What Is Going On With Apple?

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In this week’s newsletter, we take a look at Apple’s upcoming developer conference, WWDC and what it could have in store for us.

Apple is the second largest company in the world by market capitalization and its crown jewel – iPhone – has played a crucial role in the company’s success. However, Apple’s falling iPhone sales in China and the increasing regulatory scrutiny have cast a shadow of doubt on the company’s future.

To make matters worse, Apple has been seemingly slow in the generative AI race, so much so that it is reportedly in talks with rivals Google and Microsoft-backed OpenAI to license their AI technology for use in iPhones.

But Cupertino could be cooking up a comeback at its upcoming annual developers’ conference, WWDC. Set to take place in June, WWDC 2024 could see Apple make an AI-related announcement that CEO Tim Cook had teased in February.

Will AI make iPhones interesting again?

Apple has usually focused on software and developer tools during WWDC. While that theme is expected to continue this year as well, WWDC 2024 could be different from previous events for two reasons.

To begin with, generative AI is expected to be one of the major announcements this year. Apple has the hardware chops in place – its A-series and M-series chips that power iPhones and Macs, respectively, have had neural processors built-in for a couple of years now.

Apple has also been quietly and steadily acquiring AI startups, with Canada-based DarwinAI being the most recent example.

Apple’s focus on AI and other improvements could make iOS 18 the biggest update in years. iPhone users could get access to Google’s Gemini AI features, although analysts expect Apple to rebrand it to something of its own.

If you’re bored with your iPhone, you might have to just wait a little longer for things to get interesting again. Cupertino is expected to add a dose of AI to Siri, Apple Music, Messages, and several other core apps.

Developers could also enjoy the fruits of Apple’s early efforts, with tools such as Xcode expected to get AI-assisted code-writing features this year.

To wrap it all up, Apple could also let users arrange their home screens the way they want. Finally.

Focus on Apple Vision Pro

Apple’s first mixed reality headset, Vision Pro, has received mixed reviews so far. While some have called it the “iPhone moment,” others think it’s a “buggy beta test.”

That said, Apple is expected to announce the first major software update for Vision Pro at this year’s WWDC. Perhaps that will bring back some of those early buyers who returned the headset? Time will tell.

WWDC: A flashback

WWDC 2023: Apple announced its first-generation mixed-reality headset, Vision Pro, at a starting price of $3,499.

WWDC 2022: Apple brings Fitness app to all iPhone users, Home app gets an overhaul, introduces Pay Later feature with iOS 16, and the first MacBook Air to have a M2 chipset.

WWDC 2021: Siri can now work without an internet connection, new privacy-focused features for Mail and Safari, drop widgets on home screen with iPadOS 15, Live Text unveiling and Cupertino allows developers to use TestFlight.

WWDC 2020: The first time the conference was streamed exclusively online, Apple Maps got a cycling-specific navigation update, the debut of a digital car key, and iOS 14 allowed widgets entry on the home screen.

That's all for this week! If you found these updates useful, you'll definitely like more from this newsletter. Get deeper dives, hot takes, and all the latest tech news delivered straight to your inbox.