Apple’s next annual Worldwide Developer Conference is to begin with a keynote video on June 9, 2025, where the company will update its operating systems, may debut a new Mac Pro, and some Apple Intelligence improvements.
WWDC is a week-long event for developers, but its first morning has become an opportunity for Apple to make major announcements for users, too. Invariably, there will be improvements to the iPhone and all of Apple’s operating systems, and this year there will be updates to Apple Intelligence.
This year’s event will start on June 9 and run until June 13. As usual, it will be a free-to-view event online, with the Keynote and Platforms State of the Union aired on the first day.
Further sessions will be available on the Apple Developer app, Apple Developer website, and Apple Developer YouTube channel throughout the week.
Apple is holding an in-person experience on June 9 at Apple Park, with developers able to watch the Keynote and Platforms State of the Union, if they manage to secure an invite. Attendees will also get to meet one-on-one with Apple experts and in group labs, and also take part in special activities.
Winners of the Swift Student Challenge will be notified of their status on March 27, and will be eligible to apply for the special event at Apple Park. Also, 50 Distinguished Winners will be invited to Apple Park for a three-day experience.
“We’re excited to mark another incredible year of WWDC with our global developer community,” said Apple VP of Worldwide Developer Relations, Susan Prescott. “We can’t wait to share the latest tools and technologies that will empower developers and help them continue to innovate.”
Based on previous WWDC launches, it’s likely that WWDC 25 will feature some big announcements, especially surrounding Apple Intelligence.
It was at WWDC 2024 that Apple’s artificial intelligence plans were first revealed. Hand in hand with the new generative AI features for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, Apple also stressed its commitment to privacy with Private Cloud Compute.
Expect Apple Intelligence to be at the center of WWDC 2025
That’s the feature that means even when Siri and Apple Intelligence pass user requests on to ChatGPT, that OpenAI service does not get any of the personal information it normally would. For WWDC 2025, don’t expect any feature developments to Private Cloud Compute, but do expect Apple to say it’s been a success.
Siri could be the star
Whereas, it’s close to certain that Siri will play a major part in the keynote. Of all the Apple Intelligence features that Apple has promised, the ones that are both impressive and potentially useful, have centered on Siri — and have not been delivered yet.
That’s despite one of Apple’s own adverts about Apple Intelligence that was released back in September 2024. It’s the on that shows a woman asking Siri for the name of someone she met before, and no question, that feature would be used to death — if it even existed.
To make that particular feature work, Siri will need to be able to read a user’s calendar, and perhaps also their contacts list. This is the kind of personal, on-device use of user data that will make Apple Intelligence significantly useful.
Recent rumors have continued to say that Siri will get certain improvements before WWDC, but also that the it will get better still over iOS 19 and perhaps 2026’s iOS 20.
Apple Intelligence updates should also bring context-aware responses. So users will be able to ask Siri about whatever is on their screen.
That does already happen with, for instance, Siri’s ability to send a screenshot to ChatGPT, but there should be more and smoother integration, and it’s rumored that there could be a Siri chatbot in iOS 19.
What’s coming in iOS 19
It is certain that Apple will unveil iOS 19 at WWDC, and also that it will be released as a developer beta shortly afterwards. A public beta will follow within a few weeks, and the two will then iterate over the next few months before a final release in September 2025 or possibly October.
Rendering of a possible iOS 19 icon
This past year has seen more of a gradual rollout of iOS features, which shouldn’t stop new ones being announced at WWDC, but may mean we have to wait longer than usual to see them all. In December 2024, it was reported that spreading out the release of iOS 18 features had resulted in delays to iOS 19, though it’s not clear what may have been affected.
If there is one thing that is guaranteed to happen at Apple’s September iPhone launches each year, it’s that something significant will have been developed for the phone’s cameras. This year, there are reports that WWDC and iOS 19 will see at least a small redesign to the camera app.
Specifically, it’s said that Apple may be bringing design cues from the Apple Vision Pro to the iPhone. It may mean that settings are only revealed as the user swipes toward them, for instance.
Whatever updates come to the iPhone with iOS 19, at least the giant majority will also come to the iPad with iPadOS 19. As yet, there have been no rumors any specific iPad-only features coming out at WWDC.
Back to the Mac
Apple has been working on all of its operating systems, including macOS, for the past year, but there have been few rumors of what new features the Mac may gain next. Doubtlessly any Apple Intelligence updates will be on the Mac as well as the iPhone and iPad, although going by iOS 18 and macOS 15, not all features will be on all platforms from the start.
There have again been rumors that Apple will adopt more of its Apple Vision Pro and visionOS features, or at least appearance, on the Mac. That didn’t happen with macOS 15 Sequoia at WWDC 2024, but it could happen now.
Although macOS last went through a major update in 2020, alongside the launch of Apple Silicon. That was the first update that was significant enough to warrant Apple calling it macOS 11, instead of staying with OS X as it had for practically twenty years.
It seems unlikely that there could be a giant redesign of macOS without more rumors having come out. But it’s possible.
Apple’s other operating systems
Apple will certainly announce at least some new features for the Apple Watch. Those will ship alongside watchOS 12, which will be released alongside new Apple Watch models later in 2025.
Then there’s tvOS, which obviously drives the Apple TV 4K, but less obviously is also what the HomePod runs on. Of all the Apple operating systems, tvOS tends to get the least attention at WWDC, but that could change this year.
A mockup of what an Apple Home Hub device could look like.
Persistent rumors say that Apple will launch a new home hub device in late 2025. It’s likely to be based on tvOS, and so it’s possible that Apple will announce it at WWDC.
WWDC is a software conference
The Home Hub is obviously hardware, and WWDC is intended to be for software developers. Previously Apple has often used WWDC to announce hardware when it’s been a dramatic change that will affect developers, such as the launch of Apple Silicon.
This year, Apple has rather cleared the decks of most of its hardware range. Well ahead of WWDC, Apple has launched an updated iPad, and iPad Air, plus the MacBook Air and the Mac Studio.
Those won’t be revised again at WWDC, though Tim Cook may refer to how popular they are with customers. The lineup is still lacking updates in a couple of areas, though.
The clearest one is the Mac Pro. That top of the range Mac hasn’t been updated since June 2023, so it will be two years old by the time of WWDC.
Apple’s Mac Pro is overdue for an update
Perhaps more pressingly, the current Mac Pro is now almost always trounced by the latest Mac Studio. There are exceptions — only the Mac Pro can handle PCIe cards — but overall, the much cheaper Mac Studio is a better option.
So much so that Apple needs to find a way to differentiate between the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro. It isn’t a requirement that the company do this at WWDC, but it is a time when there is a spotlight on Apple’s announcements.
What else may come
Just based on what else is expected in 2025, it’s possible that Apple may launch a second generation of the AirTag. The AirTag is now three years old, and there have been persistent rumors that a revised version will be released in 2025.
The original AirTag design, though, rather seemed to nail it. All that might change is more accurate tracking, which may not be sufficient for Apple to take up time in the WWDC keynote.
Apple doesn’t ever rush its announcements, but it does aways have a lot to pack in to its WWDC keynote. And then over the rest of that week, there will be further details that come out from the developer sessions, too.
