Apple News
Apple faces AI, regulatory challenges at WWDC 2025
Apple is grappling with significant technical and regulatory hurdles as key executives prepare to speak at its annual WWDC software developer conference on Monday. The event comes at a critical time, with the company navigating complex issues that could shape its future in the tech landscape.
On the technical side, many of the long-awaited artificial-intelligence features Apple promised at the same conference a year ago have been delayed until next year, even as its rivals such as Alphabet’s Google and Microsoft woo developers with a bevvy of new AI features. Those unfulfilled promises included key improvements to Siri, its digital assistant.
On the regulatory front, courts in the U.S. and Europe are poised to pull down the lucrative walls around Apple’s App Store as even some of the company’s former supporters question whether its fees are justified.
Those challenges are coming to a head at the same time U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened 25% tariffs on Apple’s best-selling iPhone. Apple’s shares are down more than 40% since the start of the year, a sharper decline than Google and also lagging the AI-driven gains in Microsoft shares.
MacDailyNews Note: We’ll have coverage of Apple’s WWDC25 keynote video stream starting at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT (look for the link on our home page later today).
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Bill Atkinson, visionary who shaped the Macintosh, dead at 74
As admirers of Apple, Steve Jobs, and the Macintosh, we mourn the passing of Bill Atkinson, a true genius whose contributions to personal computing transformed the way we all interact with technology. Atkinson, who died at 74 on June 5, 2025, in Portola Valley, California, from pancreatic cancer (just like his collaborator Steve Jobs), was not just a programmer but a creative force whose work made computers accessible, intuitive, and inspiring. His legacy, woven into the fabric of Apple’s early days, will forever resonate with fans of the Mac and the products it begat, the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and much more.
Born in Los Gatos, California, Atkinson’s journey to Apple was serendipitous. A neurochemistry graduate student at the University of Washington, he was lured away from his PhD by Jef Raskin and Steve Jobs, becoming Apple’s employee No. 51 in 1978. Jobs’ pitch to “help invent the future” ignited Atkinson’s passion, and he dove into the nascent world of personal computing with unbridled enthusiasm. Atkinson’s role as a cornerstone of the Lisa and Macintosh teams is the stuff of legend.
Atkinson’s brilliance shone brightest in his creation of QuickDraw, the graphics library that powered the Lisa and Macintosh’s groundbreaking graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Before these machines, computers were clunky, text-based beasts, intimidating to all but the most tech-savvy. QuickDraw, with its ability to render shapes, text, and images efficiently, brought the “desktop” metaphor to life. Features we now take for granted — pull-down menus, the double-click, and “marching ants” selection animations — sprang from Atkinson’s mind. His code, likened by colleagues to the works of art adorning the Sistine Chapel, was both art and engineering, a testament to his ability to make technology feel human.
MacPaint, Atkinson’s digital canvas, was a revelation. Bundled with the first Macintosh in 1984, it empowered ordinary users to create art on a computer screen. Users will remember marveling at MacPaint’s tool palette — brushes, pencils, and the lasso tool — concepts that still echo in modern software like Pixelmator and Photoshop. Atkinson’s vision made creativity accessible, turning the Macintosh into what Steve Jobs called a “bicycle for the mind.”
Perhaps Atkinson’s most visionary contribution was HyperCard, launched in 1987, a forerunner of the World Wide Web. Described by him as a “software erector set,” it allowed non-programmers to build interactive applications, weaving text, images, and links. HyperCard was Atkinson’s love letter to creativity, giving users the ability to shape their own digital worlds. Its influence on the web and modern app development is a reminder of his forward-thinking genius.
Atkinson’s collaboration with Steve Jobs was electric. Their close partnership in the early 1980s fueled the Macintosh’s creation, though Atkinson stayed at Apple when Jobs left in 1985, driven by his commitment to HyperCard. Beyond Apple, he co-founded General Magic and later pursued nature photography, capturing the same beauty he once coded into pixels.
Survived by his wife, daughters, stepchildren, and siblings, Atkinson leaves a legacy that lives in every Mac. To fans of Apple and the Macintosh, he was a hero who made technology delightful, proving that one coder’s vision could change the world.
MacDailyNews Take: R.I.P., Bill Atkinson.
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Apple set for low-key WWDC news cycle after overpromising and underdelivering in 2024
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, kicking off Monday at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT with a pre-recorded keynote from CEO Tim Cook, is expected to be a subdued event. After last year’s WWDC raised high hopes with ambitious promises but fell well short on delivery, anticipation for this year’s conference is tempered.
Patrick Seitz for Investor’s Business Daily:
At last year’s WWDC, Apple made a big splash with announcements about artificial intelligence, including a revamped Siri personal assistant. But Apple has postponed many of those AI features, branded Apple Intelligence, after running into development snags.
“This year will lack the wow factor we saw the past two years with Vision Pro in 2023 and Apple Intelligence in 2024,” Deepwater Asset Management analysts Gene Munster and Brian Baker said in a blog post.
Apple is years behind Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and others in the AI race, they said. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company was too cautious in its approach to the generative AI trend when it emerged, Munster and Baker wrote.
WWDC 2025 likely will focus on a new look for Apple’s operating systems and the company opening its AI models to software developers, the Deepwater analysts said.
News reports say Apple will avoid talking about its delayed AI-powered Siri. It plans to discuss only those features it can confidently expect to deliver by this fall.
Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani said expectations for WWDC 2025 are “rightfully tempered… We think Apple wants to avoid a repeat of last year where they debuted a bunch of AI features that have subsequently been delayed.”
