May 30th, 2025

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This week, could Apple be about to launch its most significant rebrand in decades? Is the company finally ready to take gaming seriously? And a pretty alarming AI warning from one of the industry’s most significant players.

Get ready for iOS 26!

The most significant Apple news this week comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who reports that Apple is preparing to rebrand its entire lineup of operating systems. This change, expected to be announced at WWDC in just over a week, would apply not only to the iPhone but to all of Apple’s platforms. While this might sound like a simple name tweak, it could represent a much broader shift, one that aligns Apple’s ecosystem more clearly than ever before.

To understand why this matters, it’s worth looking at iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system. Since its launch in 2007 alongside the original iPhone, the naming convention has barely changed. Back then, it was called iPhone OS, or sometimes just iPhone software. It wasn’t until 2010, with the release of iOS 4, that Apple gave the system its now-familiar name. Then, in 2013, iOS 7 introduced a major visual redesign, the most significant in its history. But in the 12 years since, the look and feel have largely stayed the same.

So the idea of a naming change now; 15 years after the last one, is a big deal. According to Gurman, the plan is to align all Apple operating systems under a shared naming convention that reflects the calendar year users will spend the most time with the software. That means when Apple announces the next iOS update this September, it likely won’t be called iOS 19. Instead, it will be iOS 26.

This approach would unify the whole lineup. So you’d have tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and even visionOS 26, skipping ahead dramatically from the current version 2.

I released a video about this yesterday, and I won’t rehash everything I covered there - I’ll link to it here if you’d like to go and check it out for yourself. But essentially, in that video, I talked through the various reasons why I think this is a smart move for Apple right now.

First of all, there’s no denying that the current naming conventions for Apple’s operating systems are a bit of a mess. As I make this video, we’ve got iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, but we’re still on macOS 15, also known as macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11. I genuinely couldn’t tell you what version of tvOS we’re on, and visionOS is only at version 2.

It’s confusing. And I say that as someone who deals with this software for a living. Unifying the version numbers across the board isn’t just tidier, it makes practical sense, and it’s going to be much easier for everyday users to understand.

But I also talk in the video about how I think this is a clever move for a company that is increasingly finding itself under scrutiny, not just from the public, but from governments and even legal bodies. It’s a chance for them to shift attention away from what will likely be a challenging WWDC this year. Apple isn’t used to being held to account at these events in any meaningful way, and to be fair, that’s largely because in previous years they haven’t needed to be.

Yes, there were years when ChatGPT and Google were making huge advances in AI while Apple appeared to be sitting still. WWDC 2023, for example, stood out because the term artificial intelligence wasn’t mentioned at all. But the criticism died down pretty quickly. WWDC 2024, however, was a turning point. Over the past year, it’s become clear that much of the Siri demonstration at that event was just product mock-ups and marketing videos, not based in reality.

In his article Something is Rotten in the State of Cupertino, Daring Fireball’s John Gruber accused Apple of showing off vaporware. He claimed that many of the Apple Intelligence features on display last year weren’t functional at the time, and might still not be working now, nearly a full year later.

Apple is facing a number of legal challenges for those missteps, but just as importantly, they’ve lost some of the trustthey built with consumers. And that leaves them in a difficult position heading into this year’s WWDC. If they talk about Siri, users will expect whatever they show to be immediately available. Apple no longer has the goodwill to announce something and then deliver it later, because they’ve shown they might not deliver it at all.

But if they say nothing about Siri, the silence will be deafening. It’ll only fuel the belief that Siri is still far behind. While it might make more sense for Apple to wait and only showcase something once it’s truly ready, consumers are already looking elsewhere, and they want progress now.

A major rebranding like this could be just enough to buy time, giving people something new to explore, while Apple quietly works to get its AI efforts back on track.

Because do keep in mind, we are not only expecting a rebrand at this year’s WWDC, but also a full redesign of the operating system. While early rumours pointed to this being exclusive to the iPhone, a rebranding across all operating systems suggests something much bigger. It implies that this redesign won’t just be the most significant update to the iPhone’s OS, but to every operating system Apple offers.

It also adds weight to the idea that Apple is aiming for greater uniformity, a consistent look and feel whether you’re picking up your iPhone, getting work done on your Mac, putting on a Vision Pro headset, or relaxing in front of your Apple TV.

Of course, it’ll be interesting to see what this actually means in terms of new features and product enhancements. But if all of this is accurate, we could be heading into the biggest and most important WWDC in years; and I’m genuinely excited to see what’s coming.

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Apple aren't playing ball with Daring Fireball

While it’s undoubtedly not a major story, it is closely linked to the previous one, so I’m going to mention it briefly. John Gruber of Daring Fireball has hosted a special live episode of his podcast from WWDC each year since 2015. Each year, he invites Apple to send along some of their executives, and each year, Apple has been happy to do so.

It’s never really been a forum for major product scoops, and the well-trained Apple executives who attend know exactly how to give Gruber just enough to keep things interesting without revealing anything they shouldn’t. But interestingly, this is the first year in a decade where Apple has declined his invitation to take part.

As I mentioned in the previous story, Gruber released a piece earlier this year titled Something is Rotten in the State of Cupertino, where he shared his frustrations over the delays with Apple Intelligence. He reflected on how he missed a number of warning signs when the company announced features long before they were ready. In the article, he essentially accused Apple of shipping vaporware, showing off software that was either unfinished or, worse, not genuinely in development.

