At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple laid out its software roadmap for the coming year, headlined by a major expansion of its Apple Intelligence initiative and a system-wide visual overhaul called Liquid Glass. The keynote delivered a mix of transformative changes and iterative tweaks, with a powerful redesign for the iPad and significant upgrades for the Mac taking center stage, while other platforms like iOS and watchOS were left feeling more like an afterthought.
The Next Phase of Apple Intelligence
Apple announced the next phase of Apple Intelligence, centered on a new Foundation Models framework. This gives developers direct API access to on-device large language models, which Apple promotes as a private, cost-free way to build AI features. The update also includes an optional integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT for more complex tasks, though the full overhaul of Siri has been delayed until 2026.
However, this strategy has been met with skepticism from prominent figures in the developer community. In a video analyzing the keynote, Theo Browne, CEO of developer tools company Ping.gg, argues that the framework forces a difficult choice. He believes Apple’s on-device models are not powerful enough to deliver a high-quality user experience and concludes that developers will likely continue to use costly cloud-based AI to avoid compromising on quality. Therefore, the success of Apple’s on-device approach hinges entirely on whether it can significantly improve its models to be a viable alternative.
A New ‘Liquid Glass’ Design
Apple also introduced its broadest design update ever with a new universal design language called Liquid Glass. Inspired by the aesthetic of visionOS, the new design uses a translucent material that aims to create a sense of depth across the entire operating system. While the new look is decent, it is also highly reminiscent of Microsoft’s Aero design language from Windows Vista, giving it a familiar feel. The new aesthetic will be applied universally across all of Apple’s platforms, which will now share the version number 26.
iPad and Mac Take the Spotlight
The impact of these changes varies across the ecosystem, but the most significant updates came to Apple’s computing platforms. iPadOS 26 received a complete multitasking overhaul with a true, desktop-class window manager—a feature many have awaited for years and the single biggest update of the event. The Mac also saw major improvements with macOS 26 Tahoe. The cool new Spotlight upgrades effectively “sherlock” popular third-party launcher apps like Alfred and Raycast by integrating their core functionality directly into the OS. Spotlight can now act as a powerful app launcher and action-runner with “quick keys” and clipboard history.
Gaming Tries Again, WatchOS Sputters
Apple is also making another attempt to centralize its gaming experience with a new, dedicated Games app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. The app appears to be a reboot of the long-neglected Game Center and features a UI that looks good. On the Mac, however, the app feels like a clear attempt by Apple to build a competitor to established platforms like Steam—an effort that seems likely to fail.
In stark contrast, the update for watchOS 26 felt like a “big nothing burger.” While Apple did announce new features, such as an AI-powered Workout Buddy and updates tothe Notes app, the update lacked a headline feature. The updates to iOS 26 also followed a more iterative path, with a new 3D clock effect that has been criticized as “ugly” and CarPlay updates that mostly bring existing phone widgets to the car, reinforcing the sense of a minor refresh.
All new operating systems are available to developers starting today, with a public beta launching next month and a full public release scheduled for this fall.
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