Apple prioritizes software fixes ahead of AI rollout at WWDC

Apple opened its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) on Monday by focusing on software repairs and improvements before introducing new artificial intelligence features. Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, spent the initial portion of the keynote addressing a list of repairs rather than jumping straight into AI. “Instead of just introducing a host of new features, we’re also taking the features you already rely on and making them even better, because we believe the best operating systems aren’t just built on big breakthroughs, they’re built on sweating the details,” Federighi said. The approach suggests the company is prioritizing its core software foundation before expanding its AI capabilities.

As part of these adjustments, Apple addressed user feedback regarding its Liquid Glass design language, which had previously triggered usability concerns. Shubham Kedia, Apple’s director of human interface design, noted during the keynote: “While we think this is a great new default look, we also know that some users would like Liquid Glass to be even more clear, and others prefer a more tinted appearance.” To address this, Apple tweaked the design today, introducing a slider that allows users to adjust the tint. The company also announced several core performance improvements:

• iPhone and iPad apps now launch up to 30% faster.
• New photos appear up to 70% faster in the library.
• Files transfer up to 80% faster when using AirDrop.

These performance enhancements were extended to older hardware devices, including models dating back to the iPhone 11, which was released in 2019.

Beyond performance, Apple resolved several long-standing friction points across its ecosystem. The Health application added support for perimenopause and menopause tracking, addressing a gap in its health-monitoring features. Additionally, the company updated its iCloud cloud storage service, allowing shared photo albums to accept contributions from users on competing mobile and desktop platforms, specifically Android and Windows. These updates, along with improved parental controls and smoother transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular networks, were positioned as part of a broader effort to stabilize the user experience before introducing more complex technologies.

The keynote concluded with the introduction of Apple Intelligence and an AI-powered assistant, Siri. Siri is launching in beta—a pre-release software testing phase—later this year, though this initial release will exclude the EU and China. Under the new Apple Intelligence platform, the Safari web browser will be able to organize web pages’ tabs, analyze web pages, and check for updates. Apple also detailed other AI capabilities, such as contextual reply suggestions in Messages, natural language calendar event creation, and photo editing tools like Spatial Reframing, which allows users to adjust a photo’s composition after it has been taken.

Why it matters

The structure of the keynote suggests Apple believes its software foundation needs shoring up before it can credibly ask users to trust it with consequential AI features. By stacking a long list of smaller improvements first, Apple reframed its Siri update as one piece of a broader, more stable effort rather than a singular, make-or-break AI moment.