Apple's plans for AR glasses may not have been scrapped entirely
Apple may have set aside its rumored plans for Mac-tethered augmented reality glasses, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's done with AR glasses altogether. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman — who reported last month that Apple was working on, but ultimately shelved, an AR glasses project — sources have told him that 'Apple's long-term goal of standalone AR glasses remains intact.' Rather than creating a 'stopgap product' in the meantime that would need to be connected to a Mac, though, Gurman reports that the team is taking a slower, more cautious approach.
It'll instead 'keep working on underlying technology — like screens and silicon' to make a standalone device work, he writes. As described in earlier reports, the AR glasses Apple is rumored to be developing wouldn't be another headset-style device like the Vision Pro, but would likely take a form more like the Xreal One, which look like regular glasses.
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San Francisco Chronicle
24 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Apple heads into annual showcase reeling from AI missteps, tech upheaval and Trump's trade war
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — After stumbling out of the starting gate in Big Tech's pivotal race to capitalize on artificial intelligence, Apple will try to regain its footing Monday at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The presummer rite, which attracts thousands of developers to Apple's Silicon Valley headquarters, is expected to be more subdued than the feverish anticipation that surrounded the event during the previous two years. In 2023, Apple unveiled a mixed-reality headset that has been little more than a niche product, and last year WWDC trumpeted its first major foray into the AI craze with an array of new features highlighted by the promise of a smarter and more versatile version of its virtual assistant, Siri. Apple had intended the planned Siri upgrade to herald its long-awaited attempt to become a major player in the AI craze after getting a late start in a phenomenon that so far has been largely been led by OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and an array of cutting-edge startups. Instead, as Apple heads into this year's showcase, the company faces nagging questions about whether the nearly 50-year-old company has lost some of the mystique and innovative drive that turned it into a tech trendsetter. Instead of making a big splash as it did with the Vision Pro headset, Apple this year is expected to focus on an overhaul of its software that may include a new, more tactile look for the iPhone's native apps and a new nomenclature for identifying its operating system updates. Even though it might look like Apple is becoming a technological laggard, Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson contends the company still has ample time to catch up in an AI race that's 'more of a marathon, than a sprint. It will force Apple to evolve its operating systems.' If reports about its iOS naming scheme pan out, Apple will switch to a method that automakers have used to telegraph their latest car models by linking them to the year after they first arrive at dealerships. That would mean the next version of the iPhone operating system due out this autumn will be known as iOS 26 instead of iOS 19 — as it would be under the current sequential naming approach. Whatever it's named, the next iOS will likely be released as a free update in September, around the same time as the next iPhone models if Apple follows its usual road map. Meanwhile, Apple's references to AI may be less frequent than last year when the technology was the main attraction. While some of the new AI tricks compatible with the latest iPhones began rolling out late last year as part of free software updates, Apple still hasn't been able to soup up Siri in the ways that it touted at last year's conference. The delays became so glaring that a chastened Apple retreated from promoting Siri in its AI marketing campaigns earlier this year. 'It's just taking a bit longer than we thought,' Apple CEO Tim Cook told analysts last month when asked about the company's headaches with Siri. 'But we are making progress, and we're extremely excited to get the more personal Siri features out there.' While Apple has been struggling to make AI that meets its standards, the gap separating it from other tech powerhouses is widening. Google keeps packing more AI into its Pixel smartphone lineup while introducing more of the technology into its search engine to dramatically change the way it works. Samsung, Apple's biggest smartphone rival, is also leaning heavily into AI. Meanwhile, ChatGPT recently struck a deal that will bring former Apple design guru Jony Ive into the fold to work on a new device expected to compete against the iPhone. 