Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is quickly approaching and with it will come newly-announced features for the iPhone, iPad, Mac computers, and Apple Watch. Upcoming changes to iOS and iPadOS will be discussed, along with macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Apple tends to express long-term plans for hardware and software at this event, whereas the spring and fall events are focused on the new product releases. However, some new hardware has been announced at WWDC in the past.
For over three decades, Apple has hosted an annual event that covers topics important to software developers. As a computer and mobile device manufacturer and developer of several operating systems, Apple needs to update programmers on upcoming changes to the platform, so apps can be enhanced to take advantage of new features and adjusted to meet new requirements. WWDC covers all Apple devices, most notably the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and the Apple Watch, all of which have major updates to their operating systems each year. While software is the focus of the event, upcoming hardware changes are sometimes announced, such as the transition to Apple Silicon which was first mentioned publicly at WWDC 2020, and new products, like the Pro Display XDR and third-generation Mac Pro which were announced at WWDC 2019.
WWDC21 starts on June 7, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. PDT with the keynote address that will cover information that will be of most interest to the general public, followed by an in-depth discussion of application programming interfaces (API) and details that appeal only to coders. The biggest changes coming might be advances in iPadOS, as the M1 iPad Pro has now reached performance levels equal to Mac computers. If used as a media consumption tablet, much of that power goes to waste, begging the question of how far Apple is willing to stretch the iPad's capabilities. For many years, it has been held back by the limitations of iOS, with iPadOS coming into existence just two years ago, offering a desktop Safari browser experience and supporting trackpad and mouse usage. There are many more desktop features that could now be supported, including improved multitasking and more interactive widgets.
WWDC: macOS, iOS, watchOS & Hardware
Being a developer-focused event, WWDC skews more toward the Mac than mobile devices, as Apple developers rely on a MacBook or Mac desktop to code and compile apps. 'Eat, sleep, code' is the mantra that Apple planted as an Easter egg in the reflection of the glasses worn by one of the Memojis in the image that accompanied Apple's announcement of the event. Also, each cute character in the image held a MacBook. macOS 11 (Big Sur) saw big changes to the user interface, bringing Apple's desktop computer a bit closer to iOS and iPadOS, while still remaining familiar enough for long-time Mac users to know their way around. The upcoming version is unlikely to make another leap and instead may work on refining the experience further. However, with the tighter integration with the mobile device experience, Continuity features may be added and improved and anything new released for iPadOS could appear on macOS as well in a form better suited for bigger screens. Likewise, iOS and watchOS have had major changes in the last few years and this iteration will probably be one of optimization and improvement of existing features, such as better widgets and even more interwoven usage between devices.
Apple's 2020 was huge with its own M1 processor powering startlingly fast Mac computers and some of the best camera technology in the industry released in the redesigned, flat-edged iPhone 12, while keyboard and Apple Pencil capability opened up to nearly every iPad. Rumors suggest a possibility of a new MacBook Pro with a faster version of the M1 chip, but it would make more sense to save this for later in the year. Many more exciting products are coming in the future, with Apple's ongoing insistence that augmented reality (AR) is the next big thing backed by patent applications that point to head-mounted displays, limb tracking bands, and other potential methods of making the Apple computer experience more personal than ever. There is always a possibility of an Apple Glass preview or an AR developer's kit announcement at WWDC. The tvOS update could bring better gaming to Apple TV, but that rumor began last year along with suggestions of a much more powerful version of the device to compete with gaming consoles. Those rumors have died down, so a reveal of an Apple gaming device is unlikely. With only days to go before the event, Apple has managed to keep the lid on leaks this time, leaving much to the imagination, but all the details will be unveiled on June 7th.
Source: Apple