Apple's annual developer conference (WWDC 2025) will kick off at 1 p.m. Eastern Time next Monday.

Compared to the sky-high expectations from the capital markets for the Vision Pro and "Apple AI" over the past two years, this year's buzz has undoubtedly cooled significantly. Apple's annual software updates and technological advancements remain noteworthy in the consumer electronics market. Below is a summary of the hot topics based on leaks so far.

iOS to Undergo a Groundbreaking Design Overhaul

In 2013, Apple introduced the iOS 7 system with a comprehensive redesign of its visual language, shifting from gradients and skeuomorphic textures to a flatter, more colorful design. This reflected then-Chief Design Officer Jony Ive's pursuit of minimalism.

Years after Ive's departure from Apple, the consumer electronics giant has finally decided to revamp the look of its operating system this year. Given that Ive took many talents with him after leaving Apple and has since collaborated with OpenAI to design interfaces for ChatGPT and develop "AI hardware," this year's redesign will be a major test for Apple's VP of Design, Alan Dye.

According to leaks, the new systems will draw elements from the Vision Pro's visionOS, introducing a comprehensive update to the styles of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons. This means the new system will feature semi-transparent menu interfaces, more rounded icons, and more pronounced 3D depth and shadow effects.

Another goal of this update is to unify the system experience across Apple's ecosystem of devices. As a result, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, CarPlay, and all other Apple systems will adopt the same design logic, reducing the disjointed feeling users experience when switching between devices.

According to leaks, iPad users can look forward to seeing how Apple will "bring the iPad closer to the Mac in terms of user experience" and "enhance its practicality for office scenarios." However, Apple is not planning to merge the systems of these two devices.

Another minor change is that Apple seems ready to overhaul its system naming conventions. The next generation of Apple operating systems will all use the year instead of version numbers for identification. This means the next iPhone system won't be iOS 19 but iOS 26.

The benefit of this change is the unification of what has been a confusing naming system. Due to differing release schedules, the current version numbers for Apple's systems are iOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 12, visionOS 2, and so on.

AirPods to Become Real-Time Interpreters

For Chinese users, the most interesting new feature at next week's event might be the real-time translation function for AirPods, which will work in tandem with iPhones upgraded to iOS 26.

Reportedly, the feature works like this: Suppose an English-speaking user wearing AirPods hears someone speaking Spanish. The iPhone will translate the speech into English and relay it through the AirPods. Simultaneously, the user's English responses will be translated into Spanish and played back to the other party through the iPhone.

The exact number of supported languages and the user experience will have to wait until after Apple's event next week for more details.

Given that AI translation has already reached a highly usable level, Apple's update could also spark a wave of breakthroughs in breaking language barriers across the consumer electronics market.

There are also reports that AirPods may gain new head-gesture controls, automatic music pausing when falling asleep, and other features.

"AI Promises"

As time has passed, Apple's AI strategy announced at last year's WWDC has become a weak point for the publicly traded company: the delivered features lack standout appeal, and the most critical update - the new Siri voice assistant - has been indefinitely delayed.

Even in the first few months of this year, Apple's AI chief, John Giannandrea, faced repeated "power reductions." Reports suggest that Tim Cook has "lost confidence" in him, reassigning Siri development to Mike Rockwell, the original head of the Vision Pro, and stripping him of oversight over a secret robotics team.

Renowned leaker Mark Gurman stated that Apple needs to stage a comeback in the AI field, but this year's WWDC may not be the turning point. Some insiders even believe that, purely from an AI perspective, this year's conference could be disappointing.

According to reports, the biggest AI news at this year's WWDC will be Apple opening its foundational model to third-party developers. This refers to an on-device model with only 3 billion parameters - a number that alone highlights the gap between its capabilities and those of advanced cloud-based large models.

Amid sluggish development progress, Apple has also begun turning to external companies like OpenAI. Thus, this year's WWDC might also announce support for chatbots other than ChatGPT on Apple devices.

There are also rumors that Apple's Health app may integrate AI technology to provide personalized health advice based on user data. At the same time, the company will repackage its redesigned Translate app and existing features in Safari and other software as "AI-driven" functionalities. Other AI-related OS updates include AI-powered battery management and Shortcuts.

New Dedicated Gaming App

For Apple's low-profile "Game Center," the company will introduce a dedicated gaming app this year to replace it, integrating features like gaming achievements, leaderboards, and social interactions. The format may resemble Microsoft's Xbox game launcher.

Reportedly, the app is more about merging Apple's game subscription service, Apple Arcade, and highlighting gaming apps on the App Store. On the Mac platform, the app will include the ability to access games downloaded from sources outside the App Store.

Low Chance of "One More Thing"

At least for now, there are no rumors of Apple unveiling new hardware at WWDC. The last time Apple launched new hardware in June was in 2023, with the Vision Pro and updates to three Mac models.

Judging by the development progress of each product line, Apple does not have any major new products ready. Since October last year, most Mac models have already been updated, with only the high-end Mac Pro workstation still equipped with the M2 Ultra chip. Theoretically, this product could be upgraded to the M3 Ultra chip, which debuted in this year's Mac Studio, but Apple's intentions remain unclear.

The only Apple product rumored to be in the release cycle is the AirTag 2, but it's unclear whether Apple will showcase it at WWDC or simply announce it via a press release.

There are also rumors that Apple will add native support for third-party controllers in visionOS 26. In addition to the already supported Bluetooth game controllers, it may also support Sony PlayStation's VR2 spatial controllers to attract VR game developers to optimize their apps for the Vision Pro and boost sales.Apple's annual developer conference (WWDC 2025) will kick off at 1 p.m. Eastern Time next Monday.

