Apple WWDC keynote event 2018: iOS 12 to macOS, everything that is expected. (Image Source: Reuters)
Apple WWDC 2018, which stands for Worldwide Developers conference, opens today and will continue till June 8. Apple will have a two hour keynote for the WWDC event today in San Jose, California. The conference is being hosted at the San Jose Convention Center and today we will see major announcements around iOS 12, the new macOS 10.14, watchOS 5, tvOS 12, Siri, ARKit 2.0 and more.
Apple iOS 12: Expected features, release date, public beta
Apple iOS 12, the new version of the operating system powering iPhone and iPad will be one of the most awaited announcements at WWDC. Apple will focus on stability and bug fixes, and reports have said the company will not add new features which are unpolished or unfinished. Instead they could be pushed over to iOS 13 update.
Apple iOS 12 is expected to include an update NFC feature on iPhones, and will allow users to unlock doors, verify identity with the same. This was reported by The Information, and currently NFC chip on iPhones is limited to payments via Apple Pay. Apple will also have a Digital Health feature on iOS 12. This will let users monitor they usage of the iPhone, iPad, control time spent on an app. Apple iOS 12’s Digital Feature will be in the settings app. Apple iOS 12 could also see a redesigned lockscreen with more detailed widgets supported.
Apple’s iOS 12 for iPhones, iPads will be the most watched announcement.
Apple iOS 12 is also expected to have a new Dark Mode theme, more Animojis for iPhone X, and additional parental controls. Apple is testing a new redesigned iBooks app as well, according to reports. The focus could be on services with iOS 12. iOS 12 will also support ARKit 2.0 which enhances Augmented Reality support to help app developers.
So when will iOS 12 be released? Officially iOS 12 is released in September, after the new iPhones are announced. However, a public and developer beta for iOS 12 should be available towards June end, if one goes by the past timelines followed by Apple. The public beta can be downloaded by anyone who wishes to test out Apple iOS 12 before it goes live.
Apple macOS 10.14: Expected features, release date, public beta
Apple’s macOS 10.14 will come with a new Dark mode as seen in some recent screenshots. There will be a new Apple News app as well for the Mac. According to reports, Apple will also look at introducing universal apps for Macs and iOS, which would mean that developers create one app to work across Apple’s products. The Mac App Store is also expected to see an upgrade in the new macOS 10.14 update.
Apple macOS 10.14 will support a completely new dark mode.
When will Apple macOS 10.14 be released? Like the iOS update, the final build of macOS 10.14 will be available in September, when Apple releases its new software. The public beta could be out earlier in June or July for those who wish to test it out. There will be a developer build available as well.
Apple watchOS 5 and tvOS 12: Expected features
Apple will showcase the latest version of watchOS 5 and tvOS 12 as well. With the Apple Watch, we expect more fitness features, support for third-party Watchfaces and some other improvements. Not much is known about tvOS 12, but expect some announcements around Apple’s original content strategy. We will see more details about services on tvOS as well.
Apple WWDC 2018: Will the company launch new MacBooks, hardware?
Now, some reports have claimed we could see a new Apple Watch or the revamped MacBook Air or MacBooks with the latest Intel 8th generation processors, but that is unlikely. Also there is no iPhone SE 2 expected at the event, contrary to what some have claimed. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple will not show any new hardware at the event and the new MacBooks will only be revealed in September along with the new iPhones.