Apple shows off new iPhone

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Apple showed a fresh new look for its iPhone software at its annual developer event, but it stayed quiet about major advances in artificial intelligence. The event took place at Apple’s headquarters and brought together developers from nearly 60 countries.

The company revealed updates to its devices, including new fitness features, better design, and tools to help apps run more smoothly. But many people were expecting big news about Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, and those announcements didn’t come.

Last year, Apple said Siri would get smarter through AI, but that upgrade is still not ready. “This work needed more time,” explained Craig Federighi, Apple’s top software leader. No new date was given for the improved Siri.

Experts say Apple is falling behind in the AI race. Other companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI have moved much faster. Even Apple’s Vision Pro headset, which was a big deal last year, hasn’t made a huge impact.

Instead of big changes, this year’s event focused on smaller improvements. Apple also announced that the iPhone’s next software version will be called iOS 26, instead of following the usual number order. It will be released this September.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, said the updates will make using different Apple devices feel more connected and easy. But some analysts think Apple is playing it safe while it works on bigger plans for the future.

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SMART Prep | Quick Question 210654

Our school should start later.

Every morning, many Year 8 students arrive tired, distracted, and unready to learn. Some have caught the early bus, helped with younger siblings, or stayed up completing homework. A later start would not solve every problem, but it could improve concentration during the first lessons. In fact, several schools in New Zealand have changed their start times and reported that students were more settled in class. If the goal of school is learning, then giving students a slightly later start makes sense.

Of course, a change would need planning. Bus timetables, sport practices, and before-school clubs would all need to be considered.

What is the author mainly trying to do in this column?

  

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