US technology giant Apple unveils ‘once per decade' update as operating systems changes announced

Sky News AU

3 days ago

Technology giant Apple has announced major changes to its devices' operating systems, with a senior company figure calling an update a 'once per decade' event.
At the Worldwide Developers Conference at the Apple campus in California held overnight Australian time, the company announced updates to Apple Intelligence, which Apple has claimed will 'elevate' user experiences across its flagship devices.
New offerings include 'Live Translation', which has the ability to automatically translate messages on Apple's Messages service and provide live translated captions to people while on FaceTime calls.
Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said in the keynote address the company 'couldn't be more excited' about Apple Intelligence being developed further, but he placed emphasis on a software redesign that was previewed, calling the update 'a big one'.
'Now there's another piece of our platform story this year, and it's a big one. In fact, it's the kind of project that only comes along about once per decade. It's a gorgeous new design that feels effortless to use,' Mr Federighi said.
He said the company's last 'major redesign' came about with the release of the iOS 7 operating system, which debuted in 2013.
'Back then, we were inspired by the recent emergence of retina displays and the amazing power of our A6 silicon. Well, a lot has changed,' Mr Federighi said.
'Apple silicone has become dramatically more powerful, enabling software materials and experiences we once could only dream of.'
The operating systems update will be available across device platforms and is set to be rolled out later this year.
The new design is underpinned by what Apple has dubbed 'Liquid Glass' - a translucent material that the company claims 'behaves like glass in the real world'.
According to Apple, the material had the ability to reflect and retract its surroundings that will enhance displays across devices.
Other updates have also been announced to Genmoji, which allows iPhone users to create customised emojis, and Image Playground, an AI tool which gives users a chance to have images made via descriptive prompts.
Apple Intelligence has also been incorporated into Apple Watch devices to create 'Workout Buddy', which provides user insights during workouts based on exercise data and fitness history.
The new raft of changes follows a number of significant developments in 2025 so far for the tech company, which posted record quarterly revenue of $124.3 billion for its fiscal 2025 first quarter in January.
The iPhone 16e released in February went on the Australian market with a shelf price of just under $1000, as Apple attempted to deliver a "more affordable" product among cost of living pressures for consumers.
Apple in March then unveiled plans to display Indigenous place names on Apple Maps in Australia and New Zealand, utilising data from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) and other local resources.