Apple’s WWDC 2025 has officially wrapped, and the software giant made one thing clear—while the rest of the tech world races to show off the flashiest AI features, Apple is sticking to its strengths. Rather than flooding the keynote with buzzwords like “LLM” or “AI agent,” Apple delivered a more restrained but thoughtfully integrated set of upgrades across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.
The most visible change? A sweeping new design language dubbed Liquid Glass, now unifying every Apple platform under version 26. More than just a naming update, this signals Apple’s push toward consistency across its ecosystem—both in looks and functionality.
Yet what truly stood out were the deeper, long-requested tweaks across platforms: a redesigned Camera app on iOS, powerful multitasking on iPad, and Spotlight search becoming a productivity powerhouse on macOS. Apple’s message? It’s still innovating, just in ways that make sense for its own ecosystem.
Here’s everything you need to know from WWDC 2025.
Read also:
- Samsung Galaxy S25 vs Google Pixel 9
- Amazfit Helio HYROX Strap Review
- Garmin Forerunner 970 Beginner’s Guide
OS Version Unification & Design Overhaul:
In a move to simplify things for users and developers alike, Apple aligned all its operating systems—iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS—under version 26, abandoning the formerly scattered numbers.
All platforms now share a unified aesthetic upgrade called Liquid Glass. The effect treats elements like windows, widgets, and UI panels as semi-transparent panes of polished glass. Notifications, sidebars, clocks, and even fonts can now appear frosted or clear—blending into the background while floating elegantly.
The effect is strongest on lock screens, control centers, and navigation bars, giving all Apple products a distinctly futuristic look. However, this new direction isn’t without criticism—some users found text readability a concern when background contrast isn’t ideal. Still, it’s a bold aesthetic evolution, and one Apple is clearly betting on across all its devices.
iOS 26 – New Looks, Smarter Calls, and an Overdue Camera Redesign:
On the iPhone, iOS 26 brings more than just Liquid Glass. There’s a new clear home screen mode where icons and widgets adopt a glassy transparency—optional, but potentially divisive for readability.
The Camera app received its biggest redesign in over a decade. It now shows just a photo/video toggle and shutter button, with other modes like portrait, slo-mo, or time-lapse hidden behind intuitive swipe gestures. Frame rate and resolution settings are tucked away—an odd choice, but clearly intentional.
The Phone app now merges voicemail, missed calls, and contacts into a single view. More notably, Apple copied two beloved Google Pixel features: Call Screening (which answers unknown numbers for you and transcribes their message before alerting you) and Hold Assist (letting your phone wait on hold and ping you when someone answers).
FaceTime and iMessage also get minor but welcome improvements—live translation during calls, native polls in group chats, and customizable chat backgrounds. It’s a quality-of-life update more than a revolutionary one.
Hardware-Free AI: Translate and Visual Intelligence:
Despite the buzz, Apple’s WWDC wasn’t soaked in AI demos like Google I/O. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t AI features. Apple chose to integrate AI quietly and purposefully.
The biggest addition? Live translation across FaceTime, iMessage, and phone calls. With on-device processing, conversations can be translated in real time with playback in your chosen language. It’s not always instant, but it’s functional—and works without needing to send data to the cloud.
iPhones also gain a circle-to-search-style feature, letting users extract information from screenshots using visual intelligence, akin to Google’s implementation on Android.
While Apple Intelligence (their large-scale AI initiative) was barely mentioned, they did tease developer access to on-device AI models coming soon, and promised more details in 2026.
Read also:
iPadOS 26 – A Genuine Laptop Alternative?:
For years, the iPad Pro has been praised for its hardware—but criticized for its software limitations. iPadOS 26 changes that dramatically.
Apple has introduced true multi-window multitasking. You can now grab any app from a handle and resize it into a floating window. These can be stacked, overlapped, and moved freely—more like a Mac than ever before.
There’s a new menu bar at the top (File, Edit, View, etc.), a redesigned Mac-like cursor, and proper window controls in the top corner of each app. There’s even a full Files app redesign with better sorting options and support for downloads in the Dock.
