Time to create a Calendar event: 10 a.m. Pacific on June 13 is when Apple will unveil iOS 10 and OS X 10.12, and maybe a few surprises.
Only Tim Cook and co. know exactly what the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote has in store, but now we know the day, time, and place those announcements will happen. We’re expecting the latest versions of iOS and OS X to take the spotlight at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, and hopefully some news about the Apple Watch (watchOS 3 or new hardware, perhaps). WWDC is primarily a developers conference, so expect Apple’s emphasis to be on software.
Rumor has it Siri is getting some love from Apple this year, and it’s about time. Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s new Assistant, not to mention the in-development Viv app from Siri’s creators, prove voice-activated assistants are becoming more capable and intelligent all the time. Siri is behind. Apple may finally put Siri on the Mac at WWDC, and a Siri SDK may also be in the works, though the timing of those launches is still a little murky. Releasing a Siri SDK at Apple’s annual developers conference would be perfect, though, so our fingers are crossed.
Apple is reportedly working on an Apple Music upgrade as part of iOS 10, which would be fitting on the streaming service’s 1-year anniversary. The company might do away with the Connect social tab and make its interface easier to use by putting Playlists front and center. (I’m also praying for more personalized features a la Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist, but one can only hope.)
As far as hardware goes, word on the street is that a completely overhauled MacBook Pro is on the horizon, though we might not see that until the fall. And don’t expect a new iPhone at this event, as September is Apple’s preferred iPhone launch month.
What do you hope to see at WWDC? Let us know in the comments.