This year’s most-awaited Apple WorldWide Developers Conference (WWDC 24) marked a significant shift for the company, with the opening address almost entirely dedicated to the theme of AI or ‘Apple Intelligence’.

After falling behind significant competitors such as OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, Apple introduced a host of AI features across its most popular operating systems. The company also revealed this year’s software updates for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Vision Pro. 

Contrary to expectations, Apple did not unveil any new hardware during the event, leaving many enthusiasts and developers disappointed.

What Did They Miss Out?

WWDC is a developer-focused event, which Apple has previously used to unveil new goods, such as the Apple Vision Pro and 15-inch MacBook Air showcased last year. 

Those who expected Apple to release its next M4 chip for the MacBook Pro and Mac platform at WWDC 2024 were the most disappointed. At WWDC 2023, the firm also unveiled the M2 Max/Ultra Mac Studio M2 Ultra Mac Pro. It is still being determined when the M4 will be available for Macs, particularly the MacBook Pro. 

Prior to WWDC 2024, there were talks that Apple may bring a significant redesign to iOS 18 to bring it more in line with what visionOS looks like. Unfortunately though, it didn’t happen.

Several anticipated hardware updates did not find a mention at WWDC, including the future of Apple’s HomePod line, upgrades to AirTag 2 and AirPods Max 2, and the potential unveiling of affordable Apple TV devices. 

As with the iPhone hardware, Apple made no remarks about the upcoming Apple Watch model. Users only got a sneak peak at what’s in store with watchOS 11.

These missed opportunities have left many wondering about Apple’s hardware strategy.

Also, there has been much discussion over Apple not introducing a subscription service. However, many believe Apple needs to gather more user feedback on Apple Intelligence before putting any new capabilities behind a barrier (vs. free now). 

Furthermore, during the keynote, there was no clarification on the economics of the OpenAl relationship. Apart from building in-house Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker has partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT-powered by GPT-4o into iOS. 

It’s worth noting that ChatGPT isn’t integrated directly into Siri, rather, it’s gaining access to it. Further, information on how Apple Intelligence may affect Apple devices’ battery life was omitted.

Where is RCS?

During the one-hour and forty-seven-minute-long keynote, Apple briefly discussed iOS 18. Among the many new features, one of the most significant changes was the introduction of RCS or Rich Communication Service. 

RCS was created as a replacement for SMS. RCS includes typing indicators and read receipts, enables lengthier communications, and supports higher-quality photos and videos. In other words, it’s very similar to iMessage.

RCS messaging was addressed briefly at the end of the ‘Messages’ presentation, among other upgrades. It was essentially a bullet point, among many others, leaving many questions unanswered like: What RCS capabilities will Apple truly support? When strictly will this be implemented? And, maybe most significantly, will SMS from Android users still be green?

Too Late to the Party

It’s no secret that Apple has been slipping in the AI race over the past few years. While Microsoft spent $10 billion on OpenAI to kickstart an AI renaissance, Apple was wearing Vision Pro blinkers. According to Bloomberg, it increased spending on AI research late last year, allocating a billion each year for the effort.

Apple, aware of its position in the AI race, has made a significant stride at this year’s WWDC. It has unveiled a multitude of AI implementations in its products, including the much-anticipated enhancement to Siri and the integration of AI capabilities into text writing and photo editing. 

Apple showed several experiments with the Apple Pencil, which could smoothen your handwriting and finish arithmetic equations as you wrote them. Kelsey Peterson, the director of machine learning and AI at Apple, walked the attendees through a demo during the pre-recorded keynote. 

These are UX curiosities, but they appear to be designed to demonstrate technology rather than solve real-world problems.

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