Pre-WWDC26: Looking Through the Glass
Intro At the time of recording this episode, the start of WWDC26 is less than 24 hours away!
Episode 6 was also about WWDC, Apple’s annual developer conference, and how it began in the early 1980s as a small gathering to inspire software development for Apple products. Over the decades, it evolved from a modest event to a major platform for Apple’s product announcements and a celebration of the developer community. DubDub, the universal, shorthand nickname, fosters creativity, camaraderie, and education, showcasing Apple’s commitment to innovation and empowering developers to create impactful apps.
Last year the conference introduced Liquid Glass, a new design language unifying Apple’s platforms, and the year before that, Apple Intelligence, a privacy-focused AI, integrated across devices. DubDub continues to be a catalyst for developer creativity, impacting millions of users worldwide with new software features and experiences. Which is exactly the first topic of today’s episode.
Consumers vs. developers Even when I talk to fellow Apple enthusiasts, they think of WWDC as the presentation where they talk about new features. They often miss that the conference is about offering developers a first look at the latest Apple tools, technologies, and features, and of course a chance to connect with Apple engineers and designers.
You see, as consumers, and by consumers I mean Apple fans, we are all giddy about all the new cool OS features that are presented during the opening keynote, sure. But that keynote is actually just a kick-off for a week-long lineup of sessions on tools, technologies, and design for developers. The developers who make your favorite app!
To reflect on last year’s WWDC25 the developer page shows the latest innovations on how Apple technology can provide a developer’s app and game. For example, as consumers, we all got to see Liquid Glass and, for most apps, experience how it works. But for developers, it’s important how to implement this in their own apps and other important things to think about when updating their apps.
There are resources on how to design apps and adopt for Liquid Glass, but also updates into the Foundation Models framework and use direct access to the on-device model and how to build experiences that are smart, private, and work without internet connectivity. There are code-along sessions for Machine Learning and AI capabilities, and game developers are able to see how they can use APIs to achieve optimal performance on Apple Silicon.
And so, although the kick-off is very exciting to see where the future of Apple’s platforms will go, it’s much more than that. If you are interested in diving deeper into what’s on the other side of your favorite app or game, head to developer.apple.com to watch dozens of videos and a lot of documentation.
Perspective from people in the space Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve heard the press, developers, and Apple analysts generally see this WWDC as a credibility year rather than a feature year. The dominant expectation isn't "show us something flashy." It's "show us the AI vision you promised and prove it actually works.”
And it seems that Siri is the entire story.
The consensus is that Apple should deliver the personalized, context-aware Siri that was originally previewed during earlier Apple Intelligence announcements but delayed. Like Apple owns them something.
It strikes me that so many journalists are complaining about this, while at the same time convincing their readers and listeners that talking to your device is not something we, whoever “we” is, should do. Talking about how Siri can only do timers and control the lights.
I don’t know about you, but I would really dig it if Siri got even better, because I use Siri all the time, and for the things it can already do, I find it really useful. I’ve said it in the first episode of this podcast, and I’ll say it again. I believe it’s about how a customer benefits from a feature, and for me, Siri provides more advantages than drawbacks. For example, if I’m in my bathroom applying deodorant and notice that I’m out, I can call on Siri to add deodorant to my Groceries list. This is a great feature. Maybe not world-changing, but it enriches my everyday life for sure.
And of course it’s a bit tricky to announce a feature and never ship it, probably a downside of being a big company with an MO that prizes secrecy and perfection over public experimentation.
Normal People We talked about how DubDub is for developers to make their apps and games the best it can be. The majority of both Apple’s and developers’ users, however, are NORMAL people. Normal people want features that enrich their everyday life. You are probably normal too, which is actually a good thing. My guess is that most people don’t want to be overwhelmed with features in their mail app, or health-maxing options in the Fitness app. Apple needs to appeal to a very large and diverse group of people. And that’s the beauty of WWDC; as a developer, you get tools to create a niche product, or a service that fits a smaller audience that is looking for an app with extra features or more-than-a-hobby interests.
And so, I hope you will enjoy tomorrow’s DubDub and can also see beyond the cool shiny features, and just look at how the core technologies introduced will help developers make the very best version of their app.