All About Apple's WWDC 2016: Predictions and Long Shots
The 27th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be held at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco from June 13 through June 17. The annual keynote kicks off the event on Monday, June 13 from the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Here’s a look at what to expect at this year’s event.
Likely to be announced
iOS 9: Out with the old
Software
As always, the focus of this year’s WWDC will be on the next-generation versions of iOS and OS X. We should also see updated versions of both tvOS for Apple TV and watchOS for Apple Watch.
Little is known about any of these software upgrades.
With “iOS 10,” we may finally get the ability to hide or remove native apps. Other features could include: iCloud voice mails, more Control Center customization, a Find My Friends upgrade, and a Home app. A Connect-free Apple Music refresh is also expected.
New features for HealthKit, the Photos app, and Apple Maps are also possible.
Hardware
WWDC used to feature a lot of hardware updates. Until 2011, in fact, new iPhones were announced at this event. On June 13, hardware updates are probably going to be limited to the MacBook line.
We could also see the launch of a Siri-based device similar to the Amazon Echo and recently announced Google Home. This device could simply take the form of a next-generation Apple TV.
Long shots, at best
Apple is almost certainly prepping to announce a lot of new products for the rest of 2016. However, we won’t be seeing any of these this month. Instead, we’ll have to wait until at least September for the “iPhone 7” and “iPhone 7 Plus.” A new iPad Pro probably won’t arrive until then as well.
We also aren’t expecting any mention of Apple’s long-rumored (and delayed) video streaming service. And the so-called “Apple Car” is too far down the road to get any attention.
The bottom line: June 13 kicks off beta season for Apple developers (and would-be developers alike). We can’t wait to see what Cupertino has planned for users in the coming months.
Stay tuned.
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