INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
According to the calendar, it somehow already June
That means Apple annual Worldwide Developers Conference is just around the corner
As matter of fact, things kick off in San Jose on Monday morning at 10AM PT (1PM ET).
As ever, the main thrust of the show will be focused
on developers — it right there in the name — but Apple also loves to use yearly spotlight as an opportunity to make some big
announcements on the consumer side, as well
iOS and MacOS will no doubt be the focus of the show per usual, but ARKit, Home Kit, Watch OS and some hardware are likely to make strong
showings at the event, as well.
Apple certainly surprised us before, but here our best (educated) guesses at what the company will be
showing off in the next week.
iOS
The company dropped the latest update to its mobile operating system just week
11.4 provides some key insight into the state of the ecosystem and, perhaps, a glimpse into where Apple is going as it continues to build
connections between its various software offerings
The home was the key this time out, as the company added AirPlay and improved HomePod functionality, among others.
A glimpse at iOS 12 could
well be on the schedule for Monday morning
From the sound of leaks, rumors and the like, this latest major upgrade is more about increasing the overall stability of the operating
system, rather than focusing on the latest flashy features — including bug fixes and helping improve the updates introduced in its
predecessor.
That said, there likely to be at least a few interesting new, consumer-facing additions to iOS this time out
NFC-based door unlocking is one of the more compelling rumors, this time around, bringing even more highly personal functionality to Apple
handsets.
A bigger push into personal health seems like a no-brainer, given everything that Apple been focusing on with its wearable
Just this morning, word of a new digital well being features made the rounds, bringing into sharp focus the amount of time users spend on
If &Digital Health& does get added here, it will join the likes of Facebook and Google in a push to give users more insight into their
hardware habits.
MacOS
Apple desktop operating seems poised to get a little less love that its mobile counterpart, this time out — but
honestly, what else is new In fact, the biggest rumor on this front is the addition of so-called &Universal Apps,& which further blur the
line between desktop and mobile
The system would essentially provide seamless syncing between apps on the two operating systems, allowing users to switch between devices,
picking up where they left off.
WatchOS
In spite of a recent rename, Wear OS got virtually no love at Google I/O the other week
But Apple own wearable initiative has been a much more consistent success story for the company
While the company seems unlikely to actually show off a newer version of the watch itself, we&ll probably get a glimpse at Watch OS 5
What, exactly the wearable OS will look like, however, is strictly conjecture at the moment, though the long-awaited addition of Spotify has
been rumored, and fitness features, as ever, seem like a no-brainer.
ARKit
Speaking of no-brainers, Apple could use some news on the
augmented reality front, after a full year of hype
ARKIT 2.0 has been rumored for the event, bringing the ability for multiple users to share the same AR environment, to facilitate IRL
multi-person games and other activities.
Hardware
This being a developer conference, hardware is never the primary focus for the event,
but it always seems to sneak its way in
After all, Apple already got the eyes of the tech world on it this week, so why announce some new gadgets
New MacBook Pros seem like a
reasonable candidate for the event
New Intel processors under the hood are the likeliest addition on that front
And then there the whole keyboard bit
The new switches have been a headache for the company since they were launched back in 2016, including reports of increased failure rates
and the looming specter of class action suits
Now would be the perfect chance for the company to introduce a new-new version of the QWERTY.
Rumors have always been floating around with
regard to a new MacBook Air — a product that been MIA for some time now, particularly in the wake of the new standard MacBook
A cheaper version of the once revolutionary laptop is said to be coming at some point this year, and WWDC could be just the right launching
pad.
iPhones seem pretty unlikely here, given the release schedule the company has adhered to, but much like the MacBook Air, the iPhone SE
Perhaps the company will mix things up by tossing the four-inch iPhone into the mix.
AirPower is yet another wildcard
The company announced its all-device wireless charging pad in the fall, and we&ve not heard hide nor hair of it since, which is pretty
Maybe we&ll actually get a release timeframe this time out Also potentially on the list are a refreshed iPad Pro, which was missing at Apple
recent education event and a cheaper HomePod
The latter seems the least likely of the bunch, but Apple smart speaker will likely get some love this time out.
