Welcome to the ninth edition of AiOS Dispatch, your go-to newsletter for the latest in AI and iOS development.
I know it has been a while since the last dispatch but we are so back! I will keep this one relatively shorter with the latest updates and cover more in the next one because there is always plenty to explore (as usual, ha!). Let’s dive in!
Gemini 2.5 Pro "I/O Edition": An Early Gift to Developers
Google has rolled out an update to its Gemini 2.5 Pro model, dubbed the “I/O edition,” just ahead of Google I/O 2025 (May 20-21).
Tulsee Doshi
This update focuses heavily on coding, making it the best way to start this dispatch. The model boasts some good numbers on different benchmarks like 75.6% on LiveCodeBench v5, up from 70.4%.
The earlier version was my default model for coding and writing, and this one is better at tool-calling, cementing that default position in Cursor.
The new 05-06 version automatically replaces the previous 03-25 iteration, so all AI tools can use it directly. It was a move that I wished Google did not do, because sometimes this model overthinks and then I prefer the 03-25 instead.
You can also try it out in Google AI Studio for free (25 request a day) and let me know how it vibes with your iOS development-related questions!
Cursor’s Free Student Plan: Future iOS Devs
Cursor recently raised $900M and is now providing verified students worldwide the Pro plan for free for one year: a solid $192 of value.
This is huge for school and college students who are into iOS development to build their new thing. The process to get it is as follows:
- Verify the student status via Cursor’s student page by logging in through your school/university account (SheerID handles verification)
- Sign up for Cursor Pro in account settings; the discount applies automatically.
- Existing Pro users get a refund for unused time, and the student plan kicks in immediately.
Cursor with Gemini 2.5 Pro is amazing with Swift and SwiftUI workflows and you can use it to build iOS apps or macOS tools faster, especially for coursework or side projects!
OpenAI Acquires Windsurf: The $3 Billion Fork
In the previous dispatch, I mentioned about the rumors but now it is official that OpenAI has agreed to acquire Windsurf for approximately $3 billion.
Katie Roof
This acquisition seems to be far more strategic than merely about a VS Code fork. OpenAI wants to control the entire AI-assisted software development lifecycle, from the initial prompt to the final pull request. It is on the path to the rumored $2,000/m to $10,000/m plan for software development agents.
Kyle Wiggers
Windsurf recently simplified its pricing, but they give away their Cascade Base model in the free plan which is decent enough for both iOS and backend development. It is not the best one out there for tool-calling but worth a try.
Also, they released Wave 8, and are doing a 3-part announcement series. I will cover it in the subsequent dispatch after testing the new features out and here is the blog post on the new features:
FastVLM: On-Device AI for iOS Apps
A major highlight that caught my eye is the code for FastVLM, a blazing-fast Vision-Language Model (VLM) optimized for Apple Silicon using the MLX framework.
Excited to share code & models for FastVLM — our blazing-fast Vision-Language Model appearing at #CVPR2025
— Pavankumar Vasu (@PavankumarVasu) May 7, 2025
Run it on-device with inference code optimized for Apple Silicon using #mlx.
Code: https://t.co/zrYytwr9N1
Updated paper & results coming soon. Stay tuned! 👀 pic.twitter.com/VKXtenfqN2
Built for on-device inference, FastVLM runs smoothly on iPhones and Macs. You can use it to power your iOS app with features like real-time text recognition, accessibility tools, or augmented reality experiences.
apple
I plan to update my project, SmolLens, to use this model:
rudrankriyam
WWDC 2025: The Future of Xcode AI
The dub dub 2025 hype cycle calls for Apple partnering with Anthropic to integrate Claude into Xcode.
Maxwell Zeff
With the flop of Swift Assist (and hours that I wasted in hopefulness), this could finally be Apple’s answer to Cursor and Windsurf, although I cannot imagine Craig on the stage talking about a “vibe-coding” platform. Well, maybe I can.
This partnership could potentially mean a fine-tuned Claude model trained on everything Apple Platforms development, which no other model or AI tool can provide. And with the privacy flex, it could entice enterprises with its massive distribution of having this directly in Xcode.
No context-switching or workarounds, at all!
AiOS Meetup at One More Thing Conference!
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 11, 2025, because the AiOS Meetup is happening at the One More Thing Conference in Cupertino, right alongside WWDC 2025!
I will be giving an impromptu talk on “What’s New in AI/ML at WWDC 2025”, exploring the freshest APIs after 1.5 days of experimenting. I love feeding my shiny object syndrome and this is the perfect opportunity for me.
Post-talk, we are hosting a casual AiOS Meetup in partnership with One More Thing. It is a good chance to connect with like-minded devs in a chill vibes space, and probably rant about Apple Intelligence over coffee.
Grab the free tickets at omt-conf.com and join the AI party!
Moving Forward
I am overwhelmed with the announcements over the past few weeks, and looking into AI tools to write this AiOS dispatch.
Gemini Deep Research and Grok DeepSearch is what I use for researching (and Twitter!) while writing the words on my own with context of previous dispatches using Repo Prompt.
What are your thoughts on these updates?
I have been busy writing my new book after months of succumbing to imposter syndrome. The pre-order for my new book on AI + iOS Development is out!
Loads to write before WWDC 2025; and free incremental updates afterwards! You can buy now to support my work, or follow along my writing journey!
I also updated my other book with new chapters on XcodeBuildMCP and slowly updating it for the latest Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code and Alex Sidebar:
Enjoy reading!
Master AI-assisted iOS Development
Learn how to use Alex Sidebar, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, and other AI tools for your Swift and SwiftUI workflow.