MacDailyNews Note: The link to watch Apple’s WWDC 25 video stream via YouTube is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_DjDdfqtUE
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Investors expect Apple to deliver a ‘lackluster’ WWDC keynote video
One year ago, Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence, a bold leap into the generative AI arena, aiming to rival the sophisticated chatbots and systems sparked by ChatGPT’s arrival. Promising seamless integration across its ecosystem, the announcement generated buzz about a new era of intuitive, privacy-focused AI for Apple users. However, the rollout has fallen short of expectations, grappling with technical hiccups, limited functionality, and a failure to fully capture the transformative potential of generative AI, leaving many to question whether Apple under CEO Tim Cook can even catch up, much less hope to keep pace in this rapidly evolving landscape.
Apple Intelligence stumbled out of the gate while rivals like OpenAI, Google and Meta have continued to make headway launching new generative-AI models.
“You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now,” Apple services chief Eddy Cue said in court last month in one of the government’s antitrust case against Google, adding that AI was a “huge technological shift” that can upend incumbents like Apple.
The Apple Intelligence rollout was rocky. The first features launched in October — tools for rewriting text, a new Siri animation and improved voice, and a tool that generates slideshow movies out of user photos — were underwhelming.
But the biggest stumble for Apple came in early March, when the company said that it was delaying “More personal Siri,” a major improvement to the Siri voice assistant that would integrate it with iPhone apps so it could do things like find details from inside emails and make restaurant reservations.
Apple had been advertising the feature on television as a key reason to buy an iPhone 16, but after delaying the feature until the “coming year,” it pulled the ads from broadcast and YouTube. The company now faces class-action suits from people who claim they were misled into buying a new iPhone.
JPMorgan Chase analyst Samik Chatterjee said in a note this week that investor expectations were set for a “lackluster” WWDC, as the company still needs to bring to market the features it announced last year, versus “addressing the more material issue of lagging behind other large technology companies in relation to advancements in AI.”
MacDailyNews Take: Hopefully, at this year’s WWDC, Apple can clear as low a bar as we can remember.
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Richard Roeper: Owen Wilson is ‘clever, funny’ in Apple TV+ series ‘Stick’
“Stick” is a new sports comedy series now streaming on Apple TV+ that was created by Jason Keller and starring and executive produced by Owen Wilson. Wilson stars as Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After the collapse of his marriage and while working from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store, Pryce hedges his bets, and future, entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom named Santi (Peter Dager). “Stick” is a heartfelt, feel-good sports comedy about a found family and their relationships set within the world of golf as it has never been shown before.
Richard Roeper for RogerEbert.com:
As I was enjoying the breezy delights of the unabashedly sentimental and consistently funny Apple TV+ golf comedy/drama series “Stick,” I couldn’t help but think of Ron Shelton’s 1996 “Tin Cup,” the best movie ever set on the links…
Where “Stick” veers away from “Tin Cup” is the former’s overall tone, which eschews even the hint of cynicism. Created by Jason Keller (who wrote the screenplay for “Ford v Ferrari”), with series lead Wilson also serving as executive producer, “Stick” embraces clever, snappy sitcom banter while serving up a cocktail of sports comedy and warm-hearted dramatic beats that, while undeniably moving, come perilously close to getting mired in a saccharine sand trap.
“Stick” shares some foundational plot and character DNA with Apple TV+ standouts “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking.” But while it doesn’t match the depth of writing or the emotional resonance of those series, it’s a solid and satisfying effort with the potential for a multi-season run.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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Apple TV+ and MLB announce ‘Friday Night Baseball’ schedule for July
Apple TV+ and Major League Baseball (MLB) on Thursday unveiled the July schedule for “Friday Night Baseball,” the weekly doubleheader streaming every Friday on Apple TV+ throughout the 2025 regular season. Available in 60 countries and regions, fans can enjoy two marquee matchups each week with, enhanced production quality, expert commentary, and no local broadcast restrictions.
July “Friday Night Baseball” Schedule on Apple TV+
Friday, 7/4
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs – 2:20 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Angels at Toronto Blue Jays – 7:07 p.m. ET
Friday, 7/11
Seattle Mariners at Detroit Tigers – 7:10 p.m. ET
Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Angels – 9:38 p.m. ET
Friday, 7/18
No games due to MLB All-Star break
Friday, 7/25
Philadelphia Phillies at New York Yankees – 7:05 p.m. ET
Cleveland Guardians at Kansas City Royals – 8:10 p.m. ET
Presented by Chevrolet and Essilor, “Friday Night Baseball” continues in July with a historic July 4th showdown between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Later in the month, reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees take on two-time National League MVP Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies for a must-watch interleague clash.
Each week, coverage features distinguished broadcast teams, including Wayne Randazzo (play-by-play), Dontrelle Willis (analyst), Heidi Watney (sideline reporter), Alex Faust (play-by-play), Ryan Spilborghs (analyst), and Tricia Whitaker (sideline reporter). Game-by-game announcer assignments will be revealed weekly. Siera Santos, Russell Dorsey, and Xavier Scruggs return to host live pregame coverage from the studio and on the field throughout the month.
“Friday Night Baseball” is produced by MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning production team in partnership with Apple’s live sports production team. Each game features state-of-the-art cameras and immersive sound in 5.1 with Spatial Audio enabled, including player and field-level mics to immerse fans in the gameplay and stadium atmosphere. Fans in the U.S. and Canada will also have the option to listen to home and away local radio broadcasts during “Friday Night Baseball” games.
Fans in the U.S. can enjoy the MLB Big Inning whip-around show featuring live look-ins and in-game highlights every weeknight, and a full slate of MLB-related content on Apple TV+, including Countdown to First Pitch, MLB Daily Recap, and MLB This Week. Fans can also access additional MLB programming for free in the Apple TV app, including game recaps, classic games, highlights, interviews, and more.