'While much of WWDC will be about what the next great thing is for the iPhone, the unspoken question is: What's the next great thing after the iPhone?' said Dipanjan Chatterjee, another analyst for Forrester Research. Besides facing innovation challenges, Apple also faces regulatory threats that could siphon away billions of dollars in revenue that help finance its research and development. A federal judge is currently weighing whether proposed countermeasures to Google's illegal monopoly in search should include a ban on long-running deals worth $20 billion annually to Apple while another federal judge recently banned the company from collecting commission on in-app transactions processed outside its once-exclusive payment system. On top of all that, Apple has been caught in the cross-hairs of President Donald Trump's trade war with China, a key manufacturing hub for the Cupertino, California, company. Cook successfully persuaded Trump to exempt the iPhone from tariffs during the president's first administration, but he has had less success during Trump's second term, which seems more determined to prod Apple to make its products in the U.S.. 'The trade war and uncertainty linked to the tariff policy is of much more concern today for Apple's business than the perception that Apple is lagging behind on AI innovation,' Husson said. The multi-dimensional gauntlet facing Apple is spooking investors, causing the company's stock price to plunge by nearly 20% so far this year — a decline that has erased $750 billion in shareholder wealth. After beginning the year as the most valuable company in the world, Apple now ranks third behind longtime rival Microsoft, another AI leader, and AI chipmaker Nvidia.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WWDC 2025 LIVE: The latest updates from Apple on iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apps
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is taking place today, Monday, June 9, and leaks have been spilling out of Cupertino about what we can expect from Apple all week long. Specifically, reporters have revealed that a smaller-scale event with fewer major announcements than in recent years may be in store. A new naming system for Apple operating systems and a new iOS design are coming, and we may get a few previews of what is coming in '26 and beyond. Wall Street is also not very optimistic about what Apple may announce next week, given hiccups in the development of Apple Intelligence and a stalled revamp of Siri. Below is a rundown of what we expect at WWDC, plus recent nuggets of information that have come out in recent days. Watch this space for live updates from today's WWDC keynote. Previews of the latest iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS versions Liquid Glass: A new visionOS-inspired UI for all devices A naming refresh for Apple's operating systems that pairs with its year of service (e.g. iOS 26, iPadOS 26) Smaller updates for Apple Intelligence More from macOS 26 "Tahoe," including a new gaming app Looking to catch the latest announcements from WWDC 2025 live? You can watch Apple's keynote presentation live via the official Apple Developer YouTube channel (embedded above) or Apple's WWDC25 website starting June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern. If you own an Apple device, you can also watch along with the keynote using the TV app. Can't watch today's keynote live? Don't worry. Stick with Laptop Mag throughout the day for a steady stream of updates, predictions, live reactions, and analysis of everything to be announced. Catch our live blog below! You can watch the keynote presentation live on Apple's website. The stream will also be on the official Apple Developer YouTube channel, so subscribe to get a notification when the livestream starts there. The keynote presentation will be on June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern. If you can't watch live, you can also follow along with us. Laptop Mag will cover everything Apple announces live and unpack all the highlights. While hardware announcements are unlikely at WWDC, a surprise product reveal is possible. Wild card announcements have happened in the past, like with the Apple Vision Pro. There's a slim chance that this year's presentation could include a sneak peek at a rumored pair of AI smart glasses Apple is developing. Google just unveiled a pair of Android-powered glasses at Google I/O, so this would be a good time for Apple to reveal its own glasses to keep up with the competition. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple aims to launch its glasses by the end of 2026, so a reveal could be a bit early. It's not impossible, though, especially right after Google I/O. Hardware announcements at WWDC are hit or miss. WWDC is mainly for software announcements, but Apple occasionally throws a product reveal into the mix, especially if it's a device that doesn't follow Apple's typical pattern of hardware updates. One such device we could see this year is the Mac Pro M4 Ultra. Apple's top-of-the-line Max and Ultra versions of its M-series chip tend to run at least a year or so behind its more mainstream base and Pro versions. We finally got the M3 Ultra in March with the new Mac Studio, but the M4 Ultra is not publicly available yet. It's possible that