WWDC 2023: What to expect at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference

Apple’s upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is set to be one of the biggest yet. After years of rumors and leaks, Apple could finally unveil its mixed reality headset, usher the company into a new product category and give the world a first taste of its bid to prove virtual reality worthwhile. ‘invest.

There will certainly be a lot more: OS updates, new apps and features, and maybe some new hardware too. Here we’ve rounded up details on how and when you can watch the WWDC keynote as well as some of the announcements we’re expecting from Apple.

This year’s WWDC keynote is scheduled for Monday, June 5 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. It will take place as a digital and in-person event at Apple Park in Cupertino, Calif., with Apple CEO Tim Cook expected to kick off.

Apple will stream the WWDC keynote live from its website and YouTube channel. You can also watch the stream we’ll embed at the top of this article once it’s live. If you can’t watch the keynote live, you can still watch it from the pre-recorded version that Apple will post on YouTube after it airs.

With that said, let’s dive into some of the biggest announcements we’re expecting from Apple during WWDC.

Apple’s mixed reality headset is arguably one of the company’s most exciting products in years. Although Apple still hasn’t confirmed its existence, reports suggest it will be able to provide both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences.

The headset will likely exist as a standalone device, complete with a battery that connects to the headset using a proprietary cable. So far, reports suggest that Apple has been busy building VR versions of some of its native apps, including Safari, FaceTime, Apple TV, Apple Books, Freeform, and more.

With an expected price tag of around $3,000, Apple’s headset won’t come cheap. Although Apple is also working on more affordable versions of the device, we probably won’t see them at this year’s event.

Apple is also expected to launch a larger 15-inch option for the MacBook Air, a device that has long featured a standard 13-inch screen. We first heard about the device last year, and more detailed rumors have been piling up since then.

The 15-inch MacBook Air will likely ship with the internal M2 chip used in MacBook Air models released last year. As a report from Bloombergit can also feature the same 3024 x 1964 resolution as the 14-inch MacBook Pro, although the screen might be a bit less sharp as it has extra space to fill.

Other than that, however, it’s not entirely clear if Apple intends to reveal any other new Macs. The company is rumored to be working on a refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 24-inch iMac, all of which may feature a new M3 chip.

WWDC is a developer event, which means we’ll definitely see updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and more.

This includes the reveal of iOS 17, which is rumored to come with a variety of small quality of life updates. Apple has already previewed the suite of accessibility features that will likely arrive with the new operating system, including a Personal Voice tool that lets users create a synthetic voice with 15 minutes of training.

Apple is also expected to include updates for Stage Manager in iPadOS 17, the multitasking interface that my colleague David Pierce says “still doesn’t work” even after Apple officially released it last October. The updates seem to be more on the technical side of things though, and less on its general functionality.

Not much is known about what’s in store for macOS 14 and tvOS 17, but Apple is reportedly giving watchOS 10 a pretty big update that adds a new widget-rich interface.

Speaking of iOS 17, a report from The Wall Street Journal says Apple will launch a new journaling app for iPhone that will let you write down your thoughts and activities throughout the day.

It can also provide suggestions for topics you can write about and offer “all-day people discovery” to find out who you’re hanging out with and even detect when you’re doing something you don’t usually do on a certain day. While Apple is expected to unveil the app at WWDC, the company will likely launch it in the fall.

Apple is running out of time to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). While some of the rules have already come into effect, ‘digital guardians’ like Apple have until March next year at the latest to allow users to download third-party app stores and sideload apps at the within the EU, which Apple has strongly expressed its opposition to more security concerns.

That’s why it wouldn’t be so surprising if Apple used WWDC to preview some of the changes it’s making to its iPhone and iPad ecosystems. (Or at least quietly let the developers know the change is coming.) According to BloombergApple is looking to “redesign” iOS to comply with European regulators.

In addition to allowing sideloading, speculation is rife that Apple may no longer require third-party browsers to use Apple’s own WebKit engine, allowing for greater differentiation in mobile browsers. The company could also open access to its NFC chip, which is currently limited to Apple services like Apple Wallet and Apple Pay.

Apple has a ton of new Macs on deck, and while we don’t expect them all to make an appearance at WWDC, it’s always a possibility. Besides the upcoming MacBooks we mentioned earlier, we know that Apple is working on a Mac Pro with Apple’s internal chip, an updated 24-inch iMac, and two new Mac Studio models.

We’re also keeping tabs on Apple’s next step in AI. Although the company has been relatively quiet about its AI ambitions, the company’s job postings indicate that it is looking to hire people with expertise in the field. It also recently banned employees from using ChatGPT due to data leak concerns, raising questions about whether it will build its own AI system for workers like Samsung.

Of course, we can also expect the iPhone 15 to release later this year. Rumors suggest that all iPhone 15 models will ship with the Dynamic Island this time around (not just the Pro), and it might also feature a USB-C charging port (thanks to another European regulation) . That, however, will have to wait until September.