Apple Under Pressure to Shine After AI Stumble

Tech titan overpromised features; former iPhone designer is out to create rival device

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SAN FRANCISCO - Pressure is on Apple to show it has not lost its magic despite broken promises to ramp up iPhones with generative artificial intelligence as rivals race ahead with the technology.

Apple will showcase plans for its coveted devices and the software powering them at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicking off on June 9 in Silicon Valley.

The event comes a year after the tech titan said a suite of AI features it dubbed "Apple Intelligence" was heading for iPhones, including an improvement of its much criticised Siri voice assistant.

"Apple advertised a lot of features as if they were going to be available, and it just didn't happen," noted eMarketer senior analyst Gadjo Sevilla.

Instead, Apple delayed the roll-out of the Siri upgrade, with hopes that it will be available in time for the next iPhone release, expected in autumn.

Industry insiders will be watching to see whether Apple addresses the AI stumble or focuses on less splashy announcements, including a rumoured overhaul of its operating systems for its line of devices.