Inside WWDC 2025 & Apple's Year-Long Siri Delay w/ Mark Gurman - Geared Up 208 [1:02:40]

YouTube ^ | June 17, 2025 | Geared Up

[SunkenCiv]

Hosts: Andru Edwards & Jon Rettinger | Guest: Mark Gurman 

Inside WWDC 2025 & Apple's Year-Long Siri Delay w/ Mark Gurman - Geared Up 208 | 1:02:40 
Geared Up | 2.89K subscribers | 8,393 views | June 17, 2025

 

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TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: ai; andruedwards; apple; craigfederighi; finances; investing; jonrettinger; markgurman; podcast; siri; wwdc

[SunkenCiv]

CHAPTERS 
00:00 - Mark Gurman on WWDC 2025 
02:17 - Gurman on Being a Main Source for Apple News 
03:17 - Thoughts on WWDC 2025 
04:57 - Apple's AI Story at WWDC 2025 
07:32 - Joanna Stern's Craig & Joz Interview 
08:30 - How Apple Botched Siri 
14:53 - What Does an AI Win Look Like for Apple? 
16:37 - Are Apple's Expectations of AI Too High? 
17:47 - When Apple Decided to Delay the New Siri Features 
21:15 - Is Apple Going to Constantly Be Playing AI Catch-Up? 
22:39 - Apple's Reliance on OpenAI & ChatGPT 
24:57 - Is There a Danger to Apple Relying on 3rd Party Models? 
27:25 - How Close Were We To Getting Round Icons in iOS 26? 
28:12 - iPhone 17 Redesign Details 
31:13 - When Will iPhone Pro Get Good Colors? 
32:10 - What Has Mark Gurman Reported That Shocked Him? 
34:14 - Which Product Category Will Apple End Next? 
35:24 - Upcoming HomePod / Home Pad Device 
36:47 - iPhone Foldable & 20th Anniversary iPhone 
38:22 - How is Liquid Glass Designed for iPhone 20? 
41:20 - The Future of Apple Vision Pro 
44:18 - Thoughts on Apple Liquid Glass Announcement 
48:53 - Touchscreen Macs are Coming 
51:03 - iPadOS 26 Teases A Foldable 
52:09 - iPadOS 26 Was a Long Time Coming 
53:47 - Trying the Jupiter Environment in Apple Vision Pro 
55:27 - OpenAI + Jonny Ive's Upcoming AI Device

[SunkenCiv]

[snip] Apple's AI ambitions hit a major speed bump at WWDC this year. From last-minute delays on Siri features to Mark Gurman's revelations about internal alarm bells, this episode takes you behind the scenes of Apple's AI crisis. We'll break down how Craig Federighi's hands-on testing exposed critical flaws and why Apple's lean investment strategy may have backfired.

The conversation reveals how internal decisions, such as delaying AI feature rollouts by a full year, signaled a broader leadership disconnect within the company. Federighi's own tests showed a startling disparity between what was promised and what was actually working. That gap in execution has placed Apple behind rivals like Google and OpenAI.

What role does Tim Cook play in this? As the CEO, his direction - or lack thereof - has now come under scrutiny. The podcast unpacks how executive decisions from the top have rippled across departments, affecting everything from product timelines to public trust. Apple's frugal approach, while often seen as financially prudent, may have hindered critical innovation.

We also dive into what Apple's AI roadmap must look like to stay competitive. From launching a working Siri upgrade to developing a true chatbot under the internal codename "Knowledge," Apple needs a foundational reboot in how it views and builds AI experiences. Failure to act swiftly could result in a loss of consumer and developer confidence.

Whether you're a tech enthusiast, Apple watcher, or concerned investor, this episode sheds light on the high-stakes decisions shaping Apple's future in AI. With clear takeaways and expert insights, it's your best guide to understanding how Apple can, and must, course-correct. [/snip]

[ETCM]

Apple’s iPhone AI, called Apple Intelligence, is a complete flop so far. After pushing it out in late 2024, it’s still considered Beta, and thus far is complete garbage. Everyone I know with an iPhone has disabled it. Siri is crippled with it enabled.

I don’t get much use of AI, other than occasional use of Grok or ChatGPT using their browser interfaces. But the Mrs uses it a lot in her daily work, mostly Microsoft Copilot. That system is very effective, and integrated into pretty much all the microsoft’s planning and productivity apps. Copilot significantly increases her productivity. That is the direction Apple needs to go, particularly if they expect corporations to stick with iPhone.

[SunkenCiv]

They're pushing their iPads, which are already the top sellers in that space. Until Apple integrates its iPad and iPhone lines, its a pointless format for most people, imho. That's particularly true for older folks (e.g., me) who appreciate larger text and less tiny zones for big fingertips.

OTOH, I have family members who like the iPad (being frugal, they bought the base model after trying it out a loaner with a hotspot; they had a classic Mac ages ago but never replaced it with anything after it croaked out) but they have 'droid phones.

[mass55th]

I wouldn’t use it if my iPhone had it on it. I never used Siri or Alexa on my Kindle. Shut them off the first day I got the devices. There is nothing either one of them can do for me, that I can’t do myself. At almost 78, I lead a very simple life by choice.

[HonkyTonkMan]

I don't use it, but Apple didn't botch Siri. Consider other voice assistants: Alexa and Bixby. Novel at first, but adoption/usage dropping

I appreciate Apple's approach to AI by not forcing it on users. They have quietly built in features into existing apps and prioritized privacy.

Do we really want a hardware device/smart phone managed like the AI tech bros run startups?

[SunkenCiv]

I try to use Siri. The best feature of Apple Carplay is the maps, and it works for me perhaps 1 out of 3 attempts.

First time I ever used it was to find out how much farther to get to the bridge — this on the day I picked up the new car. It referred me to some bridge with a completely different name in Wisconsin. Turned out I was about three miles from the bridge.

I can’t compare Siri with Alexa or the ‘droid option, but Siri’s a joke.

[SunkenCiv]

For a while it seemed to me as if AI was obstructing Google search results, and as it seems to have improved, that’s probably not wrong.

Brave search is what I usually use, and the AI summary that sometimes arrives along with the links is often not bad. Google’s AI summary tends to be not as good.

It would be nice to have a way to toggle those on when needed.

While I’m wishing for stuff, it would be nice if the Google maps had a consistent interface to switch in and out of Street View. It’s odd and a little stupid that it doesn’t.

[mass55th]

I use Bing to do searches on my MacBook Air via Safari. The main reason I use it is to earn points for Amazon gift cards. I don’t have Goggle installed on it, nor on my iPhone. I rarely use my phone for anything more than phone calls and the occasional text message.

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, with mobile phones, actually making calls has become more and more of an afterthought. I prefer text messages because I don’t have to be right next to the phone all the time and I’ve got a ‘written’ version of the ‘call’.

[HonkyTonkMan]

Carplay is fantastic, but I remember when Apple Maps was not great. Now it’s all I use. No more waze, garmin, etc.