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 India2 days 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

Who is Sadie Novotny and why is the Sonoma County woman suing Costco for $14 million?
Who is Sadie Novotny and why is the Sonoma County woman suing Costco for $14 million?

Hindustan Times

time13 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Who is Sadie Novotny and why is the Sonoma County woman suing Costco for $14 million?

A woman from Santa Rosa, California, is suing Costco for more than $14 million, saying a heavy display cabinet fell on her while she was shopping, leaving her with serious injuries. Sadie Novotny filed the lawsuit on April 29, claiming the store was careless in how it managed its merchandise. She says this led to the accident that caused her permanent injuries. The case was first filed in California Superior Court in Alameda County, but was moved to the US District Court for Northern California on June 5, after Costco's legal team requested the change. Also Read: Apple agrees to $95 million Siri privacy settlement: How to claim your payment According to the lawsuit, Novotny was shopping at a Costco in Santa Rosa on March 22 when a large liquor cabinet fell on her 'without warning.' The suit says she suffered 'multiple, permanent and catastrophic' injuries, including a head injury and a traumatic brain injury. A Costco incident report included in the complaint shows that Novotny and her husband were trying to buy a liquor cabinet when the floor model suddenly tipped over. She said she managed to catch the cabinet and push it back, but right away felt pain in her 'right shoulder, forearm, hand, fingers and lower back,' according to the report. Novotny is suing for general negligence, but also for premises liability and products liability. In legal terms, premises liability means the store could be held responsible for injuries that happen on their property. Products liability means a defective or unsafe item may have caused harm. In May, attorney Nick Rineberg, who represents both Costco Wholesale Corporation ('Costco') and Costco Wholesale Membership, Inc. ('Membership'), filed a request asking the court to remove Membership from the lawsuit. He said, 'Costco and Membership are separate entities, Membership does not operate the subject premises, Membership does not employ any persons at the subject premises, and Membership does not own, lease, operate, or manage the subject premises.' The case is now being handled in federal court.

Trump says China trade deal ‘done': 55% tariff, supply of rare earth minerals
Trump says China trade deal ‘done': 55% tariff, supply of rare earth minerals

