At its WWDC 2025 keynote address, Apple concluded with a unique performance by singer-songwriter Allen Stone, who transformed glowing App Store reviews into lyrics for his song titled “6 out of 5 stars.”
This light-hearted tribute, however, stood in stark contrast to the underlying tensions within Apple’s developer community.
While Apple celebrated its relationship with developers, it overlooked the challenges faced by this vital group in recent years, including regulatory hurdles, litigation, and ongoing criticisms of its App Store policies.
Over the past few years, Apple has been embroiled in fierce battles over its App Store practices, facing lawsuits from developers like Epic Games, which has resulted in significant changes to its policies.
Despite these tumultuous events, the company did not address why developers should continue placing their trust in a system that seems increasingly demanding.
One major point of concern is the delayed rollout of Apple’s much-anticipated AI-powered Siri, which had been previewed at the previous WWDC but has yet to meet the promised standards.
During the keynote, SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi acknowledged the delay, stating that the technology needed “more time” to align with Apple’s high expectations.
Apple did mention AI in its latest features but notably only included functionalities already established by competitors like Google.
For instance, Apple introduced AI-powered translation capabilities, mimicking Google’s existing services, with the bonus of offering lyrics translation in Apple Music.
Moreover, during the keynote, Apple demonstrated its AI-powered Visual Intelligence through the use of Google’s search app, indicating that other innovations like visual search features remain more advanced on Android.
To appease developers’ demands in the AI realm, Apple announced further integrations with OpenAI, including the addition of ChatGPT to the Apple Image Playground and coding support in Xcode.
However, the absence of partnerships with other AI technology providers, despite rumors of potential collaborations with Google and Anthropic, left many developers wanting more.
Additionally, while Apple enhanced its Shortcuts app with more user-friendly AI features, the upgrade felt like a temporary fix rather than a comprehensive solution to the underlying issues developers are facing.
The absence of a discussion surrounding App Store commissions during the keynote was another glaring omission.
After a recent legal defeat to Epic Games, which demands that Apple allows developers to incorporate alternative payment systems, expectations were high for Apple to address this contentious topic.
However, the keynote skipped over any mention of improvements to the App Store that would enhance the developer experience, instead focusing on consumer benefits from new features like the standalone Games app.
Although Apple has boasted about developer benefits in the lead-up to WWDC, including anti-fraud measures and revenue generation, they failed to translate these into clear advantages during the keynote.
The Games app launch was celebrated for consumer engagement features such as social interactions and easy access to Apple’s gaming offerings, yet developers were left pondering the practical benefits of this new direction.
Moreover, despite ongoing speculation about potential reductions in commission fees that could alleviate financial pressures on developers, no such announcements were made.
Many developers might view Apple’s failure to acknowledge their challenges as a missed opportunity to rebuild the trust that has been eroded over the years.
Ironically, while Apple concluded the keynote on a high note with the performance, the reality of its relationship with developers feels strained.
Not only did Apple miss the chance to convey support for its developers, but it also subtly reaffirmed its stance on maintaining control over what constitutes an app marketplace by rewording its App Review Guidelines.
The guidelines replaced “alternative app marketplace” with “alternative distribution,” underscoring Apple’s belief that it remains the sole authority in app distribution.
With the introduction of iOS 26, the App Store now defaults to its Search page, which seems designed to encourage developers to invest more in App Store Search ads, further demonstrating Apple’s prioritization of its own financial interests.
New changes, such as this default setting, suggest that Apple views developers as revenue-generating assets rather than collaborative partners.
While enticing new features like the Liquid Glass interface design were showcased, Apple did not provide developers with compelling reasons to adapt their existing applications to meet these aesthetic enhancements.
The connection to innovative platforms such as AR glasses remained unaddressed, leaving many wondering about the future of their applications in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.
Apple’s long-standing culture of secrecy overshadowed any clarity that could have been provided regarding the reasoning behind the design updates.
In conclusion, while Apple’s performance left attendees smiling momentarily, the underlying sentiments expressed by developers hint at a pervasive disconnection from the company’s narrative.
This year, Apple’s applause for developers seemed more like a superficial gesture rather than a genuine expression of gratitude for their contributions, ultimately reflecting a complicated and uncertain future for the App Store ecosystem.
image source from：https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/10/at-wwdc-2025-apple-sang-developers-praises-amid-ai-letdowns-and-app-store-battles/