Compared to the sky-high expectations from the capital markets for the Vision Pro and "Apple AI" over the past two years, this year's buzz has undoubtedly cooled significantly. Apple's annual software updates and technological advancements remain noteworthy in the consumer electronics market. Below is a summary of the hot topics based on leaks so far.

iOS to Undergo a Groundbreaking Design Overhaul

In 2013, Apple introduced the iOS 7 system with a comprehensive redesign of its visual language, shifting from gradients and skeuomorphic textures to a flatter, more colorful design. This reflected then-Chief Design Officer Jony Ive's pursuit of minimalism.

Years after Ive's departure from Apple, the consumer electronics giant has finally decided to revamp the look of its operating system this year. Given that Ive took many talents with him after leaving Apple and has since collaborated with OpenAI to design interfaces for ChatGPT and develop "AI hardware," this year's redesign will be a major test for Apple's VP of Design, Alan Dye.

According to leaks, the new systems will draw elements from the Vision Pro's visionOS, introducing a comprehensive update to the styles of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons. This means the new system will feature semi-transparent menu interfaces, more rounded icons, and more pronounced 3D depth and shadow effects.

Another goal of this update is to unify the system experience across Apple's ecosystem of devices. As a result, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, CarPlay, and all other Apple systems will adopt the same design logic, reducing the disjointed feeling users experience when switching between devices.

According to leaks, iPad users can look forward to seeing how Apple will "bring the iPad closer to the Mac in terms of user experience" and "enhance its practicality for office scenarios." However, Apple is not planning to merge the systems of these two devices.

Another minor change is that Apple seems ready to overhaul its system naming conventions. The next generation of Apple operating systems will all use the year instead of version numbers for identification. This means the next iPhone system won't be iOS 19 but iOS 26.

The benefit of this change is the unification of what has been a confusing naming system. Due to differing release schedules, the current version numbers for Apple's systems are iOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 12, visionOS 2, and so on.

AirPods to Become Real-Time Interpreters

For Chinese users, the most interesting new feature at next week's event might be the real-time translation function for AirPods, which will work in tandem with iPhones upgraded to iOS 26.

Reportedly, the feature works like this: Suppose an English-speaking user wearing AirPods hears someone speaking Spanish. The iPhone will translate the speech into English and relay it through the AirPods. Simultaneously, the user's English responses will be translated into Spanish and played back to the other party through the iPhone.

The exact number of supported languages and the user experience will have to wait until after Apple's event next week for more details.

Given that AI translation has already reached a highly usable level, Apple's update could also spark a wave of breakthroughs in breaking language barriers across the consumer electronics market.

There are also reports that AirPods may gain new head-gesture controls, automatic music pausing when falling asleep, and other features.

"AI Promises"

As time has passed, Apple's AI strategy announced at last year's WWDC has become a weak point for the publicly traded company: the delivered features lack standout appeal, and the most critical update - the new Siri voice assistant - has been indefinitely delayed.

Even in the first few months of this year, Apple's AI chief, John Giannandrea, faced repeated "power reductions." Reports suggest that Tim Cook has "lost confidence" in him, reassigning Siri development to Mike Rockwell, the original head of the Vision Pro, and stripping him of oversight over a secret robotics team.

Renowned leaker Mark Gurman stated that Apple needs to stage a comeback in the AI field, but this year's WWDC may not be the turning point. Some insiders even believe that, purely from an AI perspective, this year's conference could be disappointing.

According to reports, the biggest AI news at this year's WWDC will be Apple opening its foundational model to third-party developers. This refers to an on-device model with only 3 billion parameters - a number that alone highlights the gap between its capabilities and those of advanced cloud-based large models.

Amid sluggish development progress, Apple has also begun turning to external companies like OpenAI. Thus, this year's WWDC might also announce support for chatbots other than ChatGPT on Apple devices.

There are also rumors that Apple's Health app may integrate AI technology to provide personalized health advice based on user data. At the same time, the company will repackage its redesigned Translate app and existing features in Safari and other software as "AI-driven" functionalities. Other AI-related OS updates include AI-powered battery management and Shortcuts.

New Dedicated Gaming App

For Apple's low-profile "Game Center," the company will introduce a dedicated gaming app this year to replace it, integrating features like gaming achievements, leaderboards, and social interactions. The format may resemble Microsoft's Xbox game launcher.

Reportedly, the app is more about merging Apple's game subscription service, Apple Arcade, and highlighting gaming apps on the App Store. On the Mac platform, the app will include the ability to access games downloaded from sources outside the App Store.

Low Chance of "One More Thing"

At least for now, there are no rumors of Apple unveiling new hardware at WWDC. The last time Apple launched new hardware in June was in 2023, with the Vision Pro and updates to three Mac models.

Judging by the development progress of each product line, Apple does not have any major new products ready. Since October last year, most Mac models have already been updated, with only the high-end Mac Pro workstation still equipped with the M2 Ultra chip. Theoretically, this product could be upgraded to the M3 Ultra chip, which debuted in this year's Mac Studio, but Apple's intentions remain unclear.

The only Apple product rumored to be in the release cycle is the AirTag 2, but it's unclear whether Apple will showcase it at WWDC or simply announce it via a press release.

There are also rumors that Apple will add native support for third-party controllers in visionOS 26. In addition to the already supported Bluetooth game controllers, it may also support Sony PlayStation's VR2 spatial controllers to attract VR game developers to optimize their apps for the Vision Pro and boost sales.