logo
Apple WWDC 2025: iPhone maker woos software developers amid AI, regulatory challenges

Apple WWDC 2025: iPhone maker woos software developers amid AI, regulatory challenges

Time of India6 hours ago

Apple is facing an unprecedented set of technical and regulatory challenges as some of its key executives are set to take the stage on Monday at the company's annual software developer conference.
On the technical side, many of the long-awaited artificial-intelligence features Apple promised at the same conference a year ago have been delayed until next year, even as its rivals such as Alphabet's Google and Microsoft woo developers with a bevvy of new AI features. Those unfulfilled promises included key improvements to Siri, its digital assistant.
On the regulatory front, courts in the US and Europe are poised to pull down the lucrative walls around Apple's App Store as even some of the company's former supporters question whether its fees are justified.
Those challenges are coming to a head at the same time US President Donald Trump has threatened 25% tariffs on Apple's best-selling iPhone. Apple's shares are down more than 40% since the start of the year, a sharper decline than Google and also lagging the AI-driven gains in Microsoft shares.
Apple has launched some of the AI features it promised last year, including a set of writing tools and image-generation tools, but it still relies on partners such as ChatGPT creator OpenAI for some of those capabilities. Bloomberg has reported that Apple may open up in-house AI models to developers this year.
Live Events
But analysts do not believe Apple yet has what technologists call a "multi-modal" model—that is, one capable of understanding imagery, audio and language at the same time—that could power a pair of smart glasses, a category that has become a runaway hit for Meta Platforms. Google said last month it would jump back in to this category, with partners.
Discover the stories of your interest
Blockchain
5 Stories
Cyber-safety
7 Stories
Fintech
9 Stories
E-comm
9 Stories
ML
8 Stories
Edtech
6 Stories
Such glasses, which are far lighter and cheaper than Apple's Vision Pro headset, could become useful because they would understand what the user is looking at and could help answer questions about it.
While Apple has focused on its $3,500 Vision Pro headset, Google and Meta have seized on the smart glasses as a cheaper way to deploy their AI software prowess against Apple in its stronghold of hardware. Meta Ray-Bans all sell for less than $400.
Analysts say Apple needs to answer that challenge but that it is not likely to do so this week.
"I'm not trying to replace my phone—this is a complementary thing that gives me more world context, because it's got a camera and it sees what I see, and I can talk to it in natural language," said Ben Bajarin, CEO of technology consultancy Creative Strategies. "Apple is not positioned to do that."
To be sure, Apple's rivals are not decisively ahead in smart glasses. Anshel Sag, principal analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, said Meta's Ray-Bans still lack some features and Google has not yet landed its "Gemini" model in a mass-market pair of glasses yet.
"Meta has the undisputed lead, but Google is catching up fast and probably has the best-suited AI for the job," Sag said. "Vision Pro is great, but it's a showroom product that developers can use."
But Bob O'Donnell, CEO of TECHnalysis Research, said it remains far from clear that smart glasses will gain wide acceptance. O'Donnell also said it is not certain that Apple is at any particular disadvantage if it partners with a company such as Google, OpenAI or even a smaller firm like Perplexity for core AI technology.
So far, O'Donnell said, there is not yet strong evidence that consumers are basing major hardware-purchasing decisions on AI features.
"There's an argument to be made that it's OK that (Apple) is behind because, except for the bleeding edge, most people don't care," O'Donnell said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Apple faces AI delay, app store scrutiny and rivals' smart glasses push
Apple faces AI delay, app store scrutiny and rivals' smart glasses push

