The upcoming WWDC 2025 is generating significant buzz, particularly with regards to the new iOS features. This year, Apple is skipping the usual naming convention and jumping straight to iOS 26, which will be released alongside iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.
New Design Approach
The design focus this time around is on Solarium, a translucent glass-like design reminiscent of visionOS. This interface is designed to work seamlessly with AR/VR, allowing users to see their surroundings while using apps. The new design may also make its way to iPhones, enhancing content visibility and featuring rounded corners, such as a capsule-shaped desktop bar. Additionally, the use of shadows and light will add depth to buttons, app icons, and other UI elements, giving the overall design a more dimensional and glass-like appearance.
Apple Intelligence Features
Several new features are expected to be introduced:
- Battery Management: This feature will analyze your battery usage and adapt using AI to extend battery life, making it particularly useful for the iPhone 17 air with its smaller battery size.
- Shortcuts: The Shortcuts app will be updated to make using shortcuts even easier.
- Google Gemini: Apple and Google may collaborate to integrate Gemini as an alternative to ChatGPT, working in conjunction with Siri. This would allow users to ask Siri questions, which would then be passed on to Gemini for answers.
- Siri: Siri will become more intelligent with three key features: Personal Context, where Siri accesses device information to assist with tasks and searches; Onscreen Awareness, where Siri recognizes what you’re looking at on the screen and can perform related actions; and Deeper App Integration, allowing Siri to work more closely with both Apple and third-party apps, potentially performing tasks it couldn’t before.
Gaming App
Apple is expected to revamp its Gaming Center, making it easier to find games in the Apple Store and potentially introducing features for player communication, recommended content, and leaderboards.
Live Translation with AirPods
AirPods may gain the ability to translate conversations in real-time, automatically detecting the language being spoken and translating it into the user’s preferred language.
Connectivity
A new feature could allow public Wi-Fi login information to be synced across all Apple devices, requiring only a single login. Additionally, transferring eSIM to Android smartphones might become simpler.
Health App
Though not confirmed, the health app may integrate AI to offer personalized lifestyle recommendations and could include tracking features for daily calorie intake.
Stage Manager
Apple might introduce Stage Manager for iPhones with USB-C ports, enabling them to connect to external displays and run multiple apps simultaneously, similar to a Mac experience.
Accessibility Features
Several accessibility features are anticipated:
- Music Haptics: Customizable vibration settings for music, including song-specific or vocal-only options and intensity adjustments.
- App Store Labels: App Store product pages will display accessibility feature information for each app.
- Accessibility Reader: A system-wide reading mode with adjustable font, color, and spacing for easier reading.
- CarPlay: Support for larger text and Sound Recognition for alerts like baby crying, horns, and sirens.
- Background Sounds: Customizable background sounds with EQ, scheduling, and integration with Shortcuts.
- Personal Voice: Quick and natural voice synthesis based on the user’s voice, utilizing on-device machine learning in under a minute.
- Tracking: Updates to Head/Eye Tracking and support for Brain Computer Interfaces.
Features Supporting Other Apps
Rumored features include:
- Messages: Automatic translation and poll creation.
- Music: Automatic animated backgrounds on the lock screen and home screen.
- Notes: Markdown support for easier-to-read text.
- CarPlay: UI updates to match iOS 26.
Supported iPhone Models
iOS 26 might not support the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, but it will be compatible with other iPhone models that support iOS 18, including:
- iPhone 16e, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max
- iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)
Note that while these iPhones will support iOS 26, some features might be limited to newer models with faster processors, similar to how Apple Intelligence in iOS 18 only works on the iPhone 15 Pro and all iPhone 16 models.
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