Tech giants are playing an epic game of AI musical chairs, and Apple just found itself without a seat. At this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the Silicon Valley darling tried to remind everyone they’re still relevant with iOS 26 and a fancy new “Liquid Glass” design that sounds more like a hipster cocktail than a software update.

Apple CEO Tim Cook strutted onto the stage, promising a “seamless and enjoyable” product experience - tech speak for “we’re totally not falling behind”. The big reveal? A translucent design aesthetic that makes menus look like they’ve been dunked in sparkling water, with icons getting a more curved, softer look. Revolutionary? Maybe not. Aesthetic? Definitely.

The Siri Struggle Is Real

The elephant in the room was Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant that’s been about as intelligent as a confused houseplant. Craig Federighi, Apple’s software exec, basically admitted they’re still workshopping Siri’s AI capabilities, promising improvements… sometime next year. Talk about keeping us in suspense.

The AI Arms Race

While Google and Samsung are going full cyberpunk with AI integration, Apple is taking the scenic route. Their strategy seems to be: slow and steady wins the race. Or in Silicon Valley terms, “we’re carefully calibrating while others are wildly innovating”.

Ironically, Apple’s stock has taken a 20% nosedive this year, dropping from world’s most valuable company to third place. Guess those “incremental advances” aren’t impressing Wall Street.

Bottom line: iOS 26 feels less like a tech breakthrough and more like a software facelift. But hey, at least the icons look pretty.