Tim Cook delivered a farewell speech that framed his final appearance as CEO at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference; next year, assuming no unexpected issues, John Ternus will take the stage in his new role. While performance and display rendering upgrades were announced across all device operating systems—always a welcome addition—Apple pushed past them to spotlight Apple Intelligence. The firm also rolled out revamped controls and safeguards for children.
Whether you adore it, despise it, or simply overlook it, Apple Intelligence (along with its visual component, Visual Intelligence, and its conversational component, Siri) sits at the heart of the company’s chatbot‑agent‑generative strategy for macOS 27 Golden Gate, iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27 and visionOS 27.
First unveiled at WWDC24 and then significantly scaled back for a slower rollout, this year’s WWDC saw Apple accelerate the initiative to match the pace of competing AI offerings, eliminating earlier delays.
It only became clear to me while writing that there were many intriguing details, even if they weren’t always flashy. Below are my highlights, and you can consult Gfaloe’s WWDC live blog for additional information.
**Liquid Glass**
When it launched last year, the Liquid Glass interface across Apple devices needed tweaks, as is common with OS redesigns. Some users, myself included, found the icon transparency reduced legibility.
This year introduces a granular opacity and tint slider that applies system‑wide, plus rendering improvements that sharpen icons. There are also subtle adjustments to menus and sidebars. I’m particular about corner‑radius consistency on macOS, though it seems my colleagues care more.
What still disappoints is the fragmented organization of settings across platforms. Placing many appearance‑related options under Accessibility—such as motion behavior—makes them harder to locate or even discover they’re adjustable.
Apple may be counting on Apple Intelligence to surface and adjust these settings, a trend I’ve observed with mixed results.
**Optimize Me**
Performance upgrades include snappier screen response, faster app launches (with precaching), more robust file handling (import, copy, transfer), re‑engineered indexing for search (yielding better results), smarter Wi‑Fi handoff while roaming, and CPU scheduler enhancements dating back to iPhone 11.
Speed gains are always appreciated, but many of these refinements are crucial for a smooth AI experience. For example, CPU scheduling balances the processing power needed for agents and other AI tasks. Without quicker app loading and precaching, background AI processes wouldn’t have the contextual data they need to deliver detailed answers promptly.
**Apple Intelligence and Siri AI**
Apple highlighted cross‑device, system‑wide AI features synced via iCloud—where the default 5 GB is quickly proving insufficient. The narrative shifted from “what you can do on the iPhone” to “what you can do everywhere.” Siri has been upgraded to Siri AI, signaling the new, more capable version.
Our transcript shows:
— iOS mentions: 9
— macOS mentions: 9
— iPadOS mentions: 4
— watchOS mentions: 2
— tvOS mentions: 1
— Siri mentions: 102
Many of these capabilities will feel familiar because they were first teased at WWDC 2024 and are similar to features Google showcased for its platforms—though Apple’s presentation felt less tone‑deaf, focusing on everyday scenarios like splitting a bill rather than extravagant vacations. Apple is also building much of its intelligence on adaptations of Google’s Gemini models.
Apple has long touted a “privacy‑first” approach with on‑device and private‑cloud compute, but the keynote’s mention of external auditing stood out—a missing element in most big‑tech AI discussions that rely on self‑policing.
If I understood the system correctly, Apple wisely separates the history and context of complex, cloud‑based AI interactions (such as chats) from basic on‑device queries into a distinct Siri app. This at least clarifies where different data resides.
Additionally, users will be able to adjust the speed and emotional tone of Siri’s voice—a welcome perk for impatient, fast‑talking New Yorkers.
**Think of the Children**
Effective implementation is key for robust parental controls. Apple introduced several sensible‑looking features, though their real‑world efficacy remains to be seen.
New on‑the‑fly parental decisions, like “Ask to Browse” (alerts when a child attempts a new website) and “Ask to Buy” (alerts for app downloads), are crucial. Parents can now approve new conversations, auto‑blur objectionable content in Messages, set time allowances for apps by category (gaming, social media, etc.), and more. Defaults are age‑based, with stricter settings for users under 13.
Some of these require developer support, so it will be interesting to watch how platforms that traditionally resist such controls respond.
**On Safari**
I’m not a heavy Safari user, but I value tab organization. The upcoming Safari will automatically group tabs by topic and add new tabs accordingly. In theory this is great; in practice, unless your browsing topics are clearly distinct, the benefit may be limited. My own tab groups—gaming laptops, data centers, shortages—often overlap.
Another intriguing addition is “vibe extension” creation, allowing you to describe an extension and have it built instantly. The exact scope of supported extensions is still unclear.
For users of Apple’s Passwords app, automatic password updates are coming, though it’s not yet clear what criteria dictate the new passwords or how much control you’ll retain.
**macOS 27**
The most notable macOS change wasn’t highlighted directly: it inherits an iPhone‑style Dynamic Island interface for Siri AI interaction, accessed by swiping down. This swipe‑up gesture hints at the long‑rumored touchscreen MacBooks.
**Nice‑to‑Haves**
A handful of miscellaneous updates caught my eye across Apple’s ecosystem:
— Image Playground gains more style options and photorealism.
— Expanded Visual Intelligence—enabling you to ask about or shop for what you see—appears as a Siri mode in the iPhone camera app and Vision OS 27.
— Home will consolidate related accessory notifications into a single alert and allow content‑based search of recorded clips.
— Photos adds background‑extension tools, shared‑album collaboration, improved object removal, and Spatial Reframing (though demos showed only slight angle adjustments).
— Health now tracks perimenopausal and menopausal phases.
— Custom EQ settings for AirPods become available.
These refinements round out a WWDC that placed Apple Intelligence front and center while polishing the underlying OS experience.