Business Standard

time4 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

Apple faces AI delay, app store scrutiny and rivals' smart glasses push

Apple is facing an unprecedented set of technical and regulatory challenges as some of its key executives are set to take the stage on Monday at the company's annual software developer conference. On the technical side, many of the long-awaited artificial-intelligence features Apple promised at the same conference a year ago have been delayed until next year, even as its rivals such as Alphabet's Google and Microsoft woo developers with a bevvy of new AI features. Those unfulfilled promises included key improvements to Siri, its digital assistant. On the regulatory front, courts in the US and Europe are poised to pull down the lucrative walls around Apple's App Store as even some of the company's former supporters question whether its fees are justified. Those challenges are coming to a head at the same time US President Donald Trump has threatened 25 per cent tariffs on Apple's best-selling iPhone. Apple's shares are down more than 40 per cent since the start of the year, a sharper decline than Google and also lagging the AI-driven gains in Microsoft shares. Apple has launched some of the AI features it promised last year, including a set of writing tools and image-generation tools, but it still relies on partners such as ChatGPT creator OpenAI for some of those capabilities. Bloomberg has reported that Apple may open up in-house AI models to developers this year. But analysts do not believe Apple yet has what technologists call a "multi-modal" model — that is, one capable of understanding imagery, audio, and language at the same time — that could power a pair of smart glasses, a category that has become a runaway hit for Meta Platforms. Google said last month it would jump back into this category, with partners. Such glasses, which are far lighter and cheaper than Apple's Vision Pro headset, could become useful because they would understand what the user is looking at and could help answer questions about it. While Apple has focused on its $3,500 Vision Pro headset, Google and Meta have seized on the smart glasses as a cheaper way to deploy their AI software prowess against Apple in its stronghold of hardware. Meta Ray-Bans all sell for less than $400. Analysts say Apple needs to answer that challenge, but that it is not likely to do so this week. "I'm not trying to replace my phone — this is a complementary thing that gives me more world context, because it's got a camera and it sees what I see, and I can talk to it in natural language," said Ben Bajarin, CEO of technology consultancy Creative Strategies. "Apple is not positioned to do that." To be sure, Apple's rivals are not decisively ahead in smart glasses. Anshel Sag, principal analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, said Meta's Ray-Bans still lack some features and Google has not yet landed its "Gemini" model in a mass-market pair of glasses yet. "Meta has the undisputed lead, but Google is catching up fast and probably has the best-suited AI for the job," Sag said. "Vision Pro is great, but it's a showroom product that developers can use." But Bob O'Donnell, CEO of TECHnalysis Research, said it remains far from clear that smart glasses will gain wide acceptance. O'Donnell also said it is not certain that Apple is at any particular disadvantage if it partners with a company such as Google, OpenAI or even a smaller firm like Perplexity for core AI technology. So far, O'Donnell said, there is not yet strong evidence that consumers are basing major hardware-purchasing decisions on AI features. "There's an argument to be made that it's OK that (Apple) is behind because, except for the bleeding edge, most people don't care," O'Donnell said.

Iran says to submit own nuclear proposal to US soon
Iran says to submit own nuclear proposal to US soon

Time of India

time18 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Iran says to submit own nuclear proposal to US soon

Live Events 'Strategic mistake' (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Iran said on Monday it will soon present a counter-proposal on a nuclear deal with the United States, after it had described Washington's offer as containing "ambiguities".Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear accord to replace the deal with major powers that US President Donald Trump abandoned during his first term in longtime foes have been locked in a diplomatic standoff over Iran's uranium enrichment , with Tehran defending it as a "non-negotiable" right and Washington describing it as a "red line".On May 31, after the fifth round of talks, Iran said it had received "elements" of a US proposal, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later saying the text contained "ambiguities".Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei criticised the US proposal as "lacking elements" reflective of the previous rounds of negotiations, without providing further details."We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through (mediator) Oman once it is finalised," Baqaei told a weekly press briefing."It is a proposal that is reasonable, logical and balanced, and we strongly recommend that the American side value this opportunity."Also on Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told state news agency IRNA that Iran's response "is a framework for agreement"."If we reach an understanding on this framework in principle, further extensive negotiations will begin on its details," he parliament speaker has said the US proposal failed to include the lifting of sanctions -- a key demand for Tehran, which has been reeling under their weight for who has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions on Iran since taking office in January, has repeatedly said Tehran will not be allowed any uranium enrichment under a potential Wednesday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the US offer was "100 percent against" notions of independence and insisted that uranium enrichment was "key" to Iran's nuclear programme and that the US "cannot have a say" on the currently enriches uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67-percent limit set in the 2015 deal and close though still short of the 90 percent needed for a nuclear countries, including the United States, have long accused Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons, while Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful United Nations nuclear watchdog on Monday began a Board of Governors meeting in Vienna that will last until Friday to discuss Iran's nuclear activities among other topics."I call upon Iran urgently to cooperate fully and effectively with the International Atomic Energy Agency," said agency chief Rafael Grossi in his opening speech."Unless and until Iran assists the agency in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful," he the agency released a report criticising "less than satisfactory" cooperation from Tehran, particularly in explaining past cases of nuclear material found at undeclared has criticised the IAEA report as unbalanced, saying it relied on "forged documents" provided by its arch foe France and Germany, the three European countries that are party to the 2015 deal, are currently weighing whether to trigger the sanctions "snapback" mechanism in the mechanism would reinstate UN sanctions in response to Iranian non-compliance -- an option that expires in Friday, Araghchi warned European powers against backing a draft resolution at the IAEA accusing Tehran of non-compliance, calling it a "strategic mistake".On Monday, Baqaei said Iran has "prepared and formulated a series of steps and measures" if the resolution is passed."Without a doubt, the response to confrontation will not be more cooperation," he

