Apple's annual World Wide Developer Conference begins on the 20th (local time). Monday 10AM PT/1PM ET If last year's WWDC will be remembered as the event that finally introduced Vision Pro to the world, with its standard Tim Cook keynote, the company could make next week's event even more memorable by finally explaining its generative AI plans. I'm hoping.
You can find information on how to live stream the event here.
WWDC's opening ceremony differs from other Apple keynotes in that it kicks off a week of online and offline events running from June 10th to 14th. Although companies are starting to release more information to the public during the pandemic, remember the reason for the season. Like Google I/O and Microsoft Build before it, the real purpose of the event is to showcase the latest updates to developers.
hardware updates
Although advancements in Mac silicon over the past few years and headset previews last year have introduced major hardware updates, WWDC is not a hardware event. In fact, recent rumors point to a very light keynote presentation for the hardware. Bloomberg has now even suggested that there won't be any new hardware at the event.
Recall that Apple made the unusual choice of hosting a standalone virtual iPad event almost exactly a month before WWDC. The May 7th program saw the launch of new versions of the iPad Pro and iPad Air. Unfortunately for many, AI did not play a significant role in this event. After all the fanfare over models like GPT and all the fuss Google has made surrounding Android's Gemini integration, Apple is set to launch it in earnest next week.
That said, the new M4 chip just debuted in the iPad. A MacBook with this chip and its more powerful siblings isn't far behind. The upcoming iPhone A18 chip, which the company will almost certainly claim, is not the “most advanced smartphone chip for AI” or even an equivalent chip.
AI Everything
Concerns that Apple was behind in the AI generation were enough to prompt Cook to promise big things to shareholders. In fact, the CEO decided to comment on his future plans. In May, he promised the company would “break new ground” in generative AI, adding, “We believe this will open up transformative opportunities for our users.”
Is Apple's attempt to break new ground truly groundbreaking? I expect this to be a big promise for developers, highlighting how generative AI will impact future versions of the company's various operating systems, especially iOS. Rumors about Apple's approach to the world of large-scale language models have been swirling for some time.
Early reports suggested that the company was meeting with Google about a potential Gemini integration for iOS. This would be a huge win for Google, whose model plays a key role in two operating systems that account for 96% of the global mobile operating system market. However, recent reports have pointed to a partnership with OpenAI. As with previous I/Os, I expect all the talk about AI to be jaded and tired by the time the company is over.
After the electric car project failed, Apple reportedly devoted a large number of employees to internally generated AI work. Given how fresh the news is, it's safe to say the company is still lagging behind the competition. With this in mind, we expect a lot of AI-related news to come out of the OpenAI deal.
iOS 18 with more AI
With these partnerships, we expect iOS 18 to be the centerpiece of the event. There's a lot of anticipation surrounding the update, which is said to be “one of the biggest iOS updates, if not the largest, in the company's history.” In fact, Sarah took time out of her busy schedule to compile some rumored updates. I don't want to repeat her work, so I'll clear up some of the rumors here. Go read her story to find out more.
- Siri will get a long-awaited new feature thanks to Apple's generative AI work. With this update, your smart assistant will be able to edit photos directly, delete emails, and perform other everyday tasks more effectively. This update is said to bring an enhanced version of Siri for Apple Watch, along with improved voices and notification summaries.
- AI will also infiltrate the Safari browser for more intelligent searches, notes for summaries, and voice memos for transcription (features that Google has been touting for some time).
- Generative AI also applies to emojis, allowing users to customize and create their own in messages.
- Apple is also said to be relaxing layout restrictions to allow users to place icons and widgets wherever they want on the home screen.
To make Android users feel a little less grumpy, Apple has announced that Rich Communication Services (RCS) is being added to Messages. It's still a green bubble. Reports said the ship would arrive last fall, but it has apparently already sailed. On the other hand, the upcoming fall seems like a good bet, especially with the entire DOJ looming.
macOS 15 debuts
Every time Tim Cook says “AI,” investors get wings. There's no doubt that iOS will be the main focus of the operating system, but Apple is still gaining new ground in its desktop efforts. We will have an official name for macOS 15. Which California place names have the most AI? Alameda? Alcatraz? RodAI Drive?
Many of the iOS updates above also apply to macOS, including updates to Siri, Notes, and Safari. Apple's office apps are also said to be improving Gen AI. This includes support for Pages, Keynote, and the developer experience app Xcode.
System Setup will continue Apple's long-running project to transform macOS into iOS with a design update. Apple also needs to overhaul several key accessibility features. And let's not forget the most exciting update: some big design changes to the calculator. It's the most used app, but somehow you don't think about it.
