Live translation and a new iOS design: what to expect from Apple at its developer conference

Apple's WWDC developer conference kicks off on Monday, June 9. As reported by insiders, the company at this conference will unveil the most significant update to its operating systems in 12 years and talk about new features with artificial intelligence. Apple showed off its AI a year ago, but it still lags behind its competitors in this area and hasn't even delivered on what it itself promised. The breakthrough should not be counted on now, too, some analysts believe. What Apple can show three months before the release of new iPhones - we tell you.

-A massive software update. Apple will change the look and feel of its iOS, iPadOS and macOS operating systems, drawing on the design of the visionOS system used on the Vision Pro headset, wrote Yahoo Finance. The new style will affect all major interface elements, from icons and menus to apps. It will be the biggest stylistic transformation of iOS since 2013 and the biggest macOS update since 2020, Yahoo Finance notes. Updating both the software design and appearance of next-generation devices could make Apple's new products more attractive to buy due to the feel of a brand new product, the publication adds. The new iPhones 17 are expected to be released in the fall of 2025.

- AI changes. Apple plans to unveil a number of new artificial intelligence-based features, although it may not be the main topic at this year's conference as it was at WWDC 2024, claims Yahoo Finance. First, the company is going to unveil an AI-based battery management feature. It will increase or decrease power consumption depending on how the iPhone is currently being used.

Another AI implementation is the real-time translation feature for AirPods. It will allow users who speak different languages to communicate with each other in real time using AirPods. Apple previously added hearing aid capabilities to the AirPods Pro headphones.

Apple is also preparing to open up access to its large language models - the software behind modern artificial intelligence - to third-party developers. This could encourage them to start building Apple AI-powered apps that can run directly on the iPhone, rather than just through the cloud, Yahoo Finance notes.

- Gaming apps. Apple is working on a new centralized gaming app for its devices to replace the current Game Center system. The company aims to show that its devices are as good as home consoles or PCs as gaming devices, according to Yahoo Finance. So far it falls short of that because it doesn't support as many classic games as competing platforms, but thanks to the App Store, Apple remains one of the largest mobile gaming companies in the world, the publication added. Combining the entire gaming experience in one app could be beneficial for both users and Apple itself, the portal said.

The upcoming event could shift investor attention from Apple's duty issues to a more fundamental challenge - the company's AI lagging behind its competitors, notes Bloomberg. Wall Street doesn't expect Apple to unveil any breakthrough technologies in AI - a critical technology area right now - at WWDC 2025, which will put further pressure on its stock.

"It's hard to deny that the lack of major advances in AI isn't a real existential risk for Apple," Andrew Choi, portfolio manager at Parnassus Investments, notes in a Bloomberg statement. - It would be a big surprise if the company unveiled a truly meaningful AI solution at WWDC. If they can convincingly show how they're going to build AI into their products and make it available to the masses, it could work. But if not, how are they going to convince people to pay more for a new iPhone?" Choy said Apple is growing slowly, doesn't have much margin to improve profitability, is exposed to risks related to duties and dependence on China, and meanwhile competitors are forging ahead aggressively with their own AI solutions. "And for all that, Apple stock is still expensive. So far, the whole picture doesn't look particularly attractive," Choi summarized.

However, Rye Consulting Group chief investment strategist Mark Bronzo believes that despite the weak AI position, Apple's securities are still attractive to buy. According to him, the company's strengths are its huge user base, high-margin service business and impressive profitability, which allows it to return capital to shareholders through buybacks and dividends.

"I think [Apple's] AI features will be more of a practical feature, but without the wow effect. Right now, the company just doesn't have anything as exciting as Nvidia, Microsoft or Amazon, where artificial intelligence has been the main driver of growth," Mark Bronzo noted. - But on the other hand, Apple's stable cash flow and service business allow it to maintain a high P/E [price-to-earnings ratio] even in a downturn. Sometimes boring stocks are safer when the market starts chattering from side to side.

In trading on June 9, Apple's shares were up within 1%. Since the beginning of 2025, the company's securities lost 18%, becoming the weakest in the technology index Nasdaq 100, which, on the contrary, rose by 3%. Apple's quotes fell mainly due to the impact of U.S. duties and political instability, but the company's problems with AI became another important deterrent, Bloomberg notes.

Fewer than 60 percent of analysts tracked by Bloomberg recommend buying Apple shares, the lowest among the seven largest U.S. technology companies, including Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Broadcom.