could change at WWDC this year. However, an M4 Ultra Mac Pro won't come cheap, especially with Trump administration tariffs shaking up Apple's pricing across its product line-up. Apple first announced Apple Intelligence at last year's WWDC, so we expect to see Apple spotlight some updates to its struggling AI platform during this year's keynote. Apple Intelligence got off to a rough start this year, with features slow to roll out and the critical Siri overhaul nowhere in sight. Delays with Apple Intelligence even caused a leadership shake-up at Apple, which will hopefully lead to more features and quicker updates, including the promised LLM Siri update. One feature we could see at WWDC 2025 is a rumored feature that uses AI to optimize battery life in iOS 26. This is a refreshingly practical feature that I can see many iPhone users appreciating (myself included). Hopefully, we'll also get a transparent timeline for when to expect the new-and-improved Siri. The Apple Vision Pro has struggled to catch on since it launched in February 2024, but Apple is still diligently supporting it with software updates, which could lead to a rumored pair of smart glasses on the horizon. So, it's no surprise that WWDC 2025 will likely include a look at the third edition of visionOS, which will be called visionOS 26. Interestingly, it sounds like the big visual updates to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS may have taken some inspiration from visionOS, so this OS might not change as much as the others in the Apple lineup. Even so, it will likely still get a mention in the keynote and possibly a sneak peek at any upcoming apps and movies made for Vision Pro. One announcement that's all but certain to appear at WWDC 2025 is the 19th version of iOS, called iOS 26. WWDC is mainly a software-focused event, and iOS is Apple's most widely used platform, so it's always part of the main keynote. Rumors so far hint that iOS 26 could include some major changes, specifically an overhaul to iOS's visual style, which we haven't seen since iOS 7. Some images leaked back in March claiming to show those visual changes, but Apple analyst Mark Gurman refuted them in a Threads post, specifically stating they "aren't representative of what we'll see at WWDC." So, while it sounds like visual changes to iOS are likely, it's still up in the air how extensive those changes will be and how they'll look. While it might not be the star of the show, the Apple Watch is expected to receive an update with the 12th edition of watchOS, which will be called watchOS 26, at WWDC 2025. Like this year's other software updates, this update will feature major visual changes. Those visual updates will probably also include more Apple Intelligence features, which the Watch hasn't seen much of yet. For instance, we might get AI-powered health and fitness tools integrated into watchOS or AI-scripted replies to texts. Of course, the Apple Watch will also be able to take advantage of the upcoming Siri update, but as mentioned above, we might not see that until well into 2026, even if it's announced at this year's WWDC. Another announcement that's a lock for WWDC 2025 is the 16th edition of macOS, which will be called macOS 26, Apple has consistently given its macOS updates California-themed names over the past several years, and there are still dozens of likely candidates they haven't used, so it's hard to predict which one macOS 26 will get. The possibilities include Redwood, Mammoth, Condor, and Shasta. Regardless of the name, we expect macOS 26 to get a visual overhaul similar to iOS/iPadOS 26. MacOS 26 may look more like its iPhone and iPad counterparts this year, especially if Apple takes inspiration from visionOS. Changes could include circular app icons, translucent windows, and simplified navigation. Additionally, some features from iOS 26 could carry over to macOS, like AI-powered battery optimization and any Apple Intelligence updates. Along with iOS 26, we're also expecting to see the 19th version of iPad OS, which will be called iPad OS 26. We expect it to arrive with a slate of updates similar to the iOS system's. It could get the same visual overhaul that iOS 19 receives, but there's also a chance that this could be the year iOS and iPadOS really diverge if Apple decides to move iPadOS closer to its Mac operating system. As someone who has used an iPad as a laptop replacement, I have to admit I'm on board with the latter. While iPadOS shouldn't be completely melted into macOS, it would be nice to have better file management and a more laptop-like interface for using iPads with a Magic Keyboard and a mouse. Aside from visual changes, iPadOS 26 will likely get some of the same updates as iOS 26, including Apple Intelligence updates and AI-powered battery life optimization. We could also see improvements to Stage Manager, which seems especially likely if Apple debuts a more Mac-like iPadOS. Apple recently acquired RAC7, the two-person operation behind the cute and very fun Sneaky Sasquatch, which won the Apple Arcade award for Game of the Year in 2020. It is often in the top 10 of the most popular games