Apple WWDC 2023: what to expect from today’s event
New Macs, new software, new headset?
Apple fans have been eagerly anticipating this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The event will unveil exciting new iPhone and Mac laptop software plus new hardware, and other offerings from the iPhone maker. And it’s taking place today!
The WWDC 2023 keynote address starts at 10am PDT/1pm EDT/6pm BST/7pm CEST today, Monday, 5 June.
There is still much unknown about what will be announced but many rumors are circulating that give us insight into what we may expect. Here’s a look at what Tim Cook and company will likely reveal.
When is WWDC23 happening? And what is it?
Since at least 2002, WWDC has served as one of the most critical weeks on the annual Apple calendar. This year’s event is this week, held on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, CA from June 5-9.
Although WWDC is geared towards app developers, the annual Monday keynote address that kicks off the event is what gets the most attention from the worldwide press — and anyone who owns an Apple product. This year’s speech begins today at 10 a.m. PDT with a live feed provided to anyone with an internet connection on YouTube (below), the Apple website, Apple TV, and Twitter.
Apple has also revealed the finalists of its Apple Design Awards, too. The winners are announced during the event this week.
Apple Reality (Pro)
Undoubtedly, the most important part of this year’s WWDC, from Apple’s perspective, will be the long overdue reveal of a dedicated Apple Reality headset. Rumored for years, the wearable device will be the company’s biggest new product since Apple Watch was released in 2015 — which happens to be the year Apple started working on it. When released, the handset might be named the Reality or Reality Pro.
Apple is expected to introduce an innovative operating system for their AR/VR headset, reportedly named “xrOS.” The software is anticipated to include an exclusive App Store, a new FaceTime experience, the ability to run iPhone and iPad applications, and many other features.
At least for me, Apple must answer three major questions about the headset once it gets past a lengthy demo of what it can do. First is the price; rumors have been all over the place on whether this product is geared toward individuals or professional users. As such, prices from $500 to $3,000 have been floating around.
Many AR/VR headsets have failed to gain popularity due to their uncomfortable design. The question remains whether Apple has discovered a solution for long-term comfort or if it, too, has fallen short like other companies in the past. My bet is that we will be surprised by how unbulky the wearable may be.
Finally: when does this beast launch? Why do I feel Apple keeps this locked under key until the holiday buying season?
There will be some new Macs
The latest rumours suggest that more than one Mac will emerge before we hear about the headset during Apple’s keynote speech.
The most likely candidate is a larger 15-inch MacBook Air that will look very similar to the 2022 13-inch MacBook Air. This will probably have an M2 chip inside, but there’s an outside possibility it will be M3. However, it seems M2 shipments haven’t been that brilliant, so we will see.
I’m still hoping for an updated 24-inch iMac, which hasn’t been updated since being released in May 2021, though Apple seems like it will be going straight to M3 with that. Instead, we might get an M2 Ultra version of the Mac Studio, to bring it into line with the current generation of Apple’s chips.
Another possibility is a new Mac Pro, which is overdue and would be the first to feature Apple silicon – Apple may possibly feel that segment is satisfied by the Mac Studio though.
As a developer’s conference, WWDC 2023 won’t feature any other hardware updates beyond the headset and new Macs on June 5. Historically, Apple keeps its biggest new product releases until the fall. That’s when the iPhone 15 series should be revealed alongside new AirPods and more.
Yes, there will be new software
The WWDC 2023 keynote, like previous ones, will also feature new iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS versions. Thanks to the headset, however, we might not see as many new features as in previous versions. Instead, maybe this will be the year Apple finally addresses long-running bugs, especially in iOS.
iOS 17
Apple guru Mark Gurman from Bloomberg had long expected iOS 17 to be a “tuneup” release. However, in recent months, he’s been hearing Apple made a strategic change mid-stream to make the update something more. As a result, he now believes iOS 17 will now include several “nice to have” features, although none of these will match the “tentpole improvement like (iOS 16’s) revamped lock screen.”
One area to watch is whether Apple addresses Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The law says Apple must allow third parties to also offer app store-like options for devices like iPhone Cupertino probably doesn’t want to put this in iOS 17.0 — or announce it at WWDC, So instead, we’ll likely have to wait until iOS 17.3 or later or whenever Apple stops kicking and screaming.
iPadOS 17
There hasn’t been much discussed or leaked about iPadOS 17, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Apple is notorious for being extra quiet regarding new iPadOS updates. This year, I’d expect iPad to gain the new lock screen features iPhones received with iOS 16. However, a complete overall is overdue, and let’s hope it includes some new backgrounds.
It would also be nice for Apple to allow iPads to act as AirPlay receivers through software updates, allowing iPhone users to mirror media from iOS to iPadOS. With macOS Monterey, Apple turned the Mac into an AirPlay receiver, so it may be the direction it plans to take.
macOS 14
Once again, the next version of macOS is likely to be light on new features and instead offer enhancements. This isn’t bad, just a reality about software introduced over 20 years ago. It’s always interesting to see what Apple calls its latest macOS version. In recent years, it’s been using California locations such as the current macOS 13 Ventura.
According to Parker Ortolani, Apple has trademarked many possible names for macOS 14 (or future versions), including Sonoma, Pacific, and my favorite, Mammoth.
watchOS 10
When it comes to the next version of watchOS, there might be a significant update just a few weeks away from making its first appearance. This news comes from Gurman, who said in April watchOS 10 could be a “fairly extensive update” that could include a new interface.
Is this finally the year Apple reveals a watch face store for third-party developers? Apple, anyone?
tvOS 17
Here’s what you might not know about tvOS and WWDC — Apple didn’t mention it during the past two events. Instead, it quietly released modest updates with tvOS 15 and tvOS 16. I’m betting the Apple TV software will also be ignored during the WWDC 2023 keynote, which is a shame.
Public releases
Hardware Apple announces in June that isn’t the virtual reality headset will likely debut later that month or in July. Apple will release new software releases in the fall, most likely next to new hardware announced about the same time. For example, the upcoming iPhone 15 series and the next-generation Apple Watch will likely be announced in early September.
Apple’s new headset also probably won’t arrive in showrooms until this fall. That’s also when Apple could launch a new iPad (and iPad Air), Apple TV, and updated AirPods versions.
If you want to test new versions of iOS, iPadOS, etc., you can become an Apple developer or join the company’s public beta program.
Odds and ends
As someone who has closely followed WWDC for several years across different websites, I assure you that Apple never fails to surprise us at this event. Unlike the highly orchestrated iPhone event in the fall, which mainly focuses on pushing new products for holiday sales, WWDC is an opportunity for Apple developers to showcase what they have been working on for the past year. In addition, it’s nearly always a fantastic event that introduces new presenters from the Apple team.
The WWDC keynote presentation is typically lengthy and could go on longer if Apple decides to delve deeper into its mixed-reality headset. This could result in a longer-than-usual show, with less attention given to other announcements. If that’s the case, it would be a shame. The Reality Pro will undoubtedly offer lots of “oh wow” moments. And yet, the actual reality is Apple still sinks or swims with iPhone. At the minimum, hopefully, iOS 17 will have some exciting goodies for us to explore.
As a review, the WWDC 2023 keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. PDT later today. You can stream the event on YouTube or the Apple website.
