Apple held its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) yesterday and, by most accounts, the tech giant’s annual marquee event was thoroughly underwhelming.
What happened: Early reports before the event speculated Apple would show that it’s catching up in the AI product race and might even unveil a new product category. Instead, the big announcements were the latest iOS and a new design theme called “Liquid Glass.”
- Other notable (relatively speaking) features included a new Games app and a “Workout Buddy” for Apple Watch that can give you pep talks.
Why it matters: This wasn’t the time for Apple to no-show on a big stage. Stocks are down ~17% on the year as investors worry about the company’s ability to deliver on AI promises. At last year’s WWDC, the company touted an AI-powered revamp for Siri that looks far off.
- And the flops keep coming if you go back to WWDC 2023, which was (in)famous for the launch of the Vision Pro — production of which has reportedly been scaled down.
- Plus, the company is staring down the barrel of more massive EU fines, a criminal contempt case in the U.S., and 25% tariffs on iPhones courtesy of Donald Trump.
Bottom line: If Apple can’t figure out an AI advantage, it could lose its title of top tech trendsetter to Samsung, Google, or OpenAI, which now has the co-designer of the iPhone on its team.—QH