Apple’s WWDC is set for Monday. Traditionally, the big developer-focused event has been where the company gives us a first look at new software for iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Macs. But occasionally we get some new hardware, too.
This year seems set to be the latter, with plenty of rumors circulating around the tech giant’s mysterious augmented reality headset, a new 15-inch MacBook Air and the long-teased Apple Silicon-powered Mac Pro.
Although there’s still some time until Tim Cook pops up on stage and makes things official, here’s what we expect at the keynote address on June 5.
When is WWDC?
Apple’s icon for SwiftUI.
This year’s WWDC runs June 5 to 9. The opening keynote speech is set for 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on Monday.
As with past years, Apple will be streaming the keynote on its website.
What do we expect?
Apple headset
The biggest rumor heading into this year’s WWDC is, of course, the Apple headset. Rumored to be running on a new “XROS,” the device could utilize mixed reality, a combination of virtual reality and augmented reality. There may be eye and hand tracking, high-resolution displays and… a potential $3,000 price tag.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently detailed how Apple plans to incorporate sports, gaming, workouts and iPad apps into the headset to show off what the new platform can do. Whether that’s enough to excite consumers and persuade them to drop three grand or for developers to commit to building apps for it remains to be seen.
MacBook Air 15
The MacBook Air has long been one of Apple’s most popular laptops. Frequently sold with a 13-inch screen, Apple has experimented with different sizes of Airs in the past, including offering an 11-inch model for years. Rumors these days, however, suggest that the company has a larger, 15-inch M2-powered Air raring to go. That once again comes from Bloomberg’s Gurman, who expects the new laptop to be announced at this year’s event. It’s about time.
While rumors point to an imminent announcement, it’s unclear how much Apple might charge for the new Air or how it might fit into the company’s existing MacBook lineup. The 2020 M1-powered 13.3-inch MacBook Air is still sold for $999, while the updated M2-powered 2022 13.6-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,199. A 16-inch MacBook Pro, meanwhile, starts at $2,499. Might the 15-inch Air fit somewhere in the middle?
Apple M-Series Mac Pro
The 2019 Mac Pro.
Oh, the Mac Pro. Apple last updated the Mac Pro at WWDC in 2019. Despite some teases that confirmed it’s working on a new one powered by its Apple Silicon chips, the company has largely been quiet about the super powerful computer. Might the “another day” be June 5? It’s possible and Mac Pro fans may want to tune in, but with tempered expectations.
In an April appearance on The MacRumors Show, Gurman, the Apple savant, suggests that it still may arrive 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 iOS changes, Apple might finally add support for installing apps not downloaded from the App Store. The iPhone maker has long resisted opening up its mobile software to allow for sideloading, but new European regulations may have forced its hand.
Other software changes Apple might unveil include a new mental health app as well as widgets returning to the Apple Watch. Bloomberg has also reported on Apple possibly turning 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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Article source: https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/wwdc-is-monday-ios-17-apples-vr-headset-new-macs-and-everything-else-we-expect/#ftag=CAD4aa2096