Apple's WWDC 2026 Keynote Focuses on Fixes and AI Upgrades
The vibe of Apple's 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference felt like a spouse proudly listing all the items on a honey-do-list they'd finally completed. Rather than showcase something exciting and new, Apple launched the keynote detailing fixes to last year's "Liquid Glass" design; an overhaul of its awful search function; improvements to its Playground feature, and so on.
Apple Finally Delivers on Overhauled Siri
Perhaps most importantly, two years after promising but failing to launch a smarter Siri, Apple finally showed off an overhauled version of its AI-powered voice assistant. The company's presentation appeared designed to avoid a repeat of the 2024 "vaporware" demos, which turned out to be more promise than product. This time, many of the Apple Intelligence demos featured someone standing, phone in hand, pressing buttons or using voice commands in real time, while another camera showed off the phone's response. These weren't live on-stage, anything-could-go-wrong demos; they were pre-taped. But they looked far more like proof of working features than what Apple showed at WWDC 2024.
Apple's New Approach to AI Demos
The demonstration style was noticed, with comments on X on Monday comparing today's keynote to those 2024 so-called "vaporware" demos. Apple said at that time that the features would be available soon to those who upgraded to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer devices with M1 chips or better. But by March 2025, Apple admitted to Daring Fireball that rolling out the features shown via production video was "going to take us longer than we thought to deliver." Not long after, the Cupertino company faced a lawsuit in federal court alleging false advertising over the features shown at that 2024 event — a case that carried real reputational risk for a company whose brand has long been built on the promise that its products just work.
$250M Settlement and the Future of Apple Intelligence
Last month, Apple agreed to pay a $250 million settlement on the suit, without admitting wrongdoing. This move may indicate a shift in Apple's approach to AI demos and the company's commitment to delivering on its promises. Apple is not requiring users to buy the latest iPhone to get these features. The new Siri will be available through the new iOS 27 on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and all iPhone 16 models and later, according to the company. The current model is the iPhone 17, meaning most users who upgraded in the past couple of years won't need to buy new hardware to get access.
Availability Across Apple's Hardware Lineup
Apple also said the new features will be available across its broader hardware lineup, including the iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad models with M1 or later, MacBook Neo (A18 Pro), Mac models with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone nearby.
Apple's shift in approach to AI demos and its commitment to delivering on its promises may indicate a more transparent and accountable future for the company. Only time will tell if this is a permanent change or just a one-time fix.