Apple’s much-anticipated launch event showcased a range of updates, including enhancements to the AirPods, Apple Watch, and iPhones. However, during the presentation, which lasted only 75 minutes, one key term was notably absent from a significant portion of the announcements: artificial intelligence (AI).
CEO Tim Cook emphasized the company’s commitment to innovation, stating that they are making the “biggest leap ever for iPhone.” Despite this assertion, the references to Apple’s AI offerings during the new iPhone reveal were minimal.
The new devices boast advancements in Apple silicon and software, resulting in improved gaming capabilities, photography, speed, and battery life. However, many of the AI features highlighted, such as visual intelligence and live translation in messaging apps, were significant talking points back at the WWDC 2025 event in June. Moreover, these features are not particularly unique, as rivals like Google and Samsung released similar functionalities over a year ago.
This year’s showcase diverged from the AI-centric approach seen during the iPhone 16 launch, which disappointed consumers when anticipated features were not delivered.
In contrast to Google’s recent Pixel 10 unveiling and Samsung’s announcements earlier in the year, Apple concentrated on AI’s role in enhancing features discreetly rather than directly engaging customers with innovative AI applications. Executives discussed how an upgraded neural engine is behind the new technology, and how local large language models improve gaming experiences with higher frame rates. They also revealed the integration of neural accelerators into each GPU core to enable “MacBook Pro-levels of compute” within the iPhone.
When focusing on the new AirPods, Apple emphasized the capabilities of live translation and health monitoring features, rather than adopting Google’s strategy of incorporating dialogue with an AI in their devices. Executives explained how the advanced computational model in the AirPods intertwines with Apple Intelligence for live translation and noted the utilization of machine learning algorithms for heart rate monitoring, drawing on extensive data from an Apple-conducted study involving over 50 million hours of participant data.
Discussions surrounding AI in the latest Apple Watch launch were similarly brief. The focus was on how machine learning algorithms evaluate users’ blood pressure in relation to heartbeats through 30-day analyses. Dr. Sumbul Desai, VP of health at Apple, proclaimed the goal to inform over one million people of undiagnosed hypertension in the forthcoming year, with FDA clearance anticipated soon.
The stakes in the AI landscape are escalating for leading tech companies, driven by their substantial investments in AI initiatives. For instance, OpenAI’s valuation reached $300 billion this year, and the company reportedly aims to spend $115 billion through 2029; Anthropic recently secured $13 billion at a valuation of $183 billion. Meta has committed billions to attract top industry talent and has also heavily invested in Scale AI. Apple, meanwhile, faces criticism for lagging in the AI race, highlighted by at least 10 departures from its AI research team, including a significant exit last week involving its head of robotics research.
