Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference, or WWDC as it is more commonly known, took place last night, and it was certainly eventful.
The tech titan announced that it would be unifying its entire product offering with a consistent software approach across everything from iPhones to Apple TV 4K, and even the Apple Watch.
Current version numbers have been scrapped, meaning every product runs a new "26" version of their respective operating system; for example we now have iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and tvOS 26.
The biggest change, however, is the introduction of "Liquid Glass", a design ethos that spans all of Apple's hardware. It refines the user experience with a new translucent look, features slicker transitions, and aims for a more immersive experience overall.
While there were plenty of other interesting announcements, including upgrades to Apple Intelligence and a new gaming hub on iPhone, the presentation was unquestionably light on AV, music and home cinema announcements.
We had hoped to see more updates for the Apple TV 4K, HomePod range, AirPods lineup and Apple's services, but that didn't appear to be Apple's priority.
With our WWDC 2025 wishlist now in tatters, here are the things we were hoping to see revealed last night, but ultimately didn't get:
1. Any new hardware
Apple doesn't always announce new products at WWDC, but when it does, it does so in style. It took WWDC 2023 as an opportunity to launch Apple Vision Pro, while WWDC 2022 saw a flashy, upgraded MacBook Air make a debut.
Unfortunately, there was no mention of any new hardware at WWDC 2025, which is a shame, as a couple of key AV products are long overdue for an update.
The HomePod Mini is the first that springs to mind, as it's fast approaching its fifth anniversary; that's practically geriatric by Apple standards. While the existing Mini is a gem of a smart speaker – not to mention a four-time What Hi-Fi? Award-winner – it would be nice to see a refreshed model with even better performance, and maybe even a few new colours.
The other key Apple product that could do with a refresh is the Apple TV 4K, which is coming up on three years old. Once again, the existing Apple TV 4K is a great streamer, in fact, it's the best streaming device on the market, but we wouldn't say no to an update.
As evidenced by the upgrade from the second generation to the third generation model, the picture and sound performance tends to improve every time, even if there doesn't appear to be many changes on paper. We can only dream of what a fourth-generation model could offer, though rumours suggest that one is on the way.
Rumours and speculation are never enough for us, though, and Apple didn't even drop a crumb of evidence that a new HomePod or Apple TV 4K is on the way.
2. Big changes to Apple Music and Apple TV+
Apple's services were also sidelined at this event, aside from a few minor changes coming to Apple Music.
Lyrics translation is coming with iOS 26, meaning you can sing along to your favourite international pop hits without putting hundreds of hours into Duolingo. AutoMix is set to transition your current track into the next seamlessly, and you'll also be able to pin your favourite tracks, playlists and artists to the top of the Apple Music app for easy access.
That's about it, not counting the new "Liquid Glass" look to the app, which will presumably be locked to Apple devices.
It would have been nice to see some highly requested features, such as a button to download your full music library, or even higher quality streaming to match the likes of Qobuz and Tidal.
Apple TV+ didn't receive much attention either, though there are some nice poster-style artwork options for Apple's original programming. We would have liked to see a proper watchlist feature separated from the Up Next section, and a bigger design refresh wouldn't have gone amiss either, especially after Amazon Prime Video and Netflix's recent updates.
3. The big tvOS update
Ahead of last night's livestream, there were murmurs of a revolutionary tvOS update that would see the biggest shift in design and functionality since it launched in 2015.
While rumours should always be taken with a liberal pinch of salt, we couldn't help but be a bit disappointed when we found out that this design upgrade was merely a few transparent elements and a profile selection screen.
tvOS 26 looks remarkably similar to the currently available tvOS 18, and there aren't that many new features or usability tweaks to show for it either, aside from the ability to set an AirPlay-enabled wireless speaker as your permanent default audio output.
The good news is, of course, that tvOS is one of the best (if not the best) streaming-based operating services around, so we're not angry, just disappointed.
MORE:
Apple announces iOS 26 with a new "Liquid Glass" design and an upgraded Apple Music app
Read our full Apple iPhone 16e review
As well as our Apple AirPods Pro 2 review
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