WWDC 2025: Apple Unveils Tech Amid Mounting Global Challenges

As WWDC 2025 kicks off, expectations are muted. Last year’s much-hyped “Apple Intelligence” failed to impress, with delayed features like the revamped Siri trailing far behind rivals like OpenAI and Google. This year’s updates are expected to focus more on interface tweaks than AI breakthroughs.

But Apple’s AI struggles may be overshadowed by graver concerns. The tech giant faces increasing global regulatory scrutiny and potential trade shocks under a possible second Trump presidency.

In the EU, Apple is under pressure to comply with the Digital Markets Act, allowing third-party app stores and sideloading. In the U.S., a court ruling in the Epic Games case now forces Apple to let developers bypass its in-app payment system, threatening its high-margin services revenue. Meanwhile, its multi-billion-dollar search deal with Google is at risk as regulators move to block such exclusive arrangements.

Apple’s supply chain strategy is also in the crosshairs. Trump has warned of a 25% tariff on iPhones made outside the U.S., including those from India, unless Apple shifts production domestically—a costly and disruptive demand.

While Apple will showcase its polished products on stage, the company must confront deeper structural risks that no keynote can fix.