With WWDC only days away, we gathered the last minute tidbits from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, 9 to 5 Mac “5 Final Hidden WWDC Leaks That’ll Actually Matter” and The Vergecast’s WWDC preview—offer are predicting will go down in Cupertino.
AirPods. A forthcoming software refresh for AirPods Pro, and likely the next‑generation base model, is said to enable camera‑shutter control via a stem tap, automatic sleep detection that pauses playback, conversation‑aware volume adjustment, and a simplified multi‑user mode for classroom iPads. Gurman also mentions in his Bloomnberg post of live/real-time language translation abilities.
iPhone 17 Air. Apple reportedly has an ultra‑slim handset on its 2025 roadmap. The device would feature a 120 Hz display without ProMotion or an always‑on option, helping keep its price near USD 900–1,000 while differentiating it from the Pro tier.
HomePad. A hybrid of HomePod and iPad, this rumoured 6‑to‑7‑inch smart‑home hub would serve as a central HomeKit dashboard for lighting, climate, and security, while also offering quick‑access features such as news briefs and recipe browsing.
We’re not sure if these two pieces of hardware above will be announced at WWDC, as Apple is usually focused on software for this event but we’ll see very soon.
Official Gaming Hub App. Game Center’s scattered settings may be consolidated into a dedicated gaming application with unified leaderboards, badges, and seamless progress syncing—part of a broader push to strengthen Apple Arcade across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.
Developer relations. Court rulings forcing Apple to permit alternate payment links have amplified developer discontent. Analysts expect WWDC to deliver policy adjustments, tooling improvements, or revenue incentives aimed at restoring goodwill.
Also, on the Developer (hands-on) front, Apple’s Xcode IDE will get 3rd party LLM integration support with Claude and others.
AI and Siri. Observers note Apple silicon already supports sophisticated on‑device models. Leaks point to a “private cloud compute” framework, supplemented by optional integrations with ChatGPT or Gemini, to provide faster, context‑rich responses while safeguarding privacy. Gurman said Apple would probably not announce the Gemini integration while the DOJ vs. Google trial is on-going.
Also expect “AI” optimized battery management to help with keeping your Apple devices on for a bit longer throughout the day.
OS redesigns. Significant visual updates are anticipated across operating systems. Rumours around the “Solarium” motif include a persistent menu bar and more free-style windows multitasking for iPadOS, as well as a desktop‑style external‑display mode for iPhone. Complementary AirPods features such as camera control and sleep tracking would reinforce cross‑device cohesion.
All the Apple device OS’ will also switch to a new naming convention ending with the year – e.g. iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, etc. The only probable exception for now is macOS 26. Tahoe should have an official tagline California region name, this next one being “Tahoe” (for Lake Tahoe).
Together, these reports suggest a WWDC focused on tightening Apple’s ecosystem, improving developer relations, and accelerating the company’s AI strategy. All will be confirmed—or contradicted—when the keynote begins at Apple Park, Cupertino.
Watch the videos below…
The Verge
9 to 5 Mac