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

Trump says China trade deal ‘done': 55% tariff, supply of rare earth minerals

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has reached a trade agreement with China, including an easing of curbs imposed by Beijing on export of rare earth minerals and magnets that are key inputs for industries ranging from automobiles to electronics. 'Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval with President Xi and me,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social. He said China would supply 'any necessary rare earths' and magnets, while the US would make concessions on allowing Chinese students to attend American universities. The Trump administration had recently begun to clamp down on the presence of Chinese nationals on US college campuses. 'We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%. Relationship is excellent!' Trump wrote, without elaborating. Bloomberg quoted a White House official as saying that the agreement allows the US to charge a 55 per cent tariff on imported Chinese goods, which, crucially, includes a 10 per cent baseline 'reciprocal' tariff, a 20 per cent tariff for fentanyl trafficking, and a 25 per cent tariff reflecting pre-existing tariffs (imposed by Trump in his first term, that the Biden administration persisted with). China would charge a 10 per cent tariff on American imports, the official said. Though the details of the deal were still unclear, analysts predicted that China seems to have gained the upper-hand after its rare earth restrictions prompted US carmakers, including Ford Motor and Chrysler, to cut production. Significantly, Trump said a final deal is subject to approval from him and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese state media said earlier Wednesday that Beijing had reached a 'framework' for an agreement with the US during talks in London, but there was no official response from China on Trump's subsequent claims on Truth Social. Earlier, both the negotiating sides said they had agreed in principle to a framework for dialling down trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies. After the meeting in London — the second time the two sides have met in the last couple of months, since Trump's sweeping tariff onslaught — there were indications of a reconciliation. What is beginning to get clearer after the second meeting is that this is perhaps not how the US imagined the trade war to unfold. China is beginning to dictate the direction of the bilateral talks, with the US almost seen as requesting for much-needed concessions on the resumption of supplies of critical inputs. In the first round of talks in Geneva, the US delegation led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had asked the Chinese to cut its tariffs in tandem with theirs, primarily because the Americans were facing the heat back home from the early fallout of the high tariffs, including empty shelves at grocery stories and surging prices of daily use commodities. In London, the US side is learnt to have specifically asked the Chinese to 'suspend or remove' restrictions on rare earths magnets, which had forced a supply-chain crunch. The London meeting follows a call between Trump and Xi on June 5, which was initiated by the White House — the first call since Trump's reciprocal tariff announcement. After the London talks, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the deal should result in restrictions on rare earth minerals and magnets 'being resolved'. 'We have reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus… Once the Presidents approve it, we will then seek to implement it,' he said. 'The two sides have, in principle, reached a framework for implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state during the phone call on June 5 and the consensus reached at the Geneva meeting,' the BBC quoted China's Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang as saying. Chinese export controls over rare earth minerals were high on the agenda of the meetings. While Beijing has not imposed an outright ban on the export of rare earth magnets, the process has been made very difficult; it could take a long time to source, posing shortage risks. Rare earth magnets, especially neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets, are crucial for EV manufacturing. They provide the strong magnetic fields needed for efficient and powerful electric motors, including traction motors that drive EVs. These magnets also play a major role in other EV components like power steering systems, wiper motors and braking systems. China has a virtual stranglehold over these rare earth magnets. In May, talks held in Geneva led to a temporary truce after the tit-for-tat tariff increases by both sides, which led to duties that peaked at 145 per cent. Trump called the outcome of the talks in Switzerland a 'total reset', which brought US tariffs on Chinese products down to 30 per cent, while Beijing cut duties on US imports to 10 per cent. Both sides also agreed to a 90-day deadline to try to reach a trade deal. However, the US and China have since accused each other of breaching the deal. The US has said that Beijing has been dragging its feet on opening up exports of rare earth metals and magnets while the Chinese claim that Washington has restricted its access to American goods such as semiconductors and other related technologies linked to artificial intelligence. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had said China had failed to roll back restrictions on exports of rare earth magnets. In the run-up to this week's talks, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said on Saturday that it had approved some applications for rare earth export licences. The problem for the US is that the Chinese side has wrested some advantage, especially by leveraging its strategy of weaponing its dominance in key sectors. Rare earth minerals and magnets is one such area, where the US is now desperate for concessions. Both sides have since claimed breaches on non-tariff pledges, but the Americans clearly seem more eager for a reconciliation, given the impact of the Chinese blockade on its key manufacturing sectors. These Chinese trade blockades are already impacting companies in other geographies. Hamamatsu-based small car maker Suzuki Motors, for instance, said last week it plans to suspend the production of its flagship Swift compact hatchback due to China's rare earth restrictions, becoming the first Japanese automaker to be impacted. There are similar worries among other manufacturing entities across the world, including in the US. Anil Sasi is National Business Editor with the Indian Express and writes on business and finance issues. He has worked with The Hindu Business Line and Business Standard and is an alumnus of Delhi University. ... Read More

Rare earths and magnets minerals elements: Why are these giving China edge in trade war with USA?
Rare earths and magnets minerals elements: Why are these giving China edge in trade war with USA?

Economic Times

timean hour ago

  • Economic Times

Rare earths and magnets minerals elements: Why are these giving China edge in trade war with USA?

