What we think we can expect at Apple's WWDC 2025
All eyes will be on Apple on Monday as its World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) returns to its pristine stage in California, where the company is expected to unveil its latest technology and devices.
It comes at a pivotal time for the company, which faces repercussions from the Trump administration's tariff proposal and competition from other tech companies to reign supreme in the battle for artificial intelligence (AI).
These are some of the rumours of what could be announced.
Last year, Apple announced the rollout of Apple Intelligence to its devices and the incorporation of ChatGPT into its Siri assistant. On Monday, we could see some upgrades to its current offerings, perhaps with Apple working with other AI chatbots.
The recent announcement from Sam Altman that OpenAI is working with former Apple executive Jony Ive on an AI hardware device is no doubt putting pressure on Apple to catch up.
Meanwhile, the race to incorporate AI more into smartphones is on.
Samsung is reportedly partnering with AI start-up Perplexity to use its app and AI assistant in its Galaxy phones, according to Bloomberg. Motorola has also incorporated AI into its new Razr flip phone.
However, AI could be used in Apple's Health app to provide personalised health suggestions based on user data, according to speculation.
Another theory is that AI will be baked into some small OS updates, and could see new features for things like better battery management.
'While there is no clear leader in the AI race as it's still early days, arguably Apple's efforts are not resonating with customers,' tech analyst Paolo Pescatore told Euronews Next.
'This [AI] is a marathon and not a sprint, so there is time, but much more work needs to be done under the hood. Apple needs to tread carefully not to frustrate and disappoint its loyal base of iPhone users,' he added.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is developing a dedicated app for video games that would exist separately from the App Store. It will replace the Game Centre app, and could allow access to Apple Arcade's subscription-based game store, plus other gaming features such as leaderboards.
One of the biggest announcements will be the change in the naming systems for iOS, according to reports by Bloomberg. New iOS versions will be labelled by year, so we could see the launch of iOS 26 on Monday.
Apple's iOS could also see a redesign, with reports speculating on a transparent interface.
Apple could also introduce a live-translate language feature to its AirPods, according to Bloomberg.
This would allow real-time translation during conversations.
'While all attention will be focused on Apple Intelligence, Siri, and other features, its relentless focus on ease of use and seamless interaction across all Apple devices should remain its top priority,' said Pescatore.
Apple's large user base puts it in an enviable position, but the company must make some tough decisions on whether it continues relying on building in-house or partnering with other services, he added.
But Pescatore said he did not think we would see the elephant in the room - the Trump administration tariffs - being mentioned.
'With the eagerly awaited new iPhone later in the year, and how [tariffs] will impact future sales. Users are not buying into smartphones due to AI; it is not a sought-after feature for now,' he said.
But we will know more at the WWDC event, which goes live at 19:00 CET. You can watch the announcements as they unfold on Apple's YouTube channel.
A new report published by a prominent American senator's office this week sheds light on how the first 130 days of US President Donald Trump's second term may have benefited Elon Musk, the world's richest man.
Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren's office compiled a 14-page document using a combination of media reports, White House statements, and think tank research to identify over 100 occasions where Musk's companies and his own personal wealth benefited during his time with the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
A statement on Warren's website describes the report as a list of actions where Musk or White House officials "broke ethics norms and precedent or may have violated laws regarding federal employees' participation in matters in which they have a financial interest," while benefiting Musk's business concerns.
The report alleges that these actions have increased Musk's personal wealth by "at least" $100 billion (€85.4 billion) and wiped out a potential additional $2.37 billion (€2.07 billion) in business liabilities from Musk's record.
Warren's report comes in the wake of a very public fallout this week between Trump and Musk, who left his role at DOGE earlier this month.
Warren's report claims that Musk had conflicts with "at least 70 per cent" of the government departments that his new role came after.
The report claims that President Trump fired the USAID Inspector General, who was set to inspect Musk's satellite company Starlink for its role in providing services to Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
In one of the most controversial moves of his early presidency, the report claims that Trump then tried to shut down USAID in light of this pending investigation.
Trump then announced a pause of US foreign development assistance programmes through USAID, creating a $60 billion (€55.3 billion) funding gap.
Among the USAID cancellation repercussions is some non-profit funding to Ukraine that the EU told Euronews in February that it will not be able to meet the gap.
Warren's report also claims that Starlink either struck deals or is negotiating deals with at least a dozen countries, largely in Asia and Africa, 'amid threats of tariffs'.
Regulators "have taken no public action on their investigations" in more than 40 federal agency matters regarding Musk's companies "for several months or more," the report continued.
Many of the stalled investigations highlighted in the report were focused on Tesla, Musk's electric vehicle company.
Citing NPR reports, Warren said that Trump fired the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in the first round of DOGE cuts after it received over 300 consumer complaints about Tesla.
Pending investigations and audits from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Labor Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance into Tesla were shut down by the Trump administration, the report continued.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in charge of investigating market manipulation, limited staff authority to launch investigations as the body was investigating Tesla's potentially false claims about self-driving vehicles.
In a similar vein, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) laid off workers in DOGE cuts while it investigated Tesla crashes caused by the car's 'full self-driving' and remote control features.
Trump's administration also administered cuts and slowed down the work of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) after these agencies launched investigations into SpaceX, Tesla and xAI Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) company behind chatbot Grok, for environmental violations.
During his time at DOGE, Musk was able to put in motion or sign several government contracts worth billions of dollars for SpaceX, his space technology company based in Texas.
Trump's announcement of the Golden Dome project to guarantee security for the US, along with an initial $25 billion (€22 billion) investment, had already pegged SpaceX as a frontrunner for the project.
The White House is now also reportedly calling for 13 per cent more spending for the Department of Defense, with SpaceX "considered likely to be the top recipient" of this funding, while the report alleges the company has already made over $7 billion (€6.15 billion) in contracts.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to subsidise SpaceX's broadband services in a reversal of a previous decision to give the company $900 million (€790 million).
Musk also helped handpick many of the administration's key personnel, including the initial selection of SpaceX investor Jared Isaacman as NASA's top administrator and putting Michael Guetlein, a former SpaceX fellow, at the head of the Golden Dome missile program.
These picks also influenced a potential contract with the Pentagon where SpaceX would be paid to "transport military cargo around the globe".
The report also alleges that DOGE infiltrated the Treasury Department's Federal Payment System, which could give Musk the financial information of competitor companies that have been awarded contracts.
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