Apple plays it safe on AI despite Wall Street pressure
Wall Street divided
The relationship between Apple and app-making developers has been strained in recent years, with developers chafing at the iPhone maker's high fees for getting access to the App Store.
A marathon lawsuit by Fortnite maker Epic Games ended with Apple being ordered to allow outside payment systems to be used in the US App Store.
Adding to doubts about Apple's direction is the fact that the legendary designer behind the iPhone, Jony Ive, has joined with ChatGPT maker OpenAI to create a potential rival device for engaging with AI.
Apple also has to deal with tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump in his trade war with China, a key market for sales growth and the place where most iPhones are manufactured.
Trump has also threatened to hit Apple with tariffs if iPhone production wasn't moved to the US, a change which analysts say would be impossible given the costs and capabilities required.
Wall Street analysts remain divided on Apple's prospects, with the stock down about 17 percent since the start of the year, wiping over $600 billion from its market value and far outshone by its Big Tech rivals.
While some analysts remain optimistic about Apple's longterm AI monetization potential, others worry the company's cautious approach may prove costly in the longer term.
WWDC "was void of any major Apple Intelligence progress as Cupertino is playing it safe and close to the vest after the missteps last year," said Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities.
"We have a high level of confidence Apple can get this right, but they have a tight window to figure this out," he added.
New operating system will be the first major iOS redesign since 2013
'LIQUID GLASS'
Apple is rolling out a new 'Liquid Glass' design language across its software, bringing sleek translucence and a glass-like shine to app interfaces.
Inspired by visionOS on the Vision Pro augmented reality device, the design adapts to light and dark modes and reacts dynamically to movement using real-time rendering.
The new design will be implemented in buttons, sliders, media controls and larger elements such as tab bars and sidebars, along with matching redesigned toolbars and navigation.
Apple is releasing updated Application Programming Interfaces so that developers can begin adapting their apps ahead of the new design rollout later this year.
OPERATING SYSTEMS
This year's major iOS release would have originally been called iOS 19, following the usual sequence after iOS 18.
However, Apple is now changing its naming convention: future iOS versions will be numbered based on the year following their release—similar to how car manufacturers name new models.
Several parts of the operating systems are getting a major visual overhaul as part of the redesign.
The Phone app now includes call screening, allowing it to answer calls or wait on hold for you. The Messages app is also getting updates that include customizable chat backgrounds.
Apple also said it would add generative AI to its Xcode coding tools that can help developers write code, test it and resolve errors. The company said it would add other coding models such as ChatGPT to Xcode.
APPLE INTELLIGENCE
New additions to the operating system include Live Translation, which uses on-device AI models to translate conversations in real time, in text messages, phone calls or FaceTime.
Apple Pay is also getting Apple Intelligence integration, enabling it to track orders even for purchases made outside Apple Pay.
Meanwhile, Image Playground is getting a boost with a new feature that allows users to generate images with the help of OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Apple will now allow developers to tap into its on-device foundational model for their own apps. Through the new Foundation Models framework, developers can build intelligent, privacy-focused experiences that work offline too.
VISUAL INTELLIGENCE
Apple will also let users learn more about what's on their iPhone screens via Visual Intelligence.
Users can search across Google, Etsy and other supported apps to find visually similar images or products. If the tool detects that you're viewing an event, iOS 26 will suggest adding it to your calendar.
This feature will be accessible using the same button combination used to take a screenshot on an iPhone.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
12 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Stocks rise on easing US-China trade tensions, cool US inflation
Stock markets edged higher yesterday as investors welcomed cooler US inflation data and a China-US agreement aimed at lowering trade tensions. After two days of talks between US and Chinese negotiators in London, US President Donald Trump said: 'Our deal with China is done'. The United States and China slashed tit-for-tat tariffs after negotiations in Geneva last month, but tensions flared up again after Trump later accused Beijing of violating the pact reached in Switzerland. The positive London talks provided some relief to markets. 'Wall Street's three main indices rose as trading got underway in New York and Europe's main indices were higher in afternoon deals. Asian stock markets also won a lift on the China-US progress, with Hong Kong among the best performers. As well as tariffs, a key issue in the discussions was China's export of rare earths used in smartphones and electric vehicles, while Beijing was keen to see an easing of restrictions on its access to tech goods. The talks came as World Bank downgraded its 2025 forecast for global economic growth to 2.3% -- from the 2.7% predicted in January -- citing trade tensions and policy uncertainty. It also said the US economy would expand 1.4% this year, half of its 2024 growth. Meanwhile data showed little impact of Trump's tariffs on US consumer prices in May. Between April and May, the consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.1 percent. Analysts had expected it to continue at the 0.2 rate it rose in April. It also rose less than expected in the so-called core reading that excludes volatile food and energy prices. 'The key takeaway from the report is that both headline and core CPI were lower than expected on a month-over-month basis,' said analyst Patrick O'Hare. 'While these readings may not give a big boost to near-term rate cut expectations, they should also not cause the market to think that the next cut will be delayed,' he added. Investors have worried that a tariff-driven surge in inflation could hinder the Federal Reserve from lowering interest rates to counter the slowdown in growth. Investors now see a 57% chance the Fed, which has so not reduced rates since December, will cut rates in September.
