Apple’s 2025 keynote presented two very different timelines for innovation. For hardware, the future is now, with the launch of the remarkably thin iPhone Air and upgraded accessories. But for its core artificial intelligence, specifically a revamped Siri, the future is still “next year,” creating a disconnect in the company’s forward-looking vision.
CEO Tim Cook and his team confidently presented the new hardware as the cutting edge of technology. The 5.6mm titanium iPhone Air was hailed as a “new standard,” and the new AirPods and Apple Watch were packed with tangible, ready-to-use features like live translation and hypertension alerts. These products are available for purchase within days.
In stark contrast, the story for transformative AI is one of continued waiting. Cook’s recent acknowledgment that a “more personalized Siri” is still in progress, with a release promised for next year, confirms a significant delay. This puts Apple’s software intelligence on a separate, slower track than its physical products.
This dual-timeline approach highlights Apple’s current strengths and weaknesses. It remains a world-class hardware engineering company, but it is struggling to keep pace with the rapid advancements in AI that are defining the next era of computing. For now, customers get a slick new phone, but the truly intelligent assistant to go with it remains on the horizon.
Picture Credit: www.heute.at
