Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote had a lot of fanfare about its new «Liquid Glass» interface for iOS 26, iPads, Macs and Apple TV, but beyond that there was very little that got me excited. In fact, it felt like one of the most underwhelming Apple events I’ve covered in my 14 years as a CNET journalist. That’s not a good sign. What I can say with confidence is that Apple really needs to make a big splash with the iPhone 17 when it launches in September. 

It wasn’t that Apple did anything especially wrong with its announcements. I actually liked most of them. The new Liquid Glass design language is arguably in a similar vein to Windows Vista, but it’s nice to see iOS get a bit of a refresh, as it’s felt a little stale for a while now. But, it’s hardly groundbreaking, nor will it change how we interact with our phones.

Some of the new features the company announced — such as the call screening tool or the screenshot search function that uses Apple’s Visual Intelligence — are nice to see, but they’re basically the same as Android’s call screening tool and Circle to Search, so it’s difficult to get excited. Ditto for the glossy icons now coming to TVOS and the new pointer in iPadOS. Even Apple’s Senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi seemed to know they had nothing much to shout about: «A pointier pointer? Who’d have thought!» he quipped. 

Fine, I like the windows in iPadOS. But that’s one of the only things in the whole presentation that piqued my interest. I sat up with anticipation when Apple talked about the new Games app, thumbs already twitching with the excitement about new titles I might be playing thanks to new platforms or new advances in Apple’s Metal graphics engine. But no, it’s just an easier way to view your games and see your friend’s high scores. Big deal. 

I’m left feeling a little deflated by the lack of excitement overall, so I’m forced instead to look towards September, when we expect to see the iPhone 17 unveiled. It needs to be a big one. It needs some real razzle dazzle. And not just for me, but for Apple, too.

The iPhone 16 is a great phone, but its biggest new feature was a new button for the camera that still feels a bit…weird. Last year saw the grand unveiling of Apple Intelligence, which so far has been a huge letdown, with Federighi stating that more information on Apple Intelligence’s updates will be shared «in the coming year.» In short, it feels like Apple needs a win. 

The iPhone 17 could be that win. Early rumors point to upgraded cameras with advanced video features for creators, along with the potential for a slimmer iPhone Air that would compete with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. Will this be the year we see a foldable iPhone? Almost certainly not, but it’d definitely be something more exciting to hear about during a long keynote. 

Maybe I’m being too harsh, and I’m just a bit jaded after 14 years of covering Apple events. Maybe I’m grumpy because its keynote started at 6 p.m. in my UK time zone, effectively pushing back my dinner and making me wait for food. Or maybe Apple did need to put a bit more meat on the plate and prove that its biggest announcements of the year aren’t just style over substance.