There was palpable pleasure round Apple’s Worldwide Developer Convention (WWDC) final 12 months. The corporate was about to unveil its AI capabilities, with the tech world anticipating the corporate to unveil an AI platform able to competing with Google and OpenAI. The demos Apple confirmed off on the time had been compelling, however the follow-through has been underwhelming, leaving each builders and shoppers wanting extra.
Apple’s broader struggles with AI have turn into clearer over the previous 12 months. Its ambitions round personalised intelligence have confronted delays, and its rollout of recent instruments has been inconsistent. The imaginative and prescient that Apple bought in 2024 — a seamless mix of on-device AI, revamped Siri interactions, and highly effective new developer capabilities — has but to materialize in full.
Apple Intelligence options noticed a staggered rollout that got here with a number of hiccups. The personalised model of Siri that was showcased final 12 months has been delayed, which issues as a result of Apple framed the brand new Siri as a cornerstone of its AI technique — a context-aware assistant that might perceive consumer habits throughout apps. With out it, the corporate’s AI worth proposition seems to be surprisingly skinny.
This additionally meant that builders couldn’t take full benefit of the brand new AI-powered Siri, and customers couldn’t depend on the assistant to carry out in-app actions as promised. For builders, that’s a misplaced alternative to construct extra interactive, clever app experiences. For shoppers, it’s one other promise unfulfilled. And for Apple, it raises considerations about how aggressive its AI stack actually is in comparison with its more and more highly effective rivals like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft.
With WWDC 2025 now simply across the nook, expectations for consumer-facing Apple Intelligence options are extra cautious than final 12 months. Most builders and analysts at the moment are hoping for incremental enhancements: smoother integration of AI into native apps, and instruments that empower builders to truly use the AI that Apple is constructing. (No is anticipating a lot on the Siri entrance.)
Considered one of Apple’s finest alternatives lies in enabling AI-assisted app growth. The rise of instruments like Cursor, Replit, and Bolt.new has made code era a complete lot simpler, serving to builders, and even non-developers, convey merchandise to life sooner.
AI-powered apps have discovered the net an efficient distribution platform. ChatGPT, for example, gained huge traction on the internet earlier than launching native apps for iOS and Android. On the identical time, instruments like WordPress, Hostinger, Canva, and Figma now let non-technical customers create easy apps utilizing pure language prompts. Apple must modernize right here, too.
Ideally, new AI tooling ought to permit extra builders to create apps and publish them on the App Retailer. That will enrich the iOS app ecosystem and open up new income alternatives for Apple, which is much more essential now that a few of its App Retailer earnings is beneath menace.
Apple has made some bulletins, however many have but to materialize. Swift Help, a coding assistant for Xcode, was proven off final 12 months however hasn’t seen extensive launch. Apple can also be reportedly engaged on an Anthropic-powered AI coding device and plans to open entry to its personal AI fashions for builders. The purpose is to decrease the barrier for constructing iOS apps, each for execs and newcomers.
Nonetheless, there are two issues to think about: the net’s dominance as an utility distribution platform and new rules that bar Apple from charging charges within the U.S. for funds outdoors the app.
The second half is a very huge deal. In April, Choose Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers requested Apple to take away restrictions round linking to outdoors fee strategies for digital purchases in apps for the U.S. App Retailer. Extra importantly, the ruling additionally barred Apple from charging any charges for these sorts of funds. On Wednesday, a U.S. court docket rejected Apple’s attraction to place a keep on the ruling.
This implies builders will encourage clients to buy subscriptions and add-ons outdoors the App Retailer, additionally presumably at a reduced fee in contrast with their App Retailer costs.
This ruling may additionally spur different regulators to place related stress on Apple and cull App Retailer charges for third-party funds. Earlier this week, Apple reported that it generated $1.3 trillion in billings and gross sales in 2024, with 90% of that worth era occurring with out paying Apple a fee. However even some share of the remaining $130 billion means many billions in income for the corporate.
Amid all this, Apple must reassert the worth of its ecosystem. It’s not clear if Apple will reduce its commissions, however it is going to be fascinating to see what sort of App Retailer options the corporate launches to make native iOS apps a extra profitable avenue for builders.
As WWDC 2025 approaches, Apple is within the uncommon place of getting to share a greater story. Its AI ambitions are being challenged not solely by faster-moving rivals but in addition by altering authorized and financial realities. To succeed, Apple has to show that it may possibly ship on AI, for finish customers and the builders who energy its ecosystem. Particularly in a world the place AI accelerates the whole lot, Apple can’t afford to lag behind.
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