Safari extension on the fly using AI, and passwords can work with Safari to suggest and apply stronger passwords automatically. Apple Intelligence is also adding helpful reply suggestions in Messages based on conversation context. For instance, if someone asks for photos, Apple's AI can point users to the right ones. Calendar can now create events from natural language commands — a feature third-party apps like Fantastical have offered for years, making this a catch-up feature.
Moreover, the Home app will use AI to summarize events, catching up with companies like Amazon and Google, which have moved on to more advanced capabilities. Apple's AI image generation app finally seems to have crossed the threshold from novelty to usefulness, capable of generating something as functional as a business flyer or a cleanly edited photo. Apple also announced it will open image generation to developers via an API, turning a consumer feature into a potential platform.
In summary, Apple's performance at this WWDC marks its effort to catch up in the AI space. Although challenges remain, by addressing user feedback and enhancing core functionalities, Apple is working to rebuild user trust.
Blogger's Review: Apple's choice to prioritize fixes at WWDC reflects its commitment to user feedback and product quality. While the advancements in AI seem slow, by steadily improving foundational features, Apple may achieve significant breakthroughs in the future. Looking forward to seeing how its AI strategy evolves amidst current challenges.