WWDC 2023 roundup: iOS 17, Reality Pro headset, more

WWDC 2023 is only a day away, and it could possibly be Apple’s greatest and most essential occasion in a decade. At WWDC this 12 months, Apple is predicted to introduce a significant replace for iPhone customers with iOS 17 and a redesigned interface for Apple Watch customers with watchOS 10. Most notable of all, nevertheless, is the anticipated announcement of the Reality Pro headset with AR and VR options, plus a brand new xrOS software program platform.

When is WWDC 2023?

WWDC 2023 will kick off on Monday, June 5. Apple will open the week-long occasion with a particular keynote on June 5 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. Throughout this keynote, Apple will announce main updates to iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. It can additionally unveil its Reality Pro headset and xrOS software program platform.

The WWDC 2023 keynote is predicted to be a prerecorded video with excessive manufacturing worth, lovely videography of Apple Park, and appearances from a number of Apple executives and engineers.

This 12 months’s WWDC 2023 consists of an in-person part for builders and members of the press. Builders may have the chance to attend the keynote on Monday, take excursions of Apple Park, and attend particular classes centered on Apple’s bulletins.

Additionally on June 5, Apple will announce the winners of the Apple Design Awards, and it has already introduced a rundown of finalists for this 12 months’s festivities. Following the keynote, Apple may even maintain the Platforms State of the Union, which can supply more in-depth particulars on Apple’s bulletins. There may even be particular night exercise that Apple says attendees “received’t need to miss.”

watch WWDC 2023 from house

For these not in attendance at Apple Park, Apple will dwell stream all of WWDC by way of a number of channels. You’ll be capable of tune in to the WWDC keynote by way of Apple’s web site, the Apple Developer app, the Apple TV app, and YouTube. This implies you possibly can watch by way of any machine you might need, together with iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.

The Platforms State of the Union shall be obtainable to observe by way of the Apple Developer app and web site at 1:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. ET. Apple may even dwell stream the Apple Design Awards on June 5 at 6:30 p.m. PT/ 9:30 p.m. ET.

What to anticipate at WWDC 2023: iOS 17

At first, Apple will announce iOS 17 at WWDC this 12 months. This would be the annual main replace for iPhone customers, bringing new options, modifications, bug fixes, and far more. So what’s on the docket for iOS 17 new options? Right here’s what the rumors say.

An all-new Journaling app: This app will reportedly combine with Apple’s Discover My app to create a “good” journaling app that integrates numerous totally different location-based options.

New “good show” mode: For the iPhone 14 Pro collection, Apple is planning new options for the always-on show. iOS 17 will reportedly embody a brand new horizontal interface for the always-on Lock Display screen that may present issues like calendar appointments, climate forecasts, and notifications.

New Well being app options: With iOS 17, Apple will reportedly add new temper and emotion monitoring options. These will enable customers to log their temper every day, reply particular questions on every day, and observe the outcomes over time. The Well being app may even allegedly acquire new options for managing imaginative and prescient situations, similar to the power to retailer contact and glasses prescription info.

Sideloading and third-party app shops: In response to regulatory stress within the European Union, Apple is making ready to open the iPhone as much as third-party app shops and facet loading for the primary time. It will enable iPhone customers to put in apps from sources apart from Apple’s personal App Retailer. These options are rumored to be included as a part of iOS 17 however will solely be obtainable within the European Union.

Upgrades to the Pockets app: In response to Bloomberg, Apple is making ready “vital” modifications to the Pockets app as a part of iOS 17. Certainly one of these modifications will reportedly be a brand new function that lets you observe the balances of various bank cards within the Pockets app. Presently, you possibly can solely observe the stability of Apple Card by way of the Pockets app.

AirPlay and SharePlay: Apple has additionally been engaged on enhancements to SharePlay as a part of iOS 17. The corporate can be working to broaden AirPlay to more locations, together with resorts.

Past what’s been rumored, Apple doubtless has different new iOS 17 options within the works. The corporate is mostly fairly good at stopping most of its software program particulars from leaking. This implies there’s all the time a component of shock throughout WWDC keynotes as Apple publicizes new options and modifications.

Be taught more about iOS 17 in our full information.

iPadOS 17

For iPad customers, Apple will announce iPadOS 17 at WWDC this 12 months. Because it stands proper now, rumors on what to anticipate from iPadOS 17 are fairly mild. Probably the most concrete rumor we’ve heard to date got here from Bloomberg, which reviews that iPadOS 17 will embody the Well being app. This is able to mark the primary time that Apple has expanded the Well being app past the iPhone.

There are a handful of different options that appear believable for iPadOS 17 this 12 months. Most notably, we’d anticipate Apple to convey the Lock Display screen customization choices, which first got here to the iPhone as a part of iOS 16, to the iPad this 12 months. We additionally may see iOS 17’s Journaling app come to the iPad with iPadOS 17.

macOS 14

Much like iPadOS 17, there aren’t many rumors in any respect about what’s to come back as a part of macOS 14 this 12 months. The replace will doubtless embody among the new options from iOS 17, similar to some kind of integration with the brand new Journaling app and entry to new Discover My options.

watchOS 10

Subsequent up at WWDC 2023, Apple will announce watchOS 10 for Apple Watch. That is anticipated to be a significant replace with an all-new person interface for Apple Watch. In response to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, watchOS 10 shall be a “pretty in depth improve” centered on “notable modifications to the person interface.”

