Apple CEO Tim Cook will unveil the latest versions of Apple’s software for iPhones, iPads, Macs, Watches and TVs on Monday to kick off WWDC, Apple’s annual developer conference.
The new “bits,” as attendees often call updates, are Apple’s most important software announcement of the year and mark the public strategy for Apple’s platform over the next 12 months. For example, iOS 16, as Apple is expected to call the new software for iPhones and iPads, could include improved notifications, a redesigned lock screen, and updates to Messaging and Health apps, according to a Bloomberg News report.
But Apple’s long-awaited mixed-reality headset is unlikely to debut next week.
WWDC, which stands for World Developers Conference, and is called “Dub Dub,” is strategically important to Apple, even if the company does not announce any new hardware.
Apple’s financial performance depends on the support of third-party software developers such as those attending WWDC. Without a robust selection of up-to-date, quality applications, the value of Apple’s platforms for consumers and users is likely to decline, which will ultimately hurt sales. Apple also generates up to $ 20 billion annually with software sales in its App Store.
Software for Apple platforms, such as iOS applications, often uses different programming tools or frameworks than other large platforms such as Microsoft Windows, Google Android, or the web. Apple enthuses programmers with these technologies through a hype-filled masterful conference to kick off the conference, a more technically called “Platforms State of the Union” presentation later that day, and then a week of class sessions and individuals. waves where developers can get feedback and guidance from Apple engineers.
The biggest difference this year for WWDC is that it will include a face-to-face component after two years of being completely virtual. The change is subtle: the main presentation with announcements of new products will still be pre-recorded, and developers around the world can still virtually attend the conference sessions.
But this year, Apple has invited several hundred software developers, members of the press, and students to its Cupertino, California headquarters to watch the video presentation, take guided tours of the campus, and speak in person with some of the people. who created the software. It doesn’t look like the 6,000 attendees who traveled to San Jose for the WWDC before the pandemic, but it’s another sign that things are back to normal after two years of virtual product announcements. Apple employees were due to begin returning to the office this spring after nearly two years of working primarily from home during the Covid pandemic.
Celebrating WWDC in person this month sets the stage for an fall launch where Apple will show off new phones, and perhaps even high-end mixed reality headphones, in front of a live crowd for practical feedback immediate press and partners. Like the old days.
New software coming
Apple sometimes reveals new hardware at WWDC, but the products are usually expensive, high-powered, and aimed at programmers, usually Macs, who are needed to create applications for the iPhone.
The last time Apple announced hardware products at WWDC was in 2019 when it launched the $ 6,000 Mac Pro and a $ 5,000 monitor. Prior to that, it announced updates to Mac desktops and laptops in 2017.
Apple could reveal the successor to the M1 processor at WWDC. Earlier, at a product launch event, it was revealed that a high-end model called Mac Pro with a chip designed by Apple. The “M2”, as it could be called, would be the next-generation Mac processor and could come in a redesigned MacBook Air, according to Bloomberg.
At the very least, discussing the progress of Apple’s processors would be a good fit for the developer-centric conference. Apple originally announced its switch to its own processors at WWDC in 2020.
Apple’s next big product category, augmented or mixed reality hardware, is unlikely to appear.
Apple could talk about new apps and software that lay the groundwork for a mixed reality headset or a pair of augmented reality glasses, and often announces updates to its augmented reality development software, ARKit, at WWDC. (Augmented reality shows computer-generated images over transparent lenses that allow users to see the real world, while mixed reality is a totally immersive experience like virtual reality, but with external cameras showing images of the outside real world) .
But new product categories tend to have their own launch events rather than being introduced to WWDC, and the headphones are said to have not yet gone into mass production.
Major software updates are a better bet. In previous years, Apple announced the new version of its iOS software at WWDC in June, released a public beta for first-time users and testers later this month, and then released the final version of the software along with the new iPhones. in September.
While the iPhone has the most users and the most important App Store, updates from other Apple software platforms, such as iPad, Watch, and TV, often receive the same attention at WWDC.
IPads in particular could receive big changes. According to reports, the iPadOS 16 could include the ability to resize windows in a move that would make the device more attractive to powerful users who like to do multiple tasks. Currently users can run two applications side by side, but the ability to customize floating windows would make it more like MacOS.
Apple’s TV set-top box, Apple TV, could get an update that would make it more useful as the heart of a smart home, according to Bloomberg. The Apple Watch had new hardware last year with a physically larger screen, and its software is planned for an update that includes new watch dials to take advantage of the larger screen.
An Apple product that will get a lot of attention next week is Swift, the company’s open source programming language that was introduced in 2014. Invitations to developers and the media included a graphic with a large Swift logo and one of the slogans of The Conference is “Swiftly Approaching”.