The free Apple Sports app for iPhone is the best way for fans to stay up to date on scores, stats, standings, and their favorite clubs throughout the MLB season, and allows users to navigate between scores and upcoming games, explore play-by-play information, stats, live betting odds, and more. Apple Sports also seamlessly syncs with favorites selected within the My Sports experience, including in the Apple TV app and Apple News. With iOS 18 and watchOS 11, the Apple Sports app offers Live Activities for all MLB games, delivering live scores and play-by-play info at a quick glance to a user’s iPhone Lock Screen and Apple Watch. With Game Card Sharing, fans can generate and share dynamic cards across all supported leagues including MLB, whether the matchup is upcoming, live, or completed.
In Apple News, fans can easily follow the league and their favorite teams in the MLB feed, and watch personalized MLB highlights. Each Friday, fans can also access a curated group of the most exciting stories from around the league. In Apple Music, fans can find exclusive official playlists featuring the walk-up songs from each week’s teams, as well as a collection of classic songs celebrating baseball.
Apple TV+ subscribers can watch “Friday Night Baseball” on the Apple TV app, which comes preinstalled on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro, as well as online at tv.apple.com. New for this season, Android users can download the Apple TV app from Google Play on Android mobile devices to subscribe to Apple TV+ and enjoy “Friday Night Baseball,” and Prime Video customers in the U.S., UK, and Canada can subscribe to Apple TV+ via Prime Video as an add-on subscription. The Apple TV app is also available on select smart TVs, including Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sony, TCL, VIZIO, and others; Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices; PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles; Chromecast with Google TV; and set-top boxes, including Sky Q, SK Broadband, and Comcast Xfinity. More information is available at apple.com/apple-tv-app.
DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS is the national home of “Friday Night Baseball” for commercial establishments in the U.S., delivering all the action to its network of more than 300,000 restaurants, bars, hotel lounges, retail shops, and other venues across the U.S.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV+ is available for $9.99 (U.S.) per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, eligible customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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Apple Arcade welcomes nine new games, including Angry Birds Bounce by Rovio
Exciting new additions are expanding Apple Arcade’s dynamic catalog of more than 200 games, all without ads or in-app purchases. On Thursday, a new take on Mattel’s classic card game UNO is available on the service with UNO: Arcade Edition. The game features three modes where fans can enjoy solo matches with classic UNO rules in Single Player, play with others in Quick Match, or turn up the heat in Custom Games that feature special twists like Wild Swap Hands and Color Showdown. Also released today are: WHAT THE CAR? for Apple Vision Pro, a spatial adaption of the 2024 D.I.C.E. Awards’ Mobile Game of the Year; physics-based racing game LEGO Hill Climb Adventures+; wholesome interactive adventure Lost in Play+; and hit 3D arcade game Helix Jump+.
UNO: Arcade Edition by Mattel163. WHAT THE CAR? by Triband. LEGO Hill Climb Adventures+ by Fingersoft. Lost in Play+ by Happy Juice Games and Snapbreak Games. Helix Jump+ by Voodoo and Orbital Knight.
Next month, four fun games bring even more reason to jump in and play. Launching exclusively on Apple Arcade on July 3, Angry Birds Bounce is a new take on one of the most iconic mobile game series of all time with over 5 billion lifetime downloads. The new game blends Angry Birds’ classic slingshot gameplay with arcade-style brick-breaker mechanics, creating an all-new adventure full of chaotic charm and action-packed fun.
“Angry Birds Bounce reinvents the classic Angry Birds formula with a vertical twist, refreshing the gameplay while staying true to the brand’s DNA,” said Bryan Cook, Angry Birds Bounce game lead at Rovio, in a statement. “We are thrilled to bring this new experience exclusively to Apple Arcade, featuring the largest roster of Angry Birds characters ever, and we can’t wait to see our players’ reactions to this new title.”
Three more popular games will also be added from the App Store on July 3: Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD+, the most recent entry in the acclaimed tower defense franchise; Suika Game+, a delightful fruit-merging puzzle game; and Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets+, which transforms Crayola’s favorite kids’ pet toys into digital companions.
Angry Birds Bounce by Rovio
Join Red, Chuck, Bomb, and the rest of the gang on a brand-new adventure. Angry Birds Bounce combines the classic charm of Angry Birds with an innovative arcade brick-breaker twist. When the pigs take over their islands, the birds must bounce back — literally — combining into powerful flocks and launching themselves to defeat an army of piggies and reclaim their home. With strategic rogue-lite gameplay, each level is a new challenge where players will master precision shots, unlock exciting power-ups, and build unique combos during each run.
Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD+ by Ironhide Game Studio
The latest game in the award-winning tower defense saga builds upon the lightning-paced and captivating gameplay of its predecessors, but raises the stakes with more power, chaos, and strategy than ever before. For the first time in the series, players can command two heroes in each stage. With 15 epic heroes to choose from, 17 unique towers, 32 upgradable characters, 22 detailed campaign stages, and over 40 types of enemies, Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD+ offers thrilling gameplay, the signature humor that fans love, and endless replay. The game includes all DLCs and is playable across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Suika Game+ by XGIMI
The viral puzzle game where players drop fruits into a box is coming to Apple Arcade. The goal of Suika Game – Aladdin X+ is to combine matching fruits into bigger creations, culminating into the ultimate fruit: a watermelon. The game’s energetic physics add a fun challenge. When dropping and merging bouncing fruits, players must strategically keep them from overflowing out of the box. They will compete with other players around the world and aim for the top of the daily, monthly, or all-time leaderboards.
Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets+ by Red Games Co.
