Issue 718

18^th July 2025

Written by Dave Verwer

Comment

I’ve heard anecdotal stories of people playing with the on-device Foundation Model APIs, but nothing concrete about the new apps they might make possible or what features they might enable in existing apps.

If you watch the WWDC session, “Explore prompt design & safety for on-device foundation models“, the presenters discuss the model’s strengths and weaknesses. They even give a couple of examples, like warning against using it for mathematical calculations or code generation.

The on-device models certainly won’t rival the online LLMs, but that’s also not what they’re designed to do. What I’m curious about is what you’ve all figured out now that we have access to the betas. What are their strengths?

So, let’s aggregate our knowledge and find out! I’ve put together a short survey about your use of the on-device Foundation Model. It should only take a few minutes to fill in. All questions are optional, so share as much or as little as you want. I’ll report back in next week’s issue with the results so we can all take advantage of what they’re good at.

– Dave Verwer

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Code

You’ll either need this post from Artur Gruchała or you won’t. It’s almost certainly the best community resource for getting the swift-java package up and running besides the official documentation. Invaluable if that’s your goal! You might also want to check out his most recent post on Swift and C++ interoperability in practice, too.

You used to need libraries like BWToolkit to make your apps look as good as Apple’s. That hasn’t been the case for a while, but it took some time for SwiftUI to get an inspector view. It’s not new this year, but since this control was introduced in 2023, you can probably ship it without worrying about its availability! Gabriel Theodoropoulos has a nice write-up on using it effectively.

Finally, here’s a post from Craig Hockenberry with something to watch out for if you rely on syncing data to your server or performing other tasks when your app goes into the background.

Design

What a great, practical guide to making icons with Apple’s new Icon Composer app. The end result clearly works very well for the Unread app icon, but I worry a little that this will cause icon design to further narrow in on this style. If it does, we might miss out on some works of art that wouldn’t fit in well with the v26 operating systems.

Books

As the title of Paul Hudson’s new book implies, it’s about all the other things you need to do to be successful on the App Store. It’s based on a series of interviews with an amazing list of Apple Design Award winning developers, companies like RevenueCat, TelemetryDeck, and AppFigures, and journalists who review apps. It’s in early access right now, with only the first chapter available, but if you’ve always dreamt of a successful app or an ADA, this book might help you get there.

For full disclosure, Paul sent me a review copy of the book.

Jobs

Senior Software Engineer, iOS @ Doximity – Doximity, the medical network used by over 80% of US clinicians is seeking a talented Sr iOS Software Engineer to join our remote-first team! If you’re an expert in Swift with a strong understanding of TCA, and eager to make a real impact on healthcare, we want to hear from you. – Remote (within US timezones)

Sr iOS Developer @ Hero Assistant – We seek to build the most ambitious iOS app ever created. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a rocket ship early, backed by world-class investors, and already proven by tens of thousands of users who rely on Hero every day. – On-site (United States in CA)

iOS/macOS Developer @ LIT Software – LIT Software is a small, highly specialized team that develops powerful litigation tools for Apple platforms. Our industry-leading apps help lawyers organize, analyze, and present evidence with ease. Join us in building the best tools for legal professionals. – Remote (within US timezones)

And finally...

The first time I was almost fired from Apple:

“We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.”

🐰