on Apple Arcade. Apple's acquisition of Vancouver-based RAC7 might've been the first shoe to drop for a new pivot to gaming. A report from Bloomberg says Apple will debut a stand-alone app for video games (right now Apple Arcade is a tab in the App Store) that will show up in MacBooks, iPads, Apple TV, and, of course, the iPhone. Bloomberg reports that this stand-alone app will replace Game Center and promote Apple Arcade, the $6.99/month service that enables users to play games like Sneaky Sasquatch. Although the mood has been gloomy around WWDC this year due to its reported lack of major news, the event could be a low-key banger for millions of iOS power users. Here's why: Key updates to iOS apps that many Apple users use daily appear to be coming. Messages, Notes, and CarPlay will all see updates, reports 9 to 5 Mac in an exclusive report published this week. Messages will get live translation thanks to AI. Messages may also get a polls feature. Apple Music will have animated album art that will show up on the lock screen. In Notes, you'll be able to export your content into Markdown. Chances are, if you use Markdown code and Apple Notes, you're crying tears of joy right now. It'll be a cause for celebration for a dedicated bunch. CarPlay is an essential tool for iPhone users who drive, and in iOS 26, the look of CarPlay will get a long-overdue new look. According to reports, AirPods are slated to get a number of new features at WWDC. Those features will further integrate AirPods into more of your activities, such as listening to music, making phone calls, taking photos, and even sleeping. According to a report from 9 to 5 Mac, citing anonymous sources within Apple, the company will enable you to take pictures by pinching your AirPod stem. AirPods will also be able to detect when you fall asleep. (Though it's unclear if your AirPods or your Apple Watch will recognize the sleep detection. Read more about the reported updates here: "New Apple AirPods feature will know about your day's most private moment." Citing sources within Apple, Bloomberg reported last weekend that "People within the company believe [WWDC 2025] may be a letdown from an AI standpoint. Others familiar with the company's planned announcements worry they could make Apple's shortcomings even more obvious." Other announcements expected at WWDC: ➡️ Apple will open up its on-device AI models to developers who want to include on-device AI in their apps. This is just on-device AI, and not cloud-based AI, so there are significant limitations compared to services like Google Gemini. ➡️ The Translate app is reportedly going to be all new and integrated with AirPods. ➡️ A variety of projects are reportedly ongoing at Apple right now, but won't be part of this year's WWDC. These include a revamped Shortcuts app, a chatbot to compete with ChatGPT, a redesigned Health app, and a medical services codenamed 'Mulberry,' plus a Siri upgrade to reportedly make Siri more like the voice mode of ChatGPT. Finally, in this update, Apple is expected to release a new macOS named "Tahoe" after Lake Tahoe in California. Other California-inspired macOS names have been Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia. We're now just a handful of hours away from today's keynote to kickstart WWDC 2025, and Apple CEO Tim Cook is already shining a spotlight on the next generation of "Wozniaks" by celebrating the winners of this year's Swift Student Challenge which awards 350 young developers for the creativity, innovation, and social impact of their apps. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, one of the biggest reveals of today's keynote will be an all-new UI design set to feature across the board for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 ("Tahoe"), and visionOS 26, named "Liquid Glass." The new interface is set to replace the current "Flat Design" Apple users have been familiar with since 2013, offering more contemporary design that focuses on transparency and shine effects — likely as a prelude to a new look for 2027's "Glasswing" iPhone, which is rumored to ditch the metal frame for entirely curved glass sides. Apple's new "Liquid Glass" aesthetics are said to be inspired by the look of visionOS, the operating system exclusive to the Apple Vision Pro headset. While the Vision Pro may be relinquishing its frosted glass-like visuals to other devices in the Apple ecosystem, it too is expected to receive several minor design changes in visionOS 26 — alongside several other rumored features including "eye-scrolling" and support for third-party VR controllers (finally). It's something of an open secret that Apple is hard at work developing a pair of futuristic frames following the success of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, but it's unlikely that we'll catch sight of them during this year's keynote. However, should early reports surrounding the transparency-focused "Liquid Glass" redesign of Apple's interfaces prove accurate, a more "see through" smart glasses-friendly UI will be on-hand for Apple to make use of when it's ready to reveal its glasses — which, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, are expected to arrive by the end of 2026. Battery life is one of the most important specs people look for when purchasing a new smartphone, and it's something that Apple has excelled at providing with its recent iPhones. And, while Apple Intelligence is said to play a smaller role at this year's WWDC, it could power a new iOS 26 feature to make adjustments on the fly to limit power consumption and push your battery life further than ever before. Another handy iOS 26 feature tipped to be unveiled today is something new to iPhone, but borrowed from Android smartphones. Alongside iOS 26's claimed AI power management feature, iPhone users will reportedly now receive an estimate on how long it will take for their device to reach full charge from the lock screen. This feature was first spotted in code for the iOS 18.2 beta, where it was referred to as "BatteryIntelligence," but was suspiciously missing from the public release. However, many signs point to the feature finally making its iPhone debut with iOS 26. The battery life-boosting features and charging transparency heading to iPhone is great, but can we expect similar features to arrive on Macs? The Apple MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are some of the longest lasting laptops on the market already, with the recent M4 MacBook Air 13 pushing past the 15-hour mark on our Laptop Mag battery test in March. If a little of that rumored Apple Intelligence-powered battery magic for iPhone makes it way to Macs, could Apple push the envelope even further when it comes to all-day power for the portable computer? We hope so. We're already expecting to see a bold rebrand of Apple's operating systems this year. The new "Liquid Glass" design aside, Apple will be trading the usual version names of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and others to highlight the software's year of service — trading what would be iOS 19 for iOS 26. However, a last-minute post by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo may suggest another major rebrand isn't far off. This time, for Siri. In a post shared to X earlier today, Kuo shares his belief that part of Apple's AI strategy for WWDC 2025 will involve "Rebranding Apple Intelligence/Siri." We've long heard that the LLM (Large Language Model) overhaul of Siri has run into trouble, and that it's a project labored with multiple delays. However, if Kuo, whose insights have previously played out accurately, is right, Apple's big AI announcement could be an all-new virtual assistant — not Siri, but whatever comes next.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Google quietly gave Gemini a big upgrade that could change everything
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Google made it clear that AI is a big part of its business at the company's I/O event last month. Its Gemini AI model was the star of the show, and the tech giant plans to inject the AI into all of its devices and services, including its upcoming smart glasses, Google Search results, and Gmail. In the big AI race, Google is usually in second place behind OpenAI's ChatGPT, but a new update for Gemini could give it a big lead over the competition. With its latest update, Google Gemini can now act more as an AI assistant, a common goal for the different tech companies. Gemini Pro and Ultra users can now have the AI do scheduled actions by asking it to perform a task at a certain time or make a recurring action. "Now you can wake up with a summary of your calendar and unread emails, or get a creative boost by having Gemini write five ideas for your blog every Monday," Dave Citron, senior director, product management for the Gemini app, said in a blog post. "Stay informed by getting updates on your favorite sports team, or schedule a one-off task like asking Gemini to give you a summary of an award show the day after it happens. Just tell Gemini what you need and when, and it will take care of the rest." The Gemini update is already live for those with Gemini Pro and Ultra subscriptions, along with individuals using qualifying Google Workspace business and education plans. All the big tech companies are trying to get their AI model to be the The company that is still behind with its AI agent is Apple. It could be said that Siri was the first agent out of the gate when it came out in 2011, but its usefulness continues to lag behind when compared to the likes of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Apple did plan to release an overhauled Siri this year. The company announced this change last year when it revealed its Apple Intelligence feature, but turmoil within the company has been setting back the reveal of the new Siri. Apple reportedly changed leadership of the team handling the new Siri, but it's unlikely to make its debut this year. AI, in general, has been a sore spot for Apple. Although it has a partnership with OpenAI and makes use of ChatGPT for its AI services, it has been rumored that Apple won't have much AI to talk about at the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference that starts on Monday.