Daily Tribune
12 hours ago
- Daily Tribune
Trump touts 'done' deal with Beijing
AFP | Washington US President Donald Trump touted ties with China as "excellent" yesterday, saying the superpowers reached a deal after two days of talks aimed at preserving a truce in their damaging trade war. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that China would supply rare earth minerals and magnets -- vital elements for American industries -- while Washington would allow Chinese students to remain in US universities. His post came after top United States and Chinese negotiators announced a "framework" agreement late Tuesday following two days of marathon talks in London. "Our deal with China is done," Trump wrote, adding that the agreement was still "subject to final approval with President Xi (Jinping) and me." "President XI and I are going to work closely together to open up China to American Trade," he said in a second post. "This would be a great WIN for both countries!!!" US stock markets showed little enthusiasm despite Trump's statements, but major indexes edged higher in early trading. 'Candid' talks US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that it was possible to rebalance economic relations with China if Beijing proved a "reliable partner in trade negotiations. " "If China will course-correct by upholding its end of the initial trade agreement we outlined in Geneva, and I believe after our talks in London they will, then the rebalancing of the world's two largest economies is possible," Bessent told lawmakers at the House Ways and Means Committee. The two sides agreed to reduce their tit-for-tat, triple-digit tariffs during talks in Geneva last month, but cracks appeared in the detente after Trump accused China of violating the deal. Washington was concerned at slower supplies of rare earths after Beijing in early April began requiring domestic exporters to apply for a license -- widely seen as a response to US tariffs.
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Daily Tribune
Apple plays it safe on AI despite Wall Street pressure
Wall Street divided The relationship between Apple and app-making developers has been strained in recent years, with developers chafing at the iPhone maker's high fees for getting access to the App Store. A marathon lawsuit by Fortnite maker Epic Games ended with Apple being ordered to allow outside payment systems to be used in the US App Store. Adding to doubts about Apple's direction is the fact that the legendary designer behind the iPhone, Jony Ive, has joined with ChatGPT maker OpenAI to create a potential rival device for engaging with AI. Apple also has to deal with tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump in his trade war with China, a key market for sales growth and the place where most iPhones are manufactured. Trump has also threatened to hit Apple with tariffs if iPhone production wasn't moved to the US, a change which analysts say would be impossible given the costs and capabilities required. Wall Street analysts remain divided on Apple's prospects, with the stock down about 17 percent since the start of the year, wiping over $600 billion from its market value and far outshone by its Big Tech rivals. While some analysts remain optimistic about Apple's longterm AI monetization potential, others worry the company's cautious approach may prove costly in the longer term. WWDC "was void of any major Apple Intelligence progress as Cupertino is playing it safe and close to the vest after the missteps last year," said Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. "We have a high level of confidence Apple can get this right, but they have a tight window to figure this out," he added. New operating system will be the first major iOS redesign since 2013 'LIQUID GLASS' Apple is rolling out a new 'Liquid Glass' design language across its software, bringing sleek translucence and a glass-like shine to app interfaces. Inspired by visionOS on the Vision Pro augmented reality device, the design adapts to light and dark modes and reacts dynamically to movement using real-time rendering. The new design will be implemented in buttons, sliders, media controls and larger elements such as tab bars and sidebars, along with matching redesigned toolbars and navigation. Apple is releasing updated Application Programming Interfaces so that developers can begin adapting their apps ahead of the new design rollout later this year. OPERATING SYSTEMS This year's major iOS release would have originally been called iOS 19, following the usual sequence after iOS 18. However, Apple is now changing its naming convention: future iOS versions will be numbered based on the year following their release—similar to how car manufacturers name new models. Several parts of the operating systems are getting a major visual overhaul as part of the redesign. The Phone app now includes call screening, allowing it to answer calls or wait on hold for you. The Messages app is also getting updates that include customizable chat backgrounds. Apple also said it would add generative AI to its Xcode coding tools that can help developers write code, test it and resolve errors. The company said it would add other coding models such as ChatGPT to Xcode. APPLE INTELLIGENCE New additions to the operating system include Live Translation, which uses on-device AI models to translate conversations in real time, in text messages, phone calls or FaceTime. Apple Pay is also getting Apple Intelligence integration, enabling it to track orders even for purchases made outside Apple Pay. Meanwhile, Image Playground is getting a boost with a new feature that allows users to generate images with the help of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Apple will now allow developers to tap into its on-device foundational model for their own apps. Through the new Foundation Models framework, developers can build intelligent, privacy-focused experiences that work offline too. VISUAL INTELLIGENCE Apple will also let users learn more about what's on their iPhone screens via Visual Intelligence. Users can search across Google, Etsy and other supported apps to find visually similar images or products. If the tool detects that you're viewing an event, iOS 26 will suggest adding it to your calendar. This feature will be accessible using the same button combination used to take a screenshot on an iPhone.
