WWDC 25 may have delivered Apple Intelligence and spatial updates across platforms, but it left out a lot of what fans were expecting. There was no sign of the HomePad, Mac Pro, Pro Display XDR refresh, or AirTags 2. Even long-rumored software like homeOS was nowhere to be found. Apple also skipped updates for the Apple TV and AirPods Pro 3—products that seemed perfectly timed for this year’s event. Here’s a rundown of the biggest WWDC 25 no-shows.
Expected WWDC 25 Announcements That Weren’t Announced
After the Apple Intelligence and Siri fiasco of 2024, the company had some significant apologies to issue, as product releases. For the most part, however, that didn’t happen. Most of the rumors indicated new hardware, but, before we jump to that, there’s one conceptual expectation that was frustrated.
Expectation: Better App Store Policies; Reality: Nada
Apple has been clashing with regulatory bodies and facing legal battles over App Store policies for years. Lately, it has also faced a significant outcry from developers, who claim for reforms in pay split and more transparency.
Still, the company didn’t say a word about proactively increasing openness in its ecosystem. At an event called the Worldwide Developers Conference, refusing to even acknowledge the existence of such complaints is borderline insulting.
6 Hardware Announcements Expected at WWDC 25 That Didn’t Happen
As one Reddit user pointed out, half of the past decade’s WWDCs featured some sort of hardware announcement. For the past few years, the pattern was one year without new devices, followed by two years with product launches. This changed in 2025, though, as this was the second year in a row where nothing physical was unveiled.
Another pattern that can be drawn from the link above is one hardware-heavy WWDC every three years. While in 2020 only the Developer Transition Kit was announced, it was significant for jump-starting the move to Apple Silicon.
The last such year was 2023, hinting at a possible major shift in 2026. One thing to expect is the redesigned MacBook Pro, featuring an OLED screen. The foldable iPhone should arrive next year as well, though not in the WWDC.
But I digress. Check below what hardware Apple was expected to announce at WWDC 25 but didn’t.
1. HomePad
Originally planned for March 2025, Apple’s smart hub announcement was pulled at the last minute. That happened because of Siri and Apple Intelligence issues, which were acknowledged around the same time. Since the device’s features will heavily depend on AI, it was put on the back burner for a while.
Rumor says tons of HomePad units have been sitting in warehouses for months, waiting for the product to be announced. Back in March, Apple made leadership changes in the AI department. While the 2-3 months since probably weren’t enough to fix all issues, an announcement could have been made nonetheless.
Apple isn’t strange to launching products that will only be available at a later point. In some cases, results can be disastrous: the AirPower charging mat was officially canceled after two years of successive delays. In others, it works wonders: the iPhone X only reached stores two months after being announced. The company could have established a deadline to finish Apple Intelligence refinements and set it as the HomePad release date.
2. Mac Pro
It is known that the Mac Pro release cycle is slower than most. The latest iteration was announced four years after the previous generation. That, in turn, came six years after its predecessor.
However, this was a time when performance improvements didn’t happen as fast as today. To put things into perspective, a maxed-out M4 Pro Mac Mini performs as well as the base-model Mac Pro. The Mac Mini costs 60% less (keyboard and mouse included), and the Mac Pro is more than 64 times bigger.
Apple has two higher-end chips available, the M4 Max and M3 Ultra. Equipping a new-gen Mac Pro with either of them would suffice, though the latter would be more likely. After all, the Apple Silicon Mac Pro is only available with (M2) Ultra CPUs. Even considering the M5 processors are just around the corner, a new release would drastically improve over the current model.
3. Pro Display XDR and Studio Display
While the refreshed Mac Pro is just wishful thinking, new monitors have a bit more of a solid base. Not much, since there were only rumors about an Apple display update, and they don’t even disclose which one.
It is known that there are two models being tested, but leaks vary. Some say it’s a new Studio Display and a Pro Display XDR, and some say they’re both Studio Display variants. Since no images of the monitors have surfaced, there isn’t much more information at the moment. The WWDC would have been a good opportunity to release them, though, especially if accompanied by an updated Mac Pro.
4. AirTags 2
Another product that has been appearing consistently in the rumor mill is an updated AirTag. We’re right in the rumored release window, so this announcement was expected by some for the WWDC 25.
Leaks have been inconsistent about which new features the AirTags 2 would bring. Some rumors indicated a rechargeable battery, while others denied this. Since the accessory uses standard CR2032 batteries, which are pretty inexpensive, this wouldn’t be much of a significant upgrade.
5. Apple TV
I won’t deny I was somewhat surprised that the Apple TV HD was listed in the tvOS 26 compatibility list. It’s a decade-old device, probably the Apple product with the longest support at this moment.
It has had a few successors since then — three, to be more precise. However, even the newest one, the 3rd-gen Apple TV 4K, is almost three years old.
The first Apple TV to support 4K playback was announced in 2017, so perhaps an 8K-supporting update would be interesting by now. The iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to feature 8K video recording, so the timing would be just perfect.
6. AirPods Pro 3
It’s almost a given that Apple will release updated AirPods Pro models as part of the company’s 2025 product lineup. So, it’s not a matter of “if”, but there’s still the matter of “when”.
While most AirPods models have been released alongside iPhones, in September, many were also announced in other months. The second-gen vanilla AirPods, e.g., launched in March 2019.
With the WWDC over, the next possibility will be in the iPhone 17 family launch event, in September. The company may always opt for a press release announcement, too, which would be underwhelming, but not unprecedented.
Software Announcements That Didn’t Happen: homeOS
If made official, homeOS wouldn’t be exactly a standalone announcement — it would be tied to the HomePad. Even so, it’s worthy of a mention among the expected (and frustrated) announcements for WWDC 25.
That’s because, by using app intents as the primary output method, homeOS would debut a new way of interacting. That’s similar, in concept, as to how the Vision Pro introduced spatial computing.
Surely, Amazon’s Echo Show devices have been doing for years exactly the same things the HomePad will do. The same could be said, however, of AR/VR headsets and the Vision Pro. That didn’t stop Apple’s product from being a game changer in its category.
While the things in this article didn’t come to fruition, that doesn’t mean the WWDC was a waste. In fact, it was full of announcements, including some to write home about. There were also new apps that will integrate tightly with the announced “Liquid Glass” interface.