Other updates include an audio input selector, a new background processing feature (for Final Cut exports and more), and access to the new Phone app with call screening and hold assist.
In short, the iPad is no longer “just a big iPhone.” It’s still not a Mac, but it finally feels like something uniquely capable—especially for creative professionals.
macOS 26 “Tahoe” – Spotlight Gets Sherlocked:
The Mac gets its own dose of Liquid Glass with macOS 26 Tahoe. The visual overhaul includes a transparent menu bar, glassified control center, and clear widgets. But the real productivity gain is the new Spotlight.
This isn’t just a search bar anymore—it’s a full-blown productivity launcher. Apple has essentially “sherlocked” Raycast, integrating app shortcuts, clipboard access, file commands, and Siri Shortcuts directly into Spotlight.
Want to batch rename files, control apps, or manage your to-do list? You can now do it all without lifting your hands from the keyboard. It doesn’t support plugins like Raycast (yet), but it’s an exciting start.
Apple also introduced Live Activities synced from iPhone to Mac—letting you track deliveries or flights in real time right from the menu bar.
watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS – Smaller, but Flashy Updates:
watchOS 26 adopts the Liquid Glass sheen across notifications, menus, and buttons. A standout feature is “Wrist Flick to Dismiss”—flip your wrist to dismiss calls, alarms, or notifications. There’s also a new Workout Buddy, a motivational voice that offers real-time encouragement.
tvOS 26 sees minimal changes aside from minor shimmer animations and more content curation.
visionOS 26, meanwhile, brings persistent window memory (finally!), support for PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, and highly customizable 3D widgets. The updated Persona avatars are also more realistic, ditching the ghostly look for something closer to photorealism.
Conclusion:
WWDC 2025 was about refinement, not reinvention. Rather than chase AI headlines, Apple polished its platforms, borrowed a few good ideas from competitors, and made its devices feel more interconnected and productive.
With iPadOS 26, the iPad finally feels worthy of its “Pro” name. macOS gets a power-user boost with Spotlight. iOS brings overdue Phone and Camera updates. And across the board, the new Liquid Glass design language tries to make everything look and feel cohesive.
Apple Intelligence may not be fully here yet, but the groundwork is being laid. And based on what we’ve seen, it’s going to be tightly woven into every layer of Apple’s ecosystem.
- Read also:
- Gigabyte BRIX BER7 Mini PC Review
- Backbone One (2nd Gen) Controller Review
- Best E-Ink Phones of 2025
✅ Pros:
- Cross-platform Liquid Glass UI unifies the ecosystem
- iPadOS gains true multi-window multitasking
- Mac Spotlight becomes a power user’s dream
- Real-time Live Translation across apps
- Vision Pro now remembers your window placements
- Long-awaited Camera app redesign in iOS
❌ Cons:
- Some readability issues with transparent UI
- Still no group fitness challenges on Apple Watch
- Major Siri AI upgrades delayed to 2026
- Amazon For Babies:
- Pampers Swaddlers Diapers – Size 4
- Huggies Natural Care Sensitive Baby Wipes
- Video Baby Monitor with Camera and Audio
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What is Liquid Glass in iOS 26?
- Liquid Glass is Apple’s new design language that makes UI elements semi-transparent, creating a modern, glassy look across all apps and platforms.
Does iPadOS 26 support true multitasking now?
- Yes! iPadOS 26 introduces Mac-like multi-window multitasking, complete with resizeable floating windows, a menu bar, and new file management tools.
What AI features did Apple announce at WWDC 2025?
- While AI wasn’t the focus, Apple announced live translation for phone and FaceTime calls, screenshot visual search, and on-device foundational models for developers.
What’s new in macOS 26 Spotlight?
- Spotlight now supports Siri Shortcuts, advanced app commands, and file management features—basically evolving into a powerful productivity launcher.
When will the Siri AI overhaul be released?
- Apple confirmed that the revamped Siri with Apple Intelligence will be revealed in 2026 after further development.