Rare-earth magnet Synopsis Rare earths and magnets minerals elements have hogged all the limelight during the US-China trade war. US-China trade deal has finally been chalked out, according to President Donald Trump. Analysts have claimed that China was counting on one crucial advantage as it strived to grind out a deal to ease its high-stakes trade war with the United States -- dominance in rare earths. Now question arises how rare earths have become a key sticking point in talks between the US and China. ADVERTISEMENT Rare Earths Minerals Elements Used in electric vehicles, hard drives, wind turbines and missiles, rare earth elements are essential to the modern economy and national defence, AFP reported. "The Middle East has oil. China has rare earths," Deng Xiaoping, the late Chinese leader whose pro-market reforms set the country on its path to becoming an economic powerhouse, said in 1992. Since then, Beijing's heavy investment in state-owned mining firms and lax environmental regulations compared to other industry players have turned China into the world's top supplier, as per AFP now accounts for 92 percent of global refined output, according to the International Energy the flow of rare earths from China to manufacturers around the world has slowed after Beijing in early April began requiring domestic exporters to apply for a licence -- widely seen as a response to US tariffs. ADVERTISEMENT Under the new requirements -- which industry groups have said are complex and slow-moving -- seven key elements and related magnets require Beijing's approval to be shipped to foreign buyers. Why Does USA Need Rare Earths? ADVERTISEMENT Ensuring access to the vital elements became a top priority for US officials in talks with Chinese counterparts."The rare earth issue has clearly... overpowered the other parts of the trade negotiations because of stoppages at plants in the United States," said Paul Triolo, a technology expert at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, in an online seminar on Monday. ADVERTISEMENT That disruption, which forced US car giant Ford to temporarily halt production of its Explorer SUV, "really got the attention of the White House", said reportedly rely on Chinese rare earths for producing its defence equipment even as trade and geopolitical tensions deepen. ADVERTISEMENT An F-35 fighter jet contains over 900 pounds (more than 400 kilograms) of rare earth elements, noted a recent analysis by Gracelin Baskaran and Meredith Schwartz of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. China has Largest Reserves Pentagon is trying to catch up, with its "mine-to-magnet" strategy aiming to ensure an all-domestic supply chain for the key components by 2027. The challenge facing Washington to compete with Beijing in rare earths is compounded by sheer luck: China sits on the world's largest reserves. Q1. Who is President of USA?A1. President of USA is Donald Trump. Q2. What are usage of Rare earths and magnets? A2. Used in electric vehicles, hard drives, wind turbines and missiles, rare earth elements are essential to the modern economy and national defence, AFP reported. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates. Rare earths and magnets minerals elements: Why are these giving China edge in trade war with USA? Rare earths and magnets minerals elements: Why are these giving China edge in trade war with USA? Horoscope today, June 12, 2025: powerful daily zodiac predictions for love, career, and money — big revelations ahead for Gemini, Capricorn, Pisces, Aries, and Libra you won't want to miss Horoscope today, June 12, 2025: powerful daily zodiac predictions for love, career, and money — big revelations ahead for Gemini, Capricorn, Pisces, Aries, and Libra you won't want to miss Yes, Taylor Swift eats fast food too — here's the go-to spots she loves and exactly what she likes to order Yes, Taylor Swift eats fast food too — here's the go-to spots she loves and exactly what she likes to order Elon Musk says yes to impeaching Trump — and now 2025 odds are soaring on crypto betting markets Elon Musk says yes to impeaching Trump — and now 2025 odds are soaring on crypto betting markets Fans heartbroken: Beach Boys' Brian Wilson dies at 82 — you won't believe the legacy he leaves behind Fans heartbroken: Beach Boys' Brian Wilson dies at 82 — you won't believe the legacy he leaves behind Sabrina Carpenter drops surprise news — new album 'Man's Best Friend' coming soon after 'Short n' Sweet' Sabrina Carpenter drops surprise news — new album 'Man's Best Friend' coming soon after 'Short n' Sweet' Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett's 5-minute plan to erase the deficit — bold idea gains momentum Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett's 5-minute plan to erase the deficit — bold idea gains momentum Is Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's 20-year-old daughter, Zahara, engaged? Diamond ring sparks rumors Is Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's 20-year-old daughter, Zahara, engaged? Diamond ring sparks rumors Hollywood Vs AI: What is Midjourney? Here's all details about Disney and NBCUniversal suit against AI firm over copyright infringement Hollywood Vs AI: What is Midjourney? Here's all details about Disney and NBCUniversal suit against AI firm over copyright infringement Ex-Ubisoft execs on trial in France for workplace harassment, including bizarre claims of farting at staff NEXT STORY

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