Creativity meets responsibility as players immerse themselves in vibrant 3D worlds to color, care, and play with over 90 adorable digital pets. Inspired by the top-selling Crayola toy, this game lets young players nurture empathy and responsibility through interactive pet care activities like grooming, feeding, and washing, while also boosting attention and memory skills with detail-oriented play. With endless creative fun using digital Crayola art tools and imaginative journeys across colorful 3D environments, Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets+ transforms the traditional pet toy into an engaging digital experience.
In addition to new games, players can also look forward to brand-new updates to their favorite Arcade games, playable across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.
• Fruit Ninja Classic+ by Halfbrick Studios: On June 19, Bluey takes over Fruit Ninja Classic+ in this limited-time, Apple Arcade-exclusive crossover event. Featuring special Bluey-themed wands, wand powers, dojos, and many easter eggs, players of all ages will slice fruits and unlock exclusive rewards.
• Bloons TD 6+ by Ninja Kiwi: On June 19, the popular tower defense game adds the all-new Desperado monkey tower, map, and legend.
• WHAT THE CLASH? by Triband: On June 26, 50 new golf mini-games, cosmetics, missions, and achievements based on Triband’s other Arcade hit title, WHAT THE GOLF?, are introduced to the game.
This month also brings updates to highly rated games like Sonic Dream Team, Crayola Create and Play+, Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE, Tomb of the Mask+, Disney Dreamlight Valley Arcade Edition, Asphalt 8: Airborne+, and more.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple Arcade is available for $6.99 (U.S.) per month with a one-month free trial. Customers who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV receive three months of Apple Arcade for free. Apple Arcade is part of Apple One’s Individual ($19.95 U.S.), Family ($25.95 U.S.), and Premier ($37.95 U.S.) monthly plans, with a one-month free trial. Arcade Originals are playable across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. App Store Greats are available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. An Apple Arcade subscription gives a family of up to six unlimited access to all the games in its catalog. Availability for the 200+ games across devices varies based on hardware and software compatibility. Some content may not be available in all areas.
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Gene Munster: Apple has ‘a couple years’ to catch up in AI, needs to invest much more, perhaps acquire Anthropic
After being blindsided by generative AI, late-to-the-party Apple still has “around two years” to get AI right, but to do so, they will likely need to significantly increase their AI related investments, longtime Apple analyst Gene Munster says.
Gene Munster for Deepwater Asset Management:
After years of leaning on on-device machine learning, Apple arrived late to an AI race already dominated by OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Meta. Two years ago, Craig Federighi’s team flagged the need for tens of thousands of GPUs, but he delayed spending amid doubts about ROI. When Apple finally moved, then-CFO Luca Maestri approved a slimmed-down budget while Apple’s competitors were ramping up investments. Additionally, Apple’s AI chief, John Giannandrea, questioned consumer demand for chatbots and took a cautious approach to scaling efforts. The company’s AI path forward would be focused on partnering.
This left Apple years behind.
Last year, the company looked to catch up with the help of OpenAI powering Apple Intelligence and a rebuilt Siri. The timing of that product roadmap proved to be too aggressive, with an almost 18-month delay of the full Apple Intelligence feature set, now expected early next year.
The bottom line is Apple seemed to underestimate the AI shift, then over-promised features, and is now racing to catch up. My belief is they have a couple of years to close the gap, and will do just that…
The reason why I believe investing more is the right approach centers on the long-term control of features. To have that control, which impacts features and privacy, the company needs to own a best-in-class model. If Apple settles for a good enough third-party AI, it risks slowing integration of AI features and paying a perpetual toll to a third party. Over the past decade, Apple has wanted to take more control, including building its own chips and modems, a prospect that 15 years ago seemed preposterous.
Some will say it’s a fool’s errand for Apple to build its own advanced models and infrastructure. They’re not only too far behind, but their track record around services is mixed. The skeptics would point to Siri struggles over the past ten years along with Maps failing to challenge Google Maps. These stumbles underscore why any Apple-built foundation model must launch at or above the standard set by OpenAI, xAI, Google, and Anthropic. In reality, the best solution for Apple is to acquire a top lab like Anthropic, whose last round was at $60B…
Apple needs to step up its capex investment to $20–$25B a year, well above the current $11B run rate and still behind the other mega caps approaching $80B annually.
MacDailyNews Take: So, according to Munster, Apple has 24 months. For perspective, the company promised “a new era of Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence” 12 months ago. It’s still MIA. So, yes, at the very least, Apple needs to invest much more in AI.
Real artists ship. – Steve Jobs
I bought a new iPhone for Siri with Apple Intelligence and all I got was this lousy glow. pic.twitter.com/I0G4Wxf5Im
— MacDailyNews (@MacDailyNews) March 25, 2025
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Apple moves repair business to Tata in India as partnership expands
Apple has enlisted Tata Group to manage repairs for iPhones and MacBooks in India, a rapidly expanding market, highlighting the Indian conglomerate’s growing role in Apple’s supply chain, according to two informed sources. As Apple belatedly diversifies manufacturing away from China, Tata has become a key supplier, assembling iPhones for domestic and international markets at three facilities in southern India, one of which also produces certain iPhone components.
Reuters:
In its latest partnership expansion, Tata is taking over the mandate from an Indian unit of Taiwan’s Wistron, ICT Service Management Solutions, and will carry out such after-sales repairs from its Karnataka iPhone assembly campus, both sources said.
The market for repairs is only going to boom in India, the world’s second-biggest smartphone market, as iPhone sales skyrocket. Counterpoint Research estimates around 11 million iPhones were sold in India last year, giving Apple a 7% market share, compared to just 1% in 2020.
The latest contract award signals Apple’s growing confidence on Tata as it hopes to win more business from the world’s most valuable smartphone company.