Harvard talks to peer institutes as Trump blocks foreign student intake
Harvard talks to peer institutes as Trump blocks foreign student intake

Business Standard

time20 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

Harvard talks to peer institutes as Trump blocks foreign student intake

In an attempt to safeguard its foreign students, Harvard University is exploring temporary arrangements with academic institutions in the United States and abroad to host international students following a directive by President Donald Trump's administration barring the university from accepting foreign students, Financial Times reported. Officials at the University of Chicago and London Business School are among those who have held discussions on accommodating incoming Harvard students. The move comes in response to a recent federal order suspending the entry of foreign nationals intending to study or participate in exchange programmes at Harvard. Why was the order issued? The proclamation claims the measure is intended to prevent 'foreign adversaries' from exploiting the US higher education system. It accuses Harvard of a rise in on-campus crime, lack of disciplinary action, and failure to report foreign students allegedly involved in illegal or dangerous activity. It also cites Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerns that foreign nationals have used US universities to steal research and spread disinformation. A US district judge has temporarily suspended the order and posted the matter for further hearing on 16 June. Impact on students and institutions The administration has halted visa processing for all prospective international students across the US, citing enhanced background checks, including scrutiny of social media activity. Visas have also been revoked and students detained, particularly those allegedly involved in protests against Israel's actions in Gaza, according to the Financial Times. The crackdown is likely to affect Harvard's finances, as many US universities rely heavily on international student tuition. More than 1.1 million foreign nationals currently study in the US, with the majority from China and India. The US Department of Commerce estimates their annual economic contribution at $45 billion. NAFSA, a global network of international education professionals, described the administration's approach as 'an unacceptable assault on an already thorough screening and monitoring process' that creates 'a climate of uncertainty and fear.' Amit Sevak, CEO of ETS—the organisation behind the TOEFL English language test—said demand was falling. 'With the fall semester around the corner, some international students may withdraw, delay, or apply elsewhere. The bigger implication will be in 2026,' he told the Financial Times. Harvard mounts legal response Harvard has challenged the order in court, claiming it is an act of illegal retaliation that violates the university's free speech rights. 'While the court considers our request, contingency plans are being developed to ensure that international students and scholars can continue to pursue their work at Harvard this summer and through the coming academic year,' said university president Alan Garber in a statement. The lawsuit also argues that Trump's actions are 'part of a concerted and escalating campaign of retaliation by the government in clear retribution for Harvard's exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government's demands to control Harvard's governance, curriculum, and the 'ideology' of its faculty and students.' International students constitute approximately 27 per cent of Harvard's student body. The university has become a primary focus of the Trump administration's actions, though other institutions are also preparing for disruptions. Not just Harvard Suzanne Rivera, president of Macalester College in Minneapolis—where roughly 20 per cent of students are international—said the college had begun fundraising through alumni networks and was offering internships to support students who opted not to leave the US over summer break. 'Our concern right now is that these policy shifts may erect obstacles that would prevent students returning to campus or new ones from matriculating,' she said. 'The fear is widespread for the international students among us that if they go home they might encounter difficulties trying to re-enter even if they have a valid visa.' Other universities—including New York University, Northeastern University, and Hult International Business School—are exploring options to relocate affected students to international campuses. Some operate branches in countries such as Qatar. However, Martin Boehm, executive vice-president at Hult, said he had not encountered problems so far. 'I'm still super confident that everything runs smoothly,' he said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store