Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which commences with a keynote address on Monday at 1 pm ET from its Cupertino headquarters, is a critical event for the tech giant. Following two years of underwhelming announcements, Apple is under pressure to deliver a significant update to its software offerings and regain its innovative edge. The iPhone manufacturer is anticipated to unveil enhancements to its Apple Intelligence suite of AI features, including new translation capabilities and improvements to its devices, such as the iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch. The much-hyped Vision Pro headset and Apple Intelligence AI tools, which were announced in the previous two years, have failed to meet expectations. The Vision Pro, marketed as the future of computing, has struggled to gain traction due to its high price point and limited appeal. Apple Intelligence features, which were criticized for being reactive to competitors, have been slow to roll out and the AI-enhanced Siri, which was promised at last year’s WWDC, has been delayed indefinitely. In the interim, competitors have made significant strides in AI. Google, for instance, recently announced a range of updates, including advanced AI search, shopping, and productivity capabilities. The intense AI competition, coupled with Apple’s ongoing challenges, such as slowing iPhone sales growth and the looming trade war, make this year’s WWDC a pivotal moment for the company. Apple boasts a vast installed base of over 2 billion active devices. While it may not be the first to introduce a software innovation, the sheer number of users could still make Apple’s version a significant player in the market. However, the delay in launching its AI-enhanced Siri has raised concerns among some industry experts that consumers may start to explore other companies’ devices for more advanced AI features. “Suppose you’re an influencer, and you switch to a Samsung phone or a Google Pixel phone, and you say, ‘I’m done with my Apple phone. This is real AI, and I love it,'” Baird Managing Director Ted Mortonson told CNN. “That’s what Apple risks: iOS displacement and people saying it’s no longer cool.” Despite the pressure, Apple is expected to announce updates to its Apple Intelligence system. According to Forrester senior analyst Andrew Cornwall, these updates are likely to be at least on par with earlier versions of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Here are some of the major updates Apple is rumored to be announcing at WWDC on Monday: – An AirPods update that enables live translation for in-person conversations, making them more competitive with rival products like Google’s Pixel Buds and Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. – Automatic translation in messages, along with support for conducting polls within the messages app. Apple Intelligence Updates: Apple faces intense pressure to demonstrate that Apple Intelligence justifies the investment in a new iPhone or Mac. Based on reports, Apple is expected to build on its previous announcements rather than unveiling massive new AI updates. Among the most significant updates Apple is anticipated to make is opening its AI models to third-party developers, allowing users