The important thing to this new design shall be a newfound concentrate on widgets. watchOS 10 will reportedly use widgets as a “central half” of the Apple Watch’s software program expertise. In response to the rumors, the brand new design shall be just like “widget stacks,” a function on iPhone and iPad that enables customers to stack a number of widgets on high of one another and scroll by way of them.

In response to Bloomberg, Apple Watch customers will be capable of scroll by way of widgets for issues like exercise monitoring, climate, shares, calendar appointments, and more. The brand new interface will “be obtainable as an overlay for any watch face.”

Apple’s concentrate on widgets may go so far as to incorporate new performance for the Digital Crown {hardware} on the Apple Watch. Within the present model of watchOS, urgent the Digital Crown takes you to the Apple Watch’s house display. In watchOS 10, nevertheless, Apple is testing having the Digital Crown open up the brand new widgets interface as a substitute.

watchOS 10 can be anticipated to incorporate revamped variations of Apple’s inventory apps that may take higher benefit of the Apple Watch Extremely’s bigger show. One such app getting a redesign would be the Climate app. The brand new Climate app in watchOS 10 will reportedly be up to date with a design just like the Climate app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Exterior of widgets, watchOS 10 will doubtless incorporate most of the new options of iOS 17 as nicely. For instance, options similar to temper and emotion monitoring in Well being and the Journaling app are more likely to have some kind of watchOS 10 integration.

Be taught more about watchOS 10 in our full information.

tvOS 17 for Apple TV and HomePod

There are zero rumors on what to anticipate for Apple TV and HomePod customers at WWDC this 12 months. tvOS 17 would be the newest software program for Apple TV customers, whereas HomePod Software program Model 17 shall be obtainable for HomePod and HomePod mini.

15-inch MacBook Air

When it comes to new {hardware} at WWDC, Apple is predicted to introduce a brand new 15-inch MacBook Air. Presently, the MacBook Air is barely obtainable in a single display measurement possibility at 13.6 inches, and this is able to mark the primary time Apple has provided a bigger-screen model of its hottest laptop computer.

In response to Bloomberg, the 15-inch MacBook Air has a display decision an identical to the 14-inch MacBook Pro. This implies the show can be barely much less sharp than the 14-inch MacBook Pro because the identical decision is being stretched to fifteen inches.

When it comes to efficiency, the 15-inch MacBook Air is predicted to make use of Apple’s M2 processor and supply efficiency “on par” with the present crop of M2-powered Macs.

The precise worth of the 15-inch MacBook Air is unknown. Nevertheless, contemplating the $500 worth distinction between the essential 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro fashions, we’d anticipate the 15-inch MacBook Air to hold a $500 worth increment over the 13-inch M2 mannequin. This is able to set the anticipated worth of the 15-inch MacBook Air at round $1,799.

New Mac Studio

One of many late-breaking rumors for WWDC is that Apple is prepping new variations of the Mac Studio with upgraded processors inside. In response to Bloomberg, Apple is prepping two new Mac desktops with the M2 Max and M2 Extremely chips inside.

Apple is testing two Mac fashions codenamed “Mac 14,13” and “Mac 14,14,” believed to be new variations of the Mac Studio. M2 Max has a 12-core CPU and 30-core GPU with help for as much as 96 GB of RAM, M2 Extremely will double all of these specs. The brand new chip shall be obtainable with a 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, and as much as 192GB of RAM. The next-end model of the M2 Extremely has a 76-core GPU.

It will mark the primary Mac desktop with the M2 Max inside, which is at present solely obtainable on the MacBook Pro. This may even be the primary time we’ve seen a Mac with the M2 Extremely chip.

Apple Reality Pro and xrOS

Final however definitely not least, all indicators level to Apple introducing its long-awaited Reality Pro headset at WWDC 2023. This headset will supply each combined actuality and augmented actuality capabilities and have ultra-high-end specs and {hardware}.

Apple’s first Reality Pro headset is predicted to be an ultra-premium product priced at round $3,000. It can function top-of-the-line specs, together with an “modern three-display configuration” with two 4K Micro-LED panels. Apple is additionally at present engaged on a more reasonably priced headset product, however it’s not anticipated to be prepared for mass manufacturing till not less than 2025.

The headset will reportedly be powered by xrOS, which reportedly stands for “prolonged actuality” inside Apple. The software program platform will help a variety of options, together with FaceTime, content material consumption, gaming, the power to construct digital worlds and rooms, and far more.

The Reality Pro headset will enable customers to change between AR and VR modes, a function that shall be integral to the xrOS software program. The VR mode on xrOS will present a totally immersive expertise. By spinning the Digital Crown-like toggle current on the headset itself, xrOS will progressively transition into AR mode so customers can see the world round them.

At WWDC this 12 months, Apple will maintain numerous classes and workshops for builders to broaden their understanding of xrOS. This consists of matters similar to creating purposes for the headset, methods to port apps from different platforms onto the headset, design pointers for a compelling digital actuality expertise, and more.

However regardless that Apple will announce its new headset and xrOS at WWDC 2023, it’s not anticipated to be obtainable for buy till someday later this 12 months. Press and builders in attendance at WWDC, nevertheless, will reportedly have the chance to check out the product.

Be taught more about xrOS in our full information.

Wrap up

As you possibly can see, WWDC 2023 is shaping as much as be a large occasion for Apple. Not solely will the occasion embody the annual software program updates for Apple’s present updates, however it’s going to additionally introduce Apple’s first new software program platform because the Apple Watch in 2014.

Hold it locked to 9to5Mac for complete protection main as much as the occasion. We’ll even be onsite for WWDC 2023 all week lengthy. What are you most excited to see at WWDC 2023? Tell us within the feedback under.

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