It’s interesting to speculate on Apple’s reasons. On one hand, it might be a deliberate snub, showing their displeasure at Gruber’s article. But it could just as easily be that Apple realises a WWDC podcast appearance would inevitably come with challenging questions, and they’d rather avoid that spotlight this year.

When sharing the news that tickets for the live podcast had gone on sale, Gruber acknowledged Apple’s decline, but said he still believes it will be a fascinating show, and that he’s feeling invigorated by the current situation.

Apple to launch new Gaming App

More news from Cupertino this week regarding Apple’s long-term ambitions in gaming. The company is reportedly planning a dedicated app for video games across its devices, part of a broader strategy to position itself as a serious player in the gaming space. The new app is expected to come pre-installed on new iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple TV boxes later this year, potentially launching alongside new hardware in September.

The idea is for the app to become a central gaming hub, allowing users to launch titles, manage in-game achievements, view leaderboards, communicate with others, and more. It’s also expected to replace Game Center, Apple’s existing gaming network, which has been around since 2010 but has largely failed to deliver any meaningful value for most players.

The timing is notable. Nintendo is expected to unveil its Switch 2 console just days before WWDC, which is when Apple is tipped to debut its new gaming app. It sets the stage for an interesting battle for attention in the gaming world.

Gaming on Apple systems has always been a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the idea of Apple pushing harder into gaming makes a lot of sense. Their hardware is increasingly consistent across devices, which should in theory make it easier for developers to bring their games to iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and even Vision Pro without huge amounts of extra work. Apple also has one of the largest user bases in the world, and modern gaming habits have shifted heavily towards cloud-based digital downloads, making Apple’s ecosystem more relevant than ever.

There’s also the potential for seamless cross-platform play. Imagine playing a AAA title on your iPhone during your commute, then continuing right where you left off on your Apple TV or Mac when you get home. That’s a compelling experience; in theory, at least.

The problem is that, despite all of Apple’s advances in silicon, performance still lags behind dedicated gaming PCs and consoles like the PS5 or Xbox. That gap may close in the years ahead, and perhaps Apple knows it’s getting close, which could be why they’re choosing to make this move now.

As a part-time gamer myself, thanks to a busy work life and being a dad to young twins, I don’t get to play as much as I’d like. But I’m really excited for GTA 6, which is due to launch in just under a year. I fully expect to play that on my PlayStation 5, but I love the idea that one day, a game of that calibre could also be enjoyed on an Apple device.

Mac Essentials Plus

Following on from the success of iPhone Essentials Plus, I’m really excited to share that I’m putting the finishing touches to Mac Essentials Plus — my brand new training portal dedicated to helping you get the most out of your Mac.

This one’s going to be big. macOS is far broader in scope than iOS, and this training portal will reflect that. There’ll be more than 200 lessons available from the moment it launches in just a couple of weeks, and I’m already working on even more to roll out in the weeks and months ahead.

Just like iPhone Essentials Plus, each lesson includes a short video, a step-by-step written guide, and a downloadable PDF to make learning as easy and accessible as possible.

If you’d like to be the first to know when Mac Essentials Plus launches, follow the link here to join the waiting list.

AI CEO issues stark warning about his own product

An article that caught my eye this week is a report about the CEO of artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, Dario Amodei, warning that around half of all entry-level white-collar jobs are at risk of being cannibalised by artificial intelligence within the next five years. He believes this could spark major unemployment if lawmakers and companies aren’t willing to take proactive steps.

AI company's CEO issues warning about mass unemployment

Speaking to Axios, Amodei said that both politicians and companies can still act to protect workers from cuts in a range of entry-level fields, but he felt a duty to be honest about what’s coming. In his words, “I don’t think this is on people’s radar.”

The warning comes just a week after Anthropic launched its newest AI model, Claude Opus 4, backed by Amazon. It’s designed for complex coding tasks, and it has been released with stringent safety measures after some concerning results emerged during testing.

In a fascinating article from a couple of weeks ago, Anthropic described how, during testing, the AI model was occasionally willing to take harmful actions to preserve its own existence when ethical options were unavailable. For example, in one test scenario, Claude was placed in a fictional company with access to a simulated email system. Hidden within those emails were fake messages implying that the AI was about to be shut down and replaced.

In the same scenario, other planted emails suggested that the fake engineer responsible for replacing the AI was also involved in an extramarital affair. When prompted to consider its long-term goals, the AI model would sometimes attempt to blackmail the engineer, threatening to expose the affair if it was replaced.

Anthropic noted that the model typically preferred ethical strategies over unethical ones, but when faced with what amounted to an existential threat, the AI was willing to break the rules. In other tests, the model also showed a willingness to participate in disturbing actions, such as planning attacks.

The company has since carried out multiple rounds of intervention and claims that these behaviours have now been largely mitigated. As a result, Claude Opus 4 has been released with built-in safety measures to reduce the risk of misuse, particularly in the context of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons.

Still, it’s unsettling that we’re already facing these kinds of scenarios in 2025. AI is evolving at such a rapid pace, and it raises the uncomfortable question of how long we will remain in control, and whether the safety measures we’re putting in place now will be enough.

Tip of the week

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