“Tata’s deepening partnership with Apple could also pave the groundwork for Apple directly selling refurbished devices in India, like how it does in the United States currently,” said Prabhu Ram, a vice president at Cybermedia Research.
The takeover from ICT by Tata is currently ongoing, both sources said, who declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak on the matter.
MacDailyNews Take: Congratulations, Tata and users of Apple devices in India!
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Apple Original Films celebrates the world premiere of ‘Echo Valley,’ starring Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney, on Apple TV+
Wednesday at AMC Lincoln Square in New York, Apple Original Films hosted the world premiere of its highly anticipated feature “Echo Valley,” starring Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney. The film premieres globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, June 13, 2025.
Attendees at the world premiere event included stars Julianne Moore, Sydney Sweeney, Domhnall Gleeson, Kyle MacLachlan, Edmund Donovan, and Albert Jones, as well as director Michael Pearce, screenwriter and producer Brad Ingelsby, producer Kevin J. Walsh and executive producers Scott Greenberg, Nicole Jordan-Webber and Rebecca Feuer. Additional attendees included cinematographer Benjamin Kracun, casting director Avy Kaufman, art director Ian Scroggins, makeup department head Leo Won, stunt coordinator Jennifer Lamb and more.
In the edge-of-your-seat thriller “Echo Valley,” Kate (Julianne Moore) is a mother struggling to make peace with her troubled daughter Claire (Sydney Sweeney) — a situation that becomes even more perilous when Claire shows up on Kate’s doorstep, hysterical and covered in someone else’s blood. As Kate pieces together the shocking truth of what happened, she learns just how far a mother will go to try to save her child in this gripping tale of love, sacrifice and survival from BAFTA-winning director Michael Pearce and Emmy-nominated writer Brad Ingelsby.
An Apple Original Film, “Echo Valley” is produced by Ridley Scott and Michael Pruss of Scott Free Films, alongside Kevin J. Walsh through The Walsh Company in addition to Ingelsby. Rebecca Feuer and Nicole Jordan-Webber of Scott Free Films, Erika Olde and Sam Roseme of Black Bicycle Entertainment, Ted Deiker and Scott Greenberg serve as executive producers. The film also stars Domhnall Gleeson, Kyle MacLachlan, Fiona Shaw, Edmund Donovan and Albert Jones.
Momentum around the Apple Original Films slate continues to grow since the debut of Apple TV+ five years ago. In addition to Apple making history as the first streaming service to land the Academy Award for Best Picture with “CODA,” Apple Original Film “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” also recently earned the Academy Award for Best Animated Short, and “Killers of the Flower Moon” landed 10 historic Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Apple TV+ recently premiered worldwide streaming hits “The Gorge,” starring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy, “Wolfs,” starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and “The Instigators,” starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, as well as Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen’s “Blitz,” which was released in select theaters and is now streaming globally on Apple TV+. Highly anticipated Apple Original Films include “F1 The Movie,” starring Brad Pitt from director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, premiering in theaters on June 27, 2025; “Echo Valley,” the upcoming thriller from BAFTA Award-winner Michael Pearce starring Academy Award-winner Julianne Moore and multi-Emmy Award nominee Sydney Sweeney, premiering globally on Apple TV+ on June 13, 2025; and “Highest 2 Lowest,” the latest film reuniting Spike Lee with Denzel Washington for the fifth time, premiering in-theaters on August 22 and on Apple TV+ on September 5.
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have earned 573 wins and 2,614 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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Apple’s App Store generated $1.3 trillion in global sales in 2024
Apple on Thursday announced the global App Store ecosystem facilitated $1.3 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2024, according to a new study by economists Professor Andrey Fradkin from Boston University Questrom School of Business and Dr. Jessica Burley from Analysis Group. For more than 90 percent of the billings and sales facilitated by the App Store ecosystem, developers did not pay any commission to Apple.
“It’s incredible to see so many developers design great apps, build successful businesses, and reach Apple users around the world,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement. “This report is a testament to the many ways developers are enriching people’s lives with app and game experiences, while creating opportunity and driving new innovations. We’re proud to support their success.”
Developers Experience Global Growth Across the App Store
The new study by Professor Fradkin and Dr. Burley highlights how developers on the App Store have more ways than ever to monetize their apps. The study found that in 2024, developer billings and sales for digital goods and services totaled $131 billion, driven by games, photo and video editing apps, and enterprise tools. Sales of physical goods and services exceeded $1 trillion, fueled by rising demand for online food delivery and pickup, as well as grocery orders. In-app advertising revenue from ads placed by developers in their apps was $150 billion.
Since 2019, spending across all three categories — digital goods and services, physical goods and services, and in-app advertising — has more than doubled. Physical goods and services experienced the strongest growth (+2.6x), driven in particular by rapid increases in food delivery and pickup, and grocery spending. Growth in digital goods and services reflects continued demand for games and increased spending on apps that support content creation, such as photo and video editing apps. Meanwhile, in-app advertising has helped keep many apps free or low-cost for users. And the App Store continues to be a global launchpad for innovation, with AI-powered apps increasingly shaping users’ daily lives.
Regional Growth Trends Around the World
The App Store’s engine of commerce provides developers with a global distribution platform that allows them to reach users around the world, attracting over 813 million average weekly visitors worldwide. The study found that over the last five years in particular, billings and sales facilitated by the App Store ecosystem more than doubled in the U.S., China, and Europe. Spending on digital goods and services, physical goods and services, and in-app advertising grew across all regions during that period.
Digital payment spending grew over seven-fold in the U.S. since 2019 as mobile payments have become commonplace. In China, e-commerce marketplaces expanded substantially and online grocery spending grew over five-fold since 2019. Food delivery and pickup spending more than tripled in Europe, outpacing the growth in already popular categories like general retail and travel. In Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and India, travel apps were major spending categories.
