> But Gruber says that this year, for the first time since 2015, Apple has declined the invitation to join. Notably, Gruber published a blog earlier this year taking critical aim at Apple’s mishandling of AI features. Coincidence, I’m sure!

I suspect instead that Apple, knowing they fucked up w/ regard to devs, want to completely control their own mea culpa and not risk a slip-up/soundbite coming from a talk show.

I do expect an apology during the Keynote. How sincere an apology, well that's up to the developers to decide.

> They’ll keep pretending that the Vision Pro is a beloved innovation and not just collecting dust on the shelves of early adopters.

Will they? Or will they instead just artfully not talk about the VisionPro at all. Perhaps quietly pull it sometime later this year. I don't think Apple will want to die on the VisionPro hill.

> Apple executives would do well to remember that it was apps that made the iPhone what it is today.

Are apps still what make the iPhone what it is today? And here I am speaking as a user. The "joy of discovery" when installing new apps died a long, long time ago. Installing a new app is cause for anxiety. If it even works and does not spy on me (or charge me for basic functionality "in app" — or worse yet, require an account or subscription), is it going to become an important addition to my "lifestyle" or another icon buried on some screen or folder in SpringBoard?

To be sure though, this is WWDC and Apple is catering to developers. I'm just saying out loud what I feel about the state of iOS apps these days.