Apple’s WWDC is set for Monday. As usual, the big event focused on the developer where the company gives us a first look at the new software for iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Mac. But sometimes we get new hardware too.
This year seems set to be the latter, with many rumors surrounding the tech giant’s mysterious augmented reality headset, a new 15-inch MacBook Air and the long-awaited Apple Silicon-powered Mac Prof.
Although it will be some time until Tim Cook takes the stage and makes things official, here’s what we can expect from the June 5 keynote address.
When is WWDC?
This year’s WWDC runs from June 5 to 9. The opening keynote speech is set for 1 pm ET (10 am PT) on Monday.
As in previous years, Apple will be streaming the keynote on its website.
What do we expect?
Apple headphones
The biggest rumor heading into this year’s WWDC was, of course, the Apple headset. Rumored to run on a new “XROS,” the device may use mixed reality, a combination of virtual reality and augmented reality. It could have eye and hand tracking, high-resolution displays and… a potential price tag of $3,000.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently detailed how Apple plans to include sports, games, exercise and iPad apps in the headset to show what the new platform can do. Whether that will be enough to excite consumers and persuade them to drop three grand or for developers to commit to making apps for it remains to be seen.
MacBook Air 15
The MacBook Air has long been one of Apple’s most popular laptops. Always sold with a 13-inch screen, Apple has experimented with different Airs sizes in the past, including offering an 11-inch model over the years. Rumors these days, however, suggest that the company has a larger, 15-inch M2-powered Air raring to go. That’s again from Bloomberg’s Gurman, who expects the new laptop to be announced at this year’s event. The time is almost here.
While rumors point to an imminent announcement, it’s unclear how much Apple will pay for the new Air or how it will fit into the company’s existing MacBook line. The 2020 M1-powered 13.3-inch MacBook Air still sells for $999, while the updated M2-powered 2022 13.6-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,199. The 16-inch MacBook Pro, on the other hand, starts at $2,499. Could the 15-inch Air fit somewhere in between?
Apple M-Series Mac Pro
Oh, the Mac Pro. Apple last updated the Mac Pro at WWDC in 2019. Despite some teases confirming that it is working on a new Apple-powered Silicon chips, the company has largely kept quiet about the more powerful computer. Will “one more day” be June 5? It’s possible and Mac Pro fans may want to tune in, but there are expectations.
In an April appearance on The MacRumors Show, Gurman, the Apple savant, suggested that it could still come this year but not at WWDC.
New software: iOS 17, WatchOS 10 and more
In addition to all the hardware rumors, we can expect Apple to detail the latest updates coming this year to its iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS and TVOS platforms.
Among the bigger changes to iOS, Apple may add support for installing apps that aren’t downloaded from the App Store. The iPhone maker has long resisted opening up its mobile software to allow sideloading, but new European regulations may be forcing its hand.
Other software changes Apple may reveal include a new mental health app as well as widgets returning to the Apple Watch. Bloomberg also reported Apple could turn locked iPhones into smart displays with iOS 17.
For more, check out our expectations for WatchOS 10 and iOS 17. Plus, every feature we think Apple should steal from Android 14.
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