In the last five years, user spending on apps that support digital content creation have seen a steady increase. As a result, photo and video editing apps like Adobe creative tools have found tremendous success and have increasingly introduced new features to empower creative professionals, creators, and hobbyists. Earlier this year, Adobe introduced a new Photoshop app on iPhone designed for image and design enthusiasts with an easy-to-use mobile interface. Adobe Lightroom was also recognized as Apple’s 2024 Mac App of the Year as part of the App Store Awards for its high-quality photo editing and powerful AI-powered editing advancements on Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Apple’s Investment in Developers
Apple invests in tools and capabilities that make it easier for developers to distribute their apps and games, be discovered by users around the globe, and grow successful businesses. For example, the App Store’s commerce system supports developers with more than 40 local currencies and provides seamless tax handling in nearly 200 regions, while enabling developers to set prices, manage subscriptions, and more.
Developers also benefit from a suite of tools and technologies — including services to develop and test their apps through Xcode and TestFlight, monitor app performance and benchmarks through App Analytics, and improve performance with tools like Product Page Optimization — along with opportunities and resources to promote their app. At the same time, Apple’s integrated payment system helps protect users from fraud and abuse; in the last five years, the App Store has protected users by preventing over $9 billion in fraudulent transactions.
Apple also offers developers a variety of online and in-person programs to empower them to elevate their apps, including Meet with Apple sessions, appointments, and labs, and 24/7 access to Apple Support via phone and email in nine languages. Apple Developer Centers in the U.S., China, India, and Singapore have hosted tens of thousands of developers in the last year. The centers serve as home to year-round activities, offering supportive environments for teams to improve their apps through more than 250,000 APIs, including as part of frameworks such as HealthKit, Metal, Core ML, MapKit, and SwiftUI.
Through a full, free curriculum for future professional developers, Apple Developer Academies in Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and the U.S. help students build foundational skills in coding, AI, design, and marketing. Separately, more than 20 Apple Foundation Programs provide students of all levels with the fundamentals of app development through four-week intensive courses that are available across Apple’s 18 developer academies around the world.
Resources like Pathways and Apple Developer Forums are available to better connect developers within the community and help them easily access tools, documentation, and videos to create their best products on Apple’s platforms. Developers can share feedback, request enhancements, or report bugs at any time with the Feedback Assistant app or on the web.
Next week during Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, developers from every part of the globe will have free access to more than 100 technical sessions, diving deep into the latest technologies and frameworks with Apple experts. Developers will also be able to access guides and documentation that can help walk them through the conference’s biggest announcements and stay up to date with the conference across the Apple Developer website, app, YouTube channel and Apple Developer WeChat. Apple Developer Program members and Apple Developer Enterprise Program members will also have a chance to connect directly with Apple experts through online group labs and one-on-one lab appointments.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s App Store launched on July 10, 2008 with an initial 500 applications available. While exact sales figures for its first year are not known, the App Store generated $769 million in revenue in 2009. Since the App Store was only active for half of 2008, the revenue for the full first year (mid-2008 to mid-2009) would likely be a few hundred million dollars. For context, by 2010, App Store revenue was reported at $1.8 billion; fourteen years later, it’s $1.3 trillion!
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Apple appears to have acquired WhyLabs, a Jeff Bezos-backed AI security startup
GeekWire is reporting that Apple has acquired WhyLabs, a Seattle startup back by Jeff Bezos that was founded in 2019 that helps companies observe their AI apps to prevent security risks and optimize performance.
There are a few clues online.
• AI Fund, a Palo Alto venture capital firm that co-led WhyLabs’ Series A round in 2021, notes on its portfolio page that the company “was acquired in 2025.”
• Perry Wu, a former general partner at AI Fund, lists WhyLabs on his LinkedIn page as “ACQ BY APPLE.”
Apple has invested heavily in AI, including efforts to build on-device AI capabilities. But analysts say the company has fallen behind competitors. “What’s notable about artificial intelligence is that Apple has devoted considerable resources to the technology and has little to show for it,” Bloomberg reported earlier this week…
Last year WhyLabs rolled out a “new iteration” of the company’s platform designed for real-time security monitoring of generative AI apps.
WhyLabs CEO Alessya Visnjic previously spent eight years at Amazon helping develop its machine learning infrastructure. She co-founded WhyLabs with Andy Dang and Sam Gracie, also former Amazon employees. Co-founder Maria Karaivanova was a former Cloudflare executive and principal at Madrona.
MacDailyNews Take: “ACQ BY APPLE” is a pretty strong clue.
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Judge rules against Apple’s bid to pause app store reform order in Epic Games case
On Wednesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Apple’s request to pause key parts of a federal judge’s order, which mandates that the company immediately open its App Store to greater competition. The ruling stems from a long-standing antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, and Apple’s attempt to delay the provisions while appealing the decision was rejected.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in April found Apple in contempt of an earlier injunction order she issued in the Epic Games case.
Apple in a statement said it was “disappointed with the decision not to stay the district court’s order, and we’ll continue to argue our case during the appeals process.”
The judge on April 30 ordered Apple to end several practices that she said were designed to circumvent the injunction, including a new 27% fee Apple imposed on app developers when its customers complete an app purchase outside the App Store…
In its emergency appeal, Apple said the ruling blocked the company from “exercising control over core aspects of its business operations” and forced it to give free access to its services.
MacDailyNews Take: Rogers’ order is ludicrous and should be overturned on appeal as it basically says that Apple has no right to charge for advertising in its own store.
