LIVE MARKETS-Wall Street says Apple's WWDC was short of a spark — even with a shiny new look

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WALL STREET SAYS APPLE'S WWDC WAS SHORT OF A SPARK — EVEN WITH A SHINY NEW LOOK

Wall Street's verdict on Apple's AAPL.O developer conference is in: the incremental updates will do little to sway iPhone buyers.

Despite a polished new "Liquid Glass" design and a new wave of Apple Intelligence features, analysts say the event lacked the dazzle of AI rivals and may not be enough to reignite excitement around the stock or spark an iPhone upgrade cycle.

Barclays analysts called the updates "incremental at best" and stayed bearish, saying Apple remains a laggard in AI. Melius Research summed up the event as "not a needle-mover."

J.P. Morgan was more upbeat about the visual overhaul but agreed the lack of deeper AI integration — particularly around Siri and China — makes it unlikely Apple will see a big boost.

Analysts praised Apple's opening up of on-device AI models to developers as it has the potential to significantly expand the ecosystem of Apple Intelligence applications.

Apple's lackluster WWDC, with its incremental updates and absent AI breakthroughs, risks stalling iPhone demand and stock growth amid tariffs, regulatory challenges, and fierce AI competition, making the fall iPhone launch critical to rekindling investor confidence.

The stock is down 20% in 2025, reflecting investor concerns over slow AI integration and President Donald Trump's 25% tariff threat on iPhones not manufactured in the United States threatening iPhone demand.

OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition of Jony Ive's design firm to develop an AI-driven device imperils Apple's iPhone dominance, merging the former Apple chief designer's expertise with ChatGPT to outpace Apple's slower AI rollout.

Apple's Services segment, which houses the company music and video streaming units, faces regulatory threats from the U.S. antitrust lawsuit and the European Union's Digital Markets Act, potentially slashing App Store profits, prompting analysts to urge a major content or AI acquisition to stay competitive.

In short, Apple's design dazzle impressed — but for a Street looking for transformative AI moves or breakout hardware, the Worldwide Developers Conference delivered more polish than power.

Wall Street now pins hopes on the iPhone 17's fall launch, expecting a slimmer design, a more powerful chip, and enhanced Siri to drive upgrades and counter OpenAI’s Jony Ive-led AI device threat.

(Akash Sriram)

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