On Monday 5th June, Apple’s WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) starts in San Jose. Experts believe the tech giant will announce updates to macOS, iOS, tvOS and watchOS. The firm is also expected to release major updates for iPads and MacBooks, as well as an exciting new Siri-powered speaker.
The new MacBook models will most likely be fitted with 7th generation Intel Kaby Lake processors, but it is still unclear at this stage whether the older MacBook Air and the 12-inch MacBook will also be updated.
The Siri-powered speaker will reportedly concentrate on “virtual surround sound” and speaker quality. As such, this will be Apple’s response to Google Home and Amazon Echo. According to rumours, production has already started.
Four iPad models were recently noticed on a French website and rumours suggest that Apple will add yet another screen size to its current iPad line-up: a 10.5-inch iPad Pro with edge-to-edge display and a new design. Updates for the 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch iPads could also be announced.
The next iOS version will most likely be previewed at today’s Keynote address. Since this is the iPhone’s 10th anniversary, this update could well bring a total design overhaul. A “dark mode” and a slimmer design are rumoured, and Siri is likely to receive new features. iMessage, Photos, Maps. Apple Music and other apps could also be updated, while the iOS tablet version is likely to boast enhanced support for the Apple Pencil and multi-user login.
Not much is being said about MacOS updates however, except for improving the performance of iTunes in MacOS 10.13 and narrowing the gap between iOS and macOS, with more apps that could work smoothly on both.
Apple will likely announce improvements to tvOS and watchOS, while users can expect to see a lot more of Siri in both operating systems.
The keynote address at today’s conference starts at 5 pm GMT 5th June 2017.