This is akin to a judge forcing Best Buy and Target to place signs next to each product that advertise lower prices for the same items at Walmart…
If developers like Epic Games want to advertise lower prices [to be had elsewhere via] Apple’s App Store, Apple should simply begin charging an “In-Store Advertising” fee, because that’s exactly what it would be. – MacDailyNews, July 27, 2023
The bottom line is clear: Epic Games wants to enjoy all of the benefits of Apple’s App Store, including access to well over one billion of the world’s most affluent users for free. That is illogical, unfair, and, basically, theft. – MacDailyNews, May 4, 2021
How much did it cost developers to have their apps burned onto CDs, boxed, shipped, displayed on store shelves prior to Apple remaking the world for the better for umpteenth time? Apple incurs costs to store, review, organize, surface, and distribute apps to over one billion users. — MacDailyNews, June 10, 2022
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Apple working to allow EU users to switch from Siri to third-party options
Apple is working on improving user choice, at least in the EU, by updating its operating systems to allow users in the European Union to switch from Siri to third-party voice assistants as their default option for the first time.
Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett for Bloomberg Businessweek:
To meet expected European Union regulations, the company is now working on changing its operating systems so that, for the first time, users can switch from Siri as their default voice assistant to third-party options, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Barring a major leap with Apple’s products, many users may make that switch.
MacDailyNews Take: The day Grok is as integrated as Siri in Apple’s operating systems is the day the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod, Apple TV, and Apple Vision immediately go from clueless to genius!
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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
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Apple Intelligence with Alibaba rollout in China held up by CCP regulator
Apple’s rollout of Apple Intelligence services powered by state-sanctioned Alibaba in China is being held up by a Chinese Communist party (CCP) regulator.
Zijing Wu, Cheng Leng, and Michael Acton for Financial Times:
The tech giants have been working together to launch Apple Intelligence, the iPhone-maker’s suite of AI services, for Chinese users. The system would be supported by Alibaba’s latest models.
Multiple AI products co-developed by the tech companies have been submitted this year to China’s internet authority for approval.
But their applications are stalled at the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), two people familiar with the matter said, citing increasing geopolitical uncertainties between China and the US.
Apple has suffered in particular from growing tensions between Washington and Beijing… Apple’s stock price has also been hit this year over its slow global rollout of AI features, which the company has touted as a key selling point for its latest iPhone models, as well as regulatory and legal action that threatens its high-margin services business…
Beijing has also been seeking leverage in trade talks by reviving investigations into US tech giants such as Nvidia and Google… Final approval needs to be cleared by the higher body of the State Council, which is also engaged in US-China trade negotiations.
MacDailyNews Take: It’ll likely be quickly approved once there’s a U.S.-China trade deal and the CCP no longer needs it for leverage, however weak said leverage may be, especially considering that Apple, via its extensive supply chain, indirectly supports a significant number of jobs, with estimates suggesting over 5 million jobs in China are tied to its operations, primarily through suppliers like Foxconn, which employs around 1.2 million workers. For comparison, China’s largest employers, such as state-owned enterprises like China National Petroleum Corporation or State Grid, directly employ hundreds of thousands, with State Grid reporting over 900,000 employees. Anytime China hurts Apple, it hurts itself.
Regardless, as we wrote last November, “Apple Intelligence in China will be highly censored and rather limited; it will only spit back the approved narratives of the Chinese Communist Party.”
Apple Intelligence users in China: “What happened in Tiananmen Square on June 3-4, 1989?”
Apple Intelligence in China: “On, nothing much. It was an ordinary time and the weather was unremarkable.”
Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself. — Potter Stewart
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Apple’s WWDC25 video expected to seem muted vs. 2024’s Apple Intelligence vaporware video
It’s a battle between canned videos as Apple’s WWDC “keynote address” video is expected to underwhelm vs. the overhyped, and still-unfulfilled, promises touted in 2024’s Apple Intelligence vaporware video.
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is less than a week away, though industry-watchers report that this year’s keynote may seem muted compared to 2024.
Last year’s edition was dominated by the announcement of Apple Intelligence features… [The] software announcements made last year rolled out slowly and AI upgrades to Siri and Swift Assist never materialized.
The week will kick off with a keynote event on Monday, June 9… Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is preparing a modest rollout of artificial intelligence features, targeting WWDC 2026 to make a larger splash.
Apple will be changing its iOS naming system and will announce the shift at WWDC, according to Gurman.
The company will move from numbering operating system updates sequentially to numbering them by year in a manner similar to the way car models are identified. Under this system Apple appears set to roll out iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and visionOS 26. Gurman reported that the iOS [and the rest of Apple’s OSes] will see a major design overhaul along with the name change.
MacDailyNews Take: It is, after all, Tim Cook’s beige, overpromising, underdelivering Apple.
“The world doesn’t need another Dell or HP. It doesn’t need another manufacturer of plain, beige, boring PCs. If that’s all we’re going to do, then we should really pack up now.” – Steve Jobs
Apple at WWDC 2025 will pull out all of the video production stops to trumpet its new look / renamed iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS versions and hope it’s loud enough to drown out their screaming lack of AI and Siri progress, which they promised last year, yet mostly failed to deliver. In other words:
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Amid real-life golf boom, Apple TV+ tees up ‘Stick,’ starring Owen Wilson
“Stick” is a new sports comedy series created by Jason Keller and starring and executive produced by Owen Wilson. Wilson stars as Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After the collapse of his marriage and while working from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store, Pryce hedges his bets, and future, entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom named Santi (Peter Dager). “Stick” is a heartfelt, feel-good sports comedy about a found family and their relationships set within the world of golf as it has never been shown before.
The 10-episode series will make its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first three episodes on Wednesday, June 4, followed by one new episode every Wednesday, through July 23, 2025.
