WWDC is Apple’s AI test: What the analysts are saying

by Jonny Evans · Published June 6, 2026 · Updated June 6, 2026

While there’s a heap of optimism in the prelude to WWDC, Apple must still prove itself in AI, and it’s probably fair to say that after so many missed starts investors want to be impressed at what it comes up with.

Arguably the most interesting story is that this might be the first WWDC since the iPhone where Wall Street cares more about one software feature, Siri, than about the operating systems themselves.

So, what are analysts saying? The following four analyst represent the bulls and the bears:

Daniel Ives, Wedbush

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said: “We expect fireworks with the long-awaited AI strategy.”

Apple will unlock AI to its developers
Will launch AI monetization on Apple’s platforms – a revenue strategy pure AI firms lack.
AI to generate up to $15b annual Apple revenue.
Apple should be on the offensive given its large installed base and brand recognition.

Quote: “WWDC is a pivotal moment in Apple’s future as the developers are the hearts and lungs of the Cupertino growth story.”

Erik Woodring, Morgan Stanley

With a $330 value ready to increase to $400 if Apple gets AI right this time, analyst Erik Woodring argues the event:

Key catalyst for the stock
Privacy-centric approach and partnerships give Apple USP in AI.
Investor expectation is relatively low, giving company chance to exceed expectations

Quote: Siri/Apple Intelligence 2.0 to “deliver a form of Agentic AI to the consumer at a lower cost than incumbents.”

JP Morgan

JP Morgan believe Apple has a unique advantage because it can deploy AI across its installed base of well over a billion active devices.

Will drive hardware upgrades, services growth.
Potentially opportunities for future AI subscription services.

UBS

Fool me once, but don’t fool me twice: UBS is far more cautious saying Apple must come up with genuine surprises, rather than just catching up with competitors. Siri upgrades may not be enough.

WWDC needs to show something transformative rather than merely competent.
A “better Siri” is welcome but may not justify a significant rerating of the company.

What are people thinking about?

Going into the event the industry will want features to ship soon and won’t be too happy with future promises.

At time of writing, it’s thought some new Siri features may be staggered in their introduction, or even only made available on an invitation basis, but even then, market reaction will be defined by the schedule Apple presents.

If Apple gets it right then the narrative surrounding the company’s AI presence could change very swiftly, which will spark expectation for a multiyear upgrade cycle.

Even if Apple only manages to get the basics right, that may satisfy investors and developers, but it will need to introduce some original strategies or features to avoid reinforcing the idea that it has fallen behind in AI. The Apple industry will therefore be considering the following matters:

How advanced Siri really is

Can it reason across apps?
Does it maintain context?
Can it execute multi-step actions?
Is it comparable to ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude?

What is the scale of deployment?

How many existing iPhones can run the new features?
Whether Apple relies on cloud AI, on-device AI, or a hybrid model
What does this do to privacy?
How will Apple make these tools available to developers to stimulate the app economy?