Apple (AAPL, Financial) kicks off its AI and design revolution with iOS 26, unveiling a “Liquid Glass” interface and deeper ChatGPT integrations across core apps at WWDC 2025.
Apple's vice president of Human Interface Design, Alan Dye, described iOS 26 as the “broadest update ever,” featuring Liquid Glass—a dynamic material that marries glass-like optics with fluid responsiveness—applied universally to iPhone, iPad, Watch, TV and Mac. Native apps from Camera and Safari to Messages and Wallet get fresh layouts that adapt to context, while CarPlay and Maps gain streamlined controls.
On the AI front, Apple amplifies its partnership with OpenAI by embedding ChatGPT into Image Playground and Genmoji, letting users generate bespoke images and emojis from text or photos—with full user consent.
Visual Intelligence now lets you ask ChatGPT about anything on your screen without switching apps, and Live Translations delivers real-time captions and translations in Messages, FaceTime and Phone—even with non-iPhone users. Craig Federighi, SVP of Software Engineering, announced expanded Siri personalization and an open Foundation Models Framework that enables any third-party app to tap into Apple Intelligence.
Why It Matters: iOS 26's Liquid Glass aesthetic and deep AI mash-up could drive device upgrade cycles and boost services revenue as Apple rolls out paid AI features. It underscores Apple's strategy to monetize AI through its hardware moat rather than by chasing model supremacy.
