Apple WWDC 2026 demos shift style after $250M false ad settlement
10 reported
Apple’s 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference keynote focused on fixes to previous features rather than new announcements, including an overhauled Siri two years after it was promised. The company demonstrated many AI features using pre-taped videos of someone using a phone in real time, a shift from the slickly produced 2024 demos that later faced a false advertising lawsuit. Apple agreed last month to pay a $250 million settlement on that suit without admitting wrongdoing. The new Siri will be available through iOS 27 on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and all iPhone 16 models and later, according to the company. Apple also said the features will be available across its broader hardware lineup, including iPads, Macs, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Watches when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone.
What’s reported
Apple’s 2026 WWDC keynote detailed fixes to last year’s “Liquid Glass” design, an overhaul of its search function, and improvements to its Playground feature.
Apple showed an overhauled version of its AI-powered Siri two years after promising but failing to launch a smarter Siri.
Many Apple Intelligence demos were pre-taped videos of someone using a phone in real time, rather than live onstage demos.
Comments on X on Monday compared the 2026 demos to 2024 “vaporware” demos.
In March 2025, Apple told Daring Fireball that rolling out features shown in 2024 videos “was going to take us longer than we thought to deliver.”
Apple faced a federal lawsuit alleging false advertising over features shown at the 2024 event.
Last month, Apple agreed to pay a $250 million settlement on the suit without admitting wrongdoing.
The new Siri will be available through iOS 27 on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and all iPhone 16 models and later.
The current model is the iPhone 17, meaning most users who upgraded in the past couple of years won’t need new hardware.
Apple said the new features will be available across iPad mini (A17 Pro), iPad models with M1 or later, MacBook Neo (A18 Pro), Mac models with M1 or later, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch Series 10 or later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, and Apple Watch SE 3 when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone.
Key figures
Apple (company)
Daring Fireball (publication)
Sources: TechCrunch
