Apple this week introduced the official dates for the thirty fourth annual Worldwide Builders Convention, with the annual WWDC keynote occasion set to happen on Monday, June 5. The keynote is the place Apple unveils new variations of iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, and generally, we get {hardware} bulletins.
Rumors this 12 months counsel there are at the very least three new gadgets which might be set to be unveiled in the course of the 12 months, and Apple may use WWDC to indicate them off.
15-inch MacBook Air
We have heard a number of rumors of a larger-screened 15.5-inch MacBook Air, which is meant to launch by the summer season. Set to be offered alongside a brand new model of the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, a 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ would give clients on the lookout for a larger-screened light-weight machine an possibility that is not the MacBook Professional.
The 15.5-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ might be simply barely greater than the previous 15.4-inch MacBook Professional, and it will likely be sized in between the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Professional fashions. We’re anticipating the 15.5-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ to seem like a bigger model of the 13.6-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ that was launched final 12 months, with no actual notable design adjustments.
It is not solely clear which chips the 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ will use as a result of the timing is odd. It is late for Apple to make use of the M2 chips that first got here out final 12 months, however early for the debut of the M3. Kuo has stated the brand new ‌MacBook Air‌ fashions will use ‌M2‌ and ‌M2‌ Professional chips, whereas 9to5Mac has stated that it’s going to use new ‌M3‌ chips.
For extra on the rumors concerning the 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌, we have a devoted 15-inch MacBook Air information.
Mac Professional
The Mac Professional is the final Mac that Apple must replace to Apple silicon to get rid of all Intel chips. When the primary Apple silicon chip was launched in 2020, Apple stated it will take a couple of years to finish the transition, and 2023 is the 12 months that may occur.
We predict a brand new Mac Professional in 2023, with the machine set to characteristic the identical normal design as the prevailing ‌Mac Professional‌. It should use the identical stainless-steel body and aluminum housing with quick access to the inside parts.
The Apple silicon ‌Mac Professional‌ is predicted to make use of an “‌M2‌ Extremely” chip with as much as a 24-core CPU and as much as a 76-core GPU, with assist for at the very least 192GB RAM.
Proper now, Apple silicon chips are limiting by way of upgrades, which may have an effect on the ‌Mac Professional‌. Apple silicon Macs wouldn’t have user-upgradeable RAM as a result of the reminiscence is tied to the motherboard, and the identical goes for the GPU. The ‌Mac Professional‌ might not have a consumer upgradeable GPU or upgradeable RAM until Apple makes some type of unexpected replace to the way in which Apple silicon chips are constructed or carried out within the machine.
Rumors have instructed that the ‌Mac Professional‌ is coming within the first half of the 12 months, and Apple has up to now used WWDC to unveil machines focused at builders and designers, so there’s a good chance we’ll see the ‌Mac Professional‌ revealed at Apple’s occasion.
For extra on what to anticipate from the ‌Mac Professional‌, we have a Mac Professional information.
Mac Studio
Apple launched the Mac Studio in March 2022, and the machine is one thing of a Mac mini and ‌Mac Professional‌ hybrid. It makes use of M1 Max and M1 Extremely chips and is in concept due for a refresh, however the destiny of the Mac Studio is unclear with a brand new ‌Mac Professional‌ on the horizon.
A refreshed model of the ‌Mac Studio‌ would use ‌M2‌ Max and ‌M2‌ Extremely chips, the identical chips rumored for the ‌Mac Professional‌. It isn’t clear how Apple would differentiate the ‌Mac Studio‌ and ‌Mac Professional‌ if each had been utilizing the identical chip know-how, so there will not be an ‌M2‌ sequence ‌Mac Studio‌.
As of now, there are not any rumors of a brand new ‌Mac Studio‌, so it is not going we’ll see it at WWDC, however it’s not unimaginable.
AR/VR Headset
Apple has pushed again the disclosing of its AR/VR “blended” actuality headset a number of instances if rumors are to be believed, however we may lastly see it proven off on the 2023 Worldwide Builders Convention. Again in February, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman stated the machine would get a WWDC introduction with delivery to come back later within the 12 months, however it’s nonetheless not a certain factor.
Simply this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that Apple had pushed again mass manufacturing on the headset, which may imply that it will not make an look at WWDC. In accordance with Kuo, Apple “is not very optimistic” about whether or not the headset will be capable to create an “iPhone second,” inflicting uncertainty round whether or not the headset might be previewed at WWDC.
A delay in mass manufacturing doesn’t essentially imply a delay within the unveiling as rumors have at all times indicated that Apple’s plan is to indicate off the headset properly forward of when it launches, however a blended actuality headset at WWDC is now not a certain factor as Apple may wait till later within the 12 months to introduce it.
By way of rumors, the AR/VR headset sounds quite a bit just like the first-generation Apple Watch. It is an costly machine with restricted performance and restricted shopper enchantment, which Apple will enhance upon with subsequent releases.
The primary model of the blended actuality headset is rumored to be priced at round $3,000, and Apple doesn’t count on it to promote properly. Workers have expressed concern concerning the restricted usefulness of the machine, and Apple does not appear to have a tentpole app to promote it with. Apple is focusing closely on communication and avatar growth, however whether or not this may curiosity customers stays to be seen.
Rumors point out the headset can have some high-end know-how with 4K micro OLED shows and greater than a dozen cameras for monitoring all the things from facial expressions handy gestures, however there are main downsides as properly, similar to the necessity to put on an exterior battery pack to energy the machine.
A built-in battery was too heavy, so Apple has designed a hip-worn battery that may energy the headset for roughly two hours earlier than it must be recharged. Apple is claimed to have been aiming to create a snug, light-weight design with a glossy, curved visor with a mesh backing and an adjustable band.
Some Apple staff are reportedly involved concerning the product and have questioned whether or not the machine is a “answer searching for an issue” that is not “pushed by the identical readability” as different Apple merchandise.
A full overview of all the things we find out about Apple’s AR/VR headset might be discovered in our AR/VR headset roundup.
New Software program
At WWDC, Apple will introduce iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Ventura 14, tvOS 17, and watchOS 10, plus if the headset is launched, we may see the primary model of xrOS, the software program designed to run on the machine.
Of those updates, ‌iOS 17‌ at all times garners essentially the most curiosity and it is usually the one software program we hear about forward of launch. ‌iOS 17‌ is outwardly geared toward including a number of the “most requested options” that customers have been wanting, although there isn’t any phrase on what these options may be.
There is no such thing as a main “tentpole” addition just like the Lock Display screen overhaul in iOS 16, however it appears like there may very well be some helpful high quality of life enhancements. We do know that ‌iOS 17‌ is predicted to characteristic assist for the AR/VR headset, main CarPlay updates, and assist for sideloading apps in European international locations.
Extra of what we have heard about ‌iOS 17‌ might be present in our iOS 17 roundup.
WWDC Dates and Viewing Data
The Worldwide Builders Convention will begin on Monday, June 5 and final by means of Friday, June 9. For non-developers, the keynote occasion on June 5 might be of essentially the most curiosity.
The keynote occasion is prone to begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and it will likely be broadcast dwell on Apple’s web site, on the Apple TV, and on YouTube. MacRumors can have full protection of Apple’s bulletins each right here on MacRumors.com and thru our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.