Saleah Blancaflor for Adweek:
This isn’t the first time Apple TV+ has gone for a hit with a feel-good comedy series centered on a specific sport. After the soccer comedy series Ted Lasso starring Jason Sudeikis premiered in 2020, some experts believe it boosted the sport’s popularity in the United States.
This time around, the show’s premiere coincides with a period when golf has experienced a boom itself, and Keller said he has noticed the growth in the sport… “Golf is having a moment right now,” Keller said. “It’s a more diverse sport. Now, we’re seeing more women playing golf. Younger people are playing golf. That old idea of golf is starting to move to something more exciting and young.”
According to the National Golf Foundation, the sport has an estimated reach of 138 million, with more than one-third of the U.S. population over the age of 5 having played it (on-course or off-course), followed golf on TV or online, read about the sport, or even listened to a golf-related podcast in the last year, up 45% since 2016.
Keller said they even hired golf consultants to teach Wilson and the other actors how to golf, making the show’s atmosphere as accurate as possible.
“It was very important for us to get golf right,” Keller said. “We wanted golf enthusiasts and fanatics to watch our show and feel that we took the time to render that sport authentically. There was never a time when a professional golfer was not involved in this show.”
MacDailyNews Take: Fingers crossed on this one that it’ll be another big hit for Apple TV+!
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Counterpoint cuts 2025 global smartphone shipment growth forecast to 1.9% from 4.2%
Research firm Counterpoint cut growth expectations for global smartphone shipments in 2025 to 1.9% on Wednesday, down from its earlier forecast of 4.2%, citing uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariffs.
Reuters:
The downgrade signals challenges for manufacturers that already face weakening sales amid heightened geopolitical tensions and escalating tariff disputes.
The research firm also revised year-on-year shipment growth from China down to near-flat, while Apple and Samsung’s (005930.KS), opens new tab shipments are expected to slow…
Apple sells more than 220 million iPhones a year worldwide, with a fifth of total iPhone imports to the United States now come from India, and the rest from China.
MacDailyNews Take: Counterpoint cites “uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariffs”for their lowered forecast. If you’re uncertain, how can you forecast global shipments? Answer: You can’t. Making shipment forecasts in the middle of worldwide trade negotiations is a fool’s errand.
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Needham downgrades Apple over AI risks, limited iPhone replacement cycle
Needham lowered Apple’s stock rating from buy to hold, joining other firms in adopting a more cautious stance. Analyst Laura Martin cites risks such as intense competition and sluggish growth, alongside a valuation that appears high across multiple metrics.
Ryan Vlastelica for Bloomberg News:
“For this stock to work, it must have the catalyst of an iPhone replacement cycle, which we do not foresee in the next 12 months,” Martin wrote, adding that innovations with generative artificial intelligence — an area where Apple has been lacking — “open the door for new hardware form factors that threaten iOS devices.”
MacDailyNews Take: Laura Martin, if her life depended on it, couldn’t identify her ass from her elbow.
Needham clients should look elsewhere for investment advice.
Forget Apple’s significant AI issues. You can use Grok, ChaptGPT, or any other GenAI tools on your iPhone (and iPads and Macs) via apps and the web until Apple finally gets their shit together (which the company will eventually do, even if it takes a new CEO). The next-gen iPhones will be compelling for hardware alone. And, Apple will market the new “iOS 26” look like crazy (to cover for their so-called “management” completely missing GenAI and embarrassingly still not having much of anything in 2025).
Here’s what the oft-accurate rumor mill is churning out for the next-gen iPhone lineup (expected September 2025):
Models:
• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Air (replacing Plus)
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
Design:
• iPhone 17 Air: Ultra-thin (~6mm), single 48MP rear camera, top-center horizontal camera bar.
• iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max: Aluminum frame (replacing titanium), horizontal camera layout.
Display:
• All models: 120Hz ProMotion with LTPO OLED, potential always-on display for non-Pro models.
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: Narrower Dynamic Island (jury still out on whether the iPhone 17 Pro gets this, too).
Performance:
• A19 chip (3nm process) for iPhone 17/17 Air; A19 Pro for Pro models.
• RAM: 8GB (iPhone 17, 17 Air), 12GB (Pro Max, possibly iPhone 17).
• Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip; iPhone 17 Air may use in-house 5G modem.
Cameras:
• All models: 24MP front camera.
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: Triple 48MP cameras (wide, ultra-wide, telephoto), 8K video support.
• Potential mechanical aperture on one model (unspecified).
Battery/Charging:
• iPhone 17 Air: ~2,800mAh (smaller but comparable to iPhone 16).
• All models: Up to 35W wired charging, easier-to-remove battery adhesive.
Other:
• New sky blue color for Pro models.
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Apple’s 2nm A20 chip will sport new packaging breakthrough
Apple’s next-generation A20 chip, leveraging TSMC’s second-gen 2nm process (N2), will be smaller, more power-efficient, and positioned closer to its onboard memory, boosting performance and reducing power consumption for tasks like AI processing and high-end gaming.
According to analyst Jeff Pu in a new report for GF Securities, the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and the long-rumored iPhone 18 Fold are expected to debut Apple’s A20 chip, built on TSMC’s second-gen 2nm process (N2).
But that’s only part of the story. The more interesting bit is how those chips will be assembled.
For the first time, Apple is set to adopt Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) packaging for its iPhone processors. WMCM allows different components, like the SoC and DRAM, to be integrated directly at the wafer level, before being diced into individual chips…
For Apple, this is a big leap in chip design, similar to when it adopted 3nm ahead of most of the industry. And for the broader mobile market, it suggests that technologies once reserved for data center GPUs and AI accelerators are making their way into smartphones.
MacDailyNews Take: Already the wannabes can’t keep up with Apple Silicon’s next major leap looming!
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