Prominent Cupertino watcher Mark Gurman expects the company to change software rebranding from version numbers to a year-based system

Apple, Inc. (AAPL) is scheduled to host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The five-day virtual event will kick off with a keynote address by CEO Tim Cook at 1 p.m. ET on Monday.

The WWDC event will showcase the tech giant’s latest software and technologies.

Prominent Apple leaker and Bloomberg columnist Mark Grumman said the WWDC will unlikely assuage investor concerns about the company’s lag in the artificial intelligence (AI) technology. In a report published on Friday, he said Cook will likely introduce redesigned software interfaces for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch in the keynote. 

The new look, internally codenamed "Solarium,” will reportedly incorporate digital glass, increasing light and transparency throughout the operating system (OS).

Gurman also expects the company to change software rebranding from version numbers to a year-based system - say iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, macOS 26 and watchOS 26 for the versions meant for 2026.

The company has also modestly upgraded its Genmoji AI feature and developed an upgraded version of its foundational LLM, but Gurman doesn't expect any significant new Siri features at the event. 

Apple bull and Wedbush tech analyst Daniel Ives, however, is upbeat. “While many on the Street are heading into WWDC as underwhelming given the slower-than-expected rollout of Apple Intelligence, we disagree with this bearish narrative and strongly believe this will be the start of AI monetization period of the Apple ecosystem,” he said. 

However, the analyst doesn’t expect the company to announce anything “groundbreaking" by itself. 

But he looks forward to the first launch of Apple Intelligence as just the beginning of a broader AI strategy for Apple.

The analyst estimates that roughly 25% of the world's population will eventually access AI through an Apple device over the next few years.

Ives rates Apple stock an ‘Outperform,’ with a $270 price target.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment toward the Apple stock was ‘bearish’ (37/100) early Monday, with the message volume at ‘low’ levels.

AAPL sentiment and message volume as of 5:07 a.m. ET, June 9 | source: Stocktwits

Apple stock was seen up 0.31% at $204.52 in the early premarket session on Monday, while it is down over 18% for the year-to-date period.

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