The 2019 edition of Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) happens this week, taking place from the 3rd to 7th of June in San Jose, California.
While the actual conference for developers and engineers takes place across five days, consumers will be particularly interested in the keynote speech happening on day one, which starts at 1pm Eastern Time.
With exciting software updates coming to pretty much every Apple product, here’s what you can expect to see unveiled at WWDC 2019:
iOS 13
Considering that iPhones are Apple’s most ubiquitous product, it’s no surprise that an update to its iOS operating system is one of the more anticipated parts of WWDC 2019.
While the thirteenth iteration of iOS is expected to improve overall performance and update foundational apps like iMessage and Health (among others), users are especially looking forward to the introduction of Dark Mode.
Already available on computers with macOS Mojave and certain third-party apps, this feature turns the traditionally white UI black to reduce eye strain and more importantly, improve battery life.
iOS 13 is also expected to improve multitasking features for the iPad, allowing users to use up to four apps at the same time to increase productivity (you can currently only run two apps concurrently).
Rumours also suggest that you’ll soon be able to use the iPad as a secondary display for your Mac, turning your setup into a multi-screen workstation.
Apart from that, you can expect several other minor updates such as a redesign of the volume HUD and “Find My iPhone” and “Find My Friends” combining into a single app to reduce clutter on your devices.
macOS 10.15
While the iOS rumour mill has been full of rumours and speculation, the next generation of macOS is shrouded in a little more mystery.
One thing’s for sure though — with Apple expected to shut down iTunes (all posts on the iTunes Instagram and Facebook have been deleted, if thats any indication), you can count on them announcing its replacement at WWDC.
All signs point towards three separate apps for music, TV and podcasts, and they’re expected to function similarly to their iOS counterparts. This is part of something codenamed “Marzipan”, an ongoing project that encourages developers to make a single app run on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
We already saw a preview of this with macOS Mojave bringing Apple News and Stocks to computer, and you can count on further developments to be announced at the keynote.
watchOS 6
Completing the Apple software trinity is watchOS 6, and this update is poised to bring some big changes to the smartwatch.
For the first time the Apple watch will be getting its own App Store, finally allowing users to download apps straight from their wrists instead of having to go through the Watch app on their phones.
Apple will also be bringing the calculator and voice memos apps to the Apple Watch, which is great for those who need to make quick notes on the fly.
On top of existing apps, Apple is also expected to debut two brand new ones to improve your quality of life — “Dose” will make sure that you’re always on top of medication timings, while “Cycles” help women track their menstrual cycles.
A New Mac Pro…?
While WWDC is primarily a software-focused event, the folks at Apple have a habit of announcing new hardware at the conference as well.
And Considering that Apple refreshed their Macbook Pro lineup two weeks ago, all eyes are now on the Mac Pro, which hasn’t been updated since December 2013.
While rumours on this topic have been scarce, some are expecting a complete redesign from its current “trash can” form factor and — of course — improved performance as well.
Don’t get too excited yet, though — it’s not 100% confirmed that a new Mac Pro will be announced, but considering that WWDC is a gathering of some of its most performance-intensive users, this would be the perfect time to do so.
The good news is that we have to wait less than a day to find out, and if you’re up for it you can watch the keynote live on their website at 1am local time.
Header Image Credit: Apple
