Apple's highly anticipated WWDC 2026 was held on Monday, showcasing new software coming to iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro, while introducing the company's future roadmap. This event was particularly memorable as it was Tim Cook's final one as CEO of the company. Here are the key highlights from the event.
Everything Is About AI, AI, AI
The buzzword that Apple wanted to capture hearts and minds with at this year's WWDC 2026 was "Apple Intelligence," their proprietary AI system.
This new AI system has been integrated across all Apple products, including the digital assistant Siri on phones and wearable devices like Vision Pro. The new software will allow Safari to automatically organize tabs by content, monitor web pages, and create custom Extensions with voice commands, while apps like Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Phone will feature AI systems to help speed up tasks.
Good News for Users With Older iPhones
The Optimized CPU Scheduler system coming in iOS 27 will extend backward compatibility to iPhone 11, improving performance and speed on older phones. This makes it the iOS update with the widest user reach.
Siri Becomes More Like a Chatbot and Gets Its Own App
Siri has been upgraded with AI to speak more naturally and handle multi-step commands. It will be able to understand follow-up questions, comprehend what's on the phone screen, and work across apps. For example, it can search for photos taken during a trip and add them to a Shared Album. Additionally, Siri will get its own dedicated app that lets you review conversation history across devices.
Apple Is Pushing Harder on AI Photo Editing
The Photos app will include three new tools for photo editing enthusiasts: "Clean Up" to remove distracting elements from cluttered photos, "Extend" to automatically generate images around the original photo's borders, and "Spatial Reframing" to change perspective as if the camera was slightly repositioned. Apple says this is to enhance photo art rather than deceive.
Chinese and European Union Users Will Have to Wait
Not all technologies will be available to everyone. Due to regulatory restrictions, users in the European Union (EU) and China won't be able to use Siri AI on phones and watches. EU users will only be able to use it on Mac computers. This announcement caused Apple's stock price to drop immediately.
Parental Controls Become Stronger
Parents will be able to more strictly limit screen time and viewing permissions for children under 13. Children will need parental permission before visiting websites or sending messages, and a new "Pause Device" button allows parents to immediately lock children's phones if they're overusing them.
Don't Like Apple's Liquid Glass Design? Now There's an Adjustable Slider
Because not everyone liked the "Liquid Glass" screen design introduced last year, it has been redesigned to be easier to read and make app designs look cleaner. While the design can't be completely removed, you can now customize it using a slider to adjust the transparency level from crystal clear to a richer tone.
Tim Cook's Feelings on His Final WWDC as CEO
Since Tim Cook will hand over the CEO position to John Ternus in September, this was his final event. He shared that working at Apple has been the greatest honor of his life and the best is still ahead. He also expressed that events like this have been among the most memorable times of his tenure as CEO.
Ref: businessinsider
