On 9 June 2025 at 10 a.m. PDT, Apple opens its Worldwide Developers Conference at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino. This gathering stands among the year’s most important events for both developers and fans of Apple and its products. A few lucky developers, designers, and press members will attend in person. The rest of us will watch the keynote and follow online sessions via the Apple Developer app, Apple’s website, and Apple’s YouTube channel.
Last year’s WWDC keynote left many disappointed. Rumours failed to match the reality of incremental tweaks. This year, Apple has a chance to restore faith. Don’t expect flying iCar or teleportation devices – Apple still works within earthly limits – but prepare for several global changes.
Table of Contents
Software Announcements. Lots of Software Announcements
Software headlines rule WWDC – Apple lines up fresh OS revisions for every screen it ships. If a device carries a bitten‑fruit logo, expect news for it. No yawns allowed – this section holds the juiciest bits.
1. iOS 19 and iPadOS 19
Apple fans love to parse the WWDC logos for hidden hints, and 2025 rewards that habit. The transparent ‘25’ in the logo stands apart from the gradient lettering, and it almost shouts, ‘New look incoming!’ Multiple reports note that iOS 19 and iPadOS 19 adopt a glass‑like style lifted from VisionOS – the interface that powers the Vision Pro headset. We should probably expect frosted menus and controls with soft edges. Numerous insiders tip the revamp as Apple’s most dramatic redesign since iOS 7.
So, the fpt. YouTube channel shows a revamped Camera app that uses these effects. It stands to reason that Mail, Calendar, Notes, and other stock apps follow the same pattern. Everyone expects Apple to move in that direction, except for the detractors who yell that Apple has just cloned Android. That debate feels older than iOS itself, and it’s probably not going anywhere anytime soon.
2. macOS 16
Mac users should brace as well. Sources close to the company say macOS 16, code‑named ‘Cheer’, imports the same frosted treatment. Apple’s designers want quicker navigation, tidier system controls, and a single visual language across every screen size. Early builds reportedly show frosted-looking sidebars in Finder, a thinner menu bar, and floating settings panes that reflect Vision Pro’s spatial vibe. You’ll find early concept renders of macOS 16’s look if you search around.
However, Reddit threads exploded as users demand a return to Snow Leopard or Aqua (and honestly, we have some serious questions for those folks, would they really accept a rollback for 20 years?). Many also argue that Apple should listen more to engineers and less to marketing. But maybe, just maybe, we should wait for the official announcements at WWDC, then panic and start hunting for Windows PCs?
3. watchOS 12
WatchOS picks up the trend, though whispers remain quieter. Expect control‑center cards with soft transparency and watch faces that reveal a blurred dial beneath. Apple’s goal is to finally make the Watch, iPhone, iPad, and Mac feel as though they sit in one family photo.
For now, we can only wait. However, what ties all the rumours together is the sense that Apple plans to make a real leap forward this time, not just another round of minor tweaks. If all this is true, WWDC25 will mark one of the company’s boldest design updates in years.
What About Hardware Announcements?
WWDC rarely strays beyond software, yet rumours insist Apple plans a modest hardware cameo this year. Spring launches are done, and the iPhone 17 reveal is still months away, so what might Apple bring to the stage now?
1. New AirTag
The most likely candidate is the AirTag 2. It’s not a massive reveal, but it certainly has its place. Rumours suggest that AirTag 2 should keep the original’s white puck design while trading its radio for a second‑generation ultra‑wideband chip, offering up to three times the range compared to the original AirTag (90 metres versus 30 metres). It sounds minor, yet anyone who once chased a runaway suitcase through Heathrow knows that extra distance matters.
2. Mac Pro
Alongside the AirTag 2, we may also see an updated Mac Pro. With the Mac Studio receiving a refresh in March, now featuring M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, the Mac Pro – Apple’s most expensive Mac – suddenly feels a bit long in the tooth, still running on the M2 Ultra. Mark Gurman has hinted that a new Mac Pro should arrive around mid-2025, so WWDC would be the perfect time to unveil it. However, aside from an upgrade from the M2 Ultra to the M3 Ultra, we don’t expect many other significant changes. If you hoped for a radical Mac Pro redesign, you might still have to wait a bit longer.
3. Apple Home Hub
Another possible hardware reveal is the Apple Home Hub. Leaks outline a tablet‑meets‑speaker built for smart‑home control, like an iPad Mini on a HomePod base. You could dock it in the kitchen, undock it, then snap it magnetically to the fridge. However, there is chatter that the release of the Apple Home Hub may be delayed to 2026 due to setbacks with Apple Intelligence (Siri) features, which are expected to be a key part of the device. Even so, Apple may unveil a concept at WWDC 25 to gauge developer interest. A working prototype on stage would certainly liven up the keynote, and that would definitely be something to watch.
That’s the rundown on the biggest rumours. We await confirmation or rebuttal at WWDC next month. Of course, we will then analyse each reveal, perhaps under a Reality Check banner, to see what really lands. For now, we wait on those big headlines.
We place iOS 19 and macOS 16 at the top of our wish list since iPhone and Mac drive our work and everyday life. We will welcome any upgrade, probably. And you? Do you back Apple’s bold updates, or do you belong to the camp that treats iPhone 17 as little more than a gas hob and a chopping board? :)
