Apple’s yearly World Wide Developer Conference starts on Monday at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET with, of course, Tim Cook’s opening keynote speech.
WWDC24: Live Update
Last year, WWDC was notable for introducing the Vision Pro. This year, Apple aims to make it even more exciting by revealing its plans for generative AI.
Unlike other Apple keynotes, WWDC’s opening is the beginning of a weeklong event, both online and in-person, from June 10 to 14.
During the pandemic, Apple made these events more accessible to the public. Similar to Google I/O and Microsoft Build, WWDC is all about presenting the latest updates for developers.
AI Reimagined
There’s growing concern that Apple might be lagging in the generative AI space even before and after abandoning its electric car project.
Apple had to reassign some of its workforce to focus on generative AI, prompting Tim Cook the CEO to make bold promises to shareholders.
In May, he assured everyone that Apple plans to “break new ground” with generative AI, saying it will bring “transformative opportunities” for users.
It’s clear they’re playing catch-up in this field, so a lot of their AI-related developments will likely come from their partnership with OpenAI.
But will Apple’s efforts to push the boundaries in this area truly be groundbreaking?
I think it’s safe to expect a lot of talk about how generative AI will impact future versions of Apple’s operating systems, especially iOS, and how it will benefit developers.
Rumors have also been swirling for a while now about Apple’s strategy regarding large language models.
Initially, there were talks of Apple collaborating with Google on integrating Gemini into iOS. This would have been a big deal for Google, considering how widely used iOS and Android are.
However, more recent reports suggest that Apple might be teaming up with OpenAI instead. Either way, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re all a bit tired of hearing about AI by the time Apple’s announcements are over.
iOS 18 is coming to your iPhone
Get ready, because at the upcoming event, iOS 18 is going to take the spotlight. Rumors suggest it could be the biggest iOS update ever!
First up, Siri’s getting a major makeover. Thanks to Apple’s fancy AI, Siri will be able to do more stuff like editing photos and deleting emails. Plus, there’s talk of a better voice, handy notification summaries, and a souped-up version for Apple Watch.
And it’s not just Siri getting smarter – Safari, Notes, and Voice Memos are getting AI boosts too. Safari will be better at searching, Notes will summarize things for you, and Voice Memos will transcribe what you say (Google’s been doing this for a while).
Emojis are getting an upgrade too! You’ll be able to make your own in Messages, thanks to some cool AI tricks.
Oh, and about your home screen – Apple might let you move icons and widgets wherever you want. Finally, some freedom!
And here’s a little something for Android users: RCS is finally coming to Messages. It’s a bit of a catch-up, but better late than never.
You can find details on how to stream the event live here.
New macOS Updates
Many of the updates coming to iOS will also be available on macOS, including improvements to Siri, Notes, and Safari. Apple’s office apps, like Pages, Keynote, and the developer tool Xcode, are also getting AI enhancements.
System Settings will continue Apple’s efforts to make macOS more like iOS with a design refresh. There will also be significant improvements to accessibility features. And let’s not forget the exciting redesign of Calculator — an app most of us use but rarely think about.
Hardware
Over the past few years, we’ve seen some big changes in Apple’s hardware. From the new Mac silicon to hints about a possible headset, there’s been a lot of buzz. But WWDC isn’t really about hardware.
There’s talk that this year’s keynote might not have much hardware news. Some sources even say there won’t be any new hardware announced.
It’s worth noting that Apple recently did something different by hosting a separate virtual event just for the iPad. That happened about a month before WWDC. At that event on May 7, they introduced new iPad Pro and iPad Air models.
There wasn’t much talk about AI, which surprised some people. With all the excitement around GPT models and Google’s Gemini integration in Android, people expect Apple to make a big move at WWDC.
But, speaking of hardware, the new M4 chip just came out for the iPad. So, it’s reasonable to think that MacBooks with this chip, or even more powerful versions, might be on the way. And we can’t forget about the upcoming iPhone A18 chip, which Apple will probably say is the best smartphone chip for AI or something like that.