What to Expect at WWDC 2019
Apple’s annual developer conference kicks off today in San Jose, California. The conference is held every year for developers and is traditionally the place where Apple shows us what it has in store for software on Apple devices such as iOS, macOS, and watchOS.
The event keynote will officially kick off at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET and will be streamed live on Apple’s Events page for anyone who wants to follow the announcements as they come out. Fair warning: Apple’s WWDC keynotes are usually hours, not minutes. If you want to watch today’s event from start to finish, be prepared to buckle up for at least two hours.
Here’s what we expect in these two hours:
iOS
One of the biggest rumors surrounding the next version of iOS is that it will include a dark mode to save battery power and your eyes in low light conditions. Beyond that, expect potential updates to iPhone health tracking features and settings for some of Apple’s built-in apps, such as Reminders and Find My Friends.
Rumor has it that iOS will get some iPad multitasking improvements, including multi-window apps, as well as improvements to CarPlay, sleep mode, and parental controls.
macOS
WWDC is always where Apple likes to show off the latest version of its macOS computer operating system. Last year, Apple announced its future plans for macOS in the form of a project codenamed Marzipan. These plans included the ability for developers to create Mac apps with the same structure as iOS apps, making it much easier for developers to create apps that work for both.
macOS 10.15, which doesn’t have a name yet, will likely be unveiled today, including some of these Marzipan features, as well as the potential to use your iPad as a second display for your computer. Siri updates; and updates for the Mac Messages app. We will also hear for the first time the name of the operating system, which will no doubt be named after a California landmark.
RIP iTunes
Now that Apple has Apple Music for music and a TV app for video content, chances are the company is finally giving up iTunes. After 18 years, software began to lose its purpose, and abandoning it will allow Apple to focus more on its music and television applications. However, don’t expect the service to disappear overnight. Apple is likely to close this software with the launch of the newest version of macOS later this year.
Hardware
Apple rarely announces hardware at WWDC, but it has happened before. If we do see a hardware announcement at today’s keynote address, it will most likely be an update to Apple’s desktop Mac Pro and possibly a new Apple Display. There are also rumors that the company may release a new 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Don’t wait for a new iPhone or Apple Watch, these updates usually happen in September.
And if you can’t catch all the ads in real time this afternoon, take a look here, as well as our sister site, Gizmodo, for the most important news.