WWDC 2021 is set to kickstart in a couple of days from now. Apple is set to announce iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS 12, and more at its yearly developer conference. There are likely going to plenty of other interesting announcements as well at the event. Before WWDC starts though, here’s a roundup of everything that we expect Apple to announce at its event this year.
WWDC is always packed with some major announcements from Apple, and this year is going to be no different. Apart from an update for all its various mobile operating systems, Apple could also announce new MacBooks at the event. And going by the rumors, it is possible that this year’s iPadOS 15 update will be a bigger one than iOS 15 and come with some massive improvements.
The opening keynote of WWDC 2021 is scheduled to take place on June 7 at 10 a.m. PT. Find the local start time of the WWDC keynote in your timezone here and the instructions to watch the WWDC 2021 opening keynote live here.
WWDC 2021: What to Expect
iOS 15
Most people are likely the most excited about the next version of iOS. Last year’s iOS 14 was a major update, which also introduced a number of bugs with it that took Apple quite a few releases to fix. This year, the story is likely going to be different. iOS 15 is not expected to include tons of new features, though as per rumors, it should come with a redesigned lock screen and Control Center.
The widgets experience could also be improved in iOS 15. In iOS 14, widgets are not interactive, which Apple could fix in iOS 15. This would dramatically improve the widgets’ experience and make it that much more useful.
Apple could also make some under the hood improvements for better battery life as recent iOS 14 releases have had a negative impact in this regard. Another rumor suggests system apps like Safari, Messages, and Health are going to get a massive overhaul with plenty of new features and usability improvements.
iPadOS 15
This year, iPadOS 15 is the one that’s likely going to receive the biggest revamp of all the OSes that Apple has. iPadOS 15 should introduce a revamped home screen experience with widgets support, a redesigned Control Center, multitasking improvements, and other changes that should make the iPad Pro more powerful and usable for pro users.
The new M1 iPad Pro offers a lot of power, but they feel held back by iPadOS 14. Thus, many iPad Pro users expect Apple to announce some major new features in iPadOS 15 to take advantage of all that power. I am not too optimistic about Apple bringing its Pro apps like Final Cut Pro or Logic Pro to the iPad, but if the company does end up doing so, it would instantly make the iPad Pro a lot more useful.
watchOS 8
Apple has been focusing heavily on the fitness aspect with the Apple Watch, and the upcoming watchOS 8 is further expected to build on this. While not much is known about watchOS 8, I’d expect Apple to add more activity tracking modes to the OS. Additionally, the breathing exercises should also get an improvement.
macOS 12
Last year’s macOS Big Sur was a major revamp of the OS, so don’t expect this year’s macOS release to pack a lot of new features or changes. If anything, macOS 12 will be a relatively minor upgrade with some under the hood and usability improvements. There are a lot of issues with macOS Big Sur and M1 Mac, especially with external monitors and Bluetooth connectivity which Apple could fix in the next macOS release.
tvOS 15
Apple is also expected to announce the next version of tvOS at WWDC this year. It is unclear what changes the company will bring with tvOS 15 for now.
New MacBooks?
Recent rumors seem to suggest that Apple will be launching its redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro at WWDC 2021. The new MacBooks would feature a slimmer and flatter design, with the smaller 14-inch MacBook Pro being the successor to the existing 13-inch MacBook Pro. Reports indicate Apple will include an HDMI port, SD card slot, and a magnetic charging port similar to MagSafe on the new MacBooks. It will seemingly also do away with Touch Bar.
The new MacBooks should be powered by a more powerful M1x or M2 chip, with up to 10-core CPU and 32-core or 64-core GPU configuration for better performance. Apple’s yearly developer conference focuses on software and new hardware launches are usually an exception, which might just be the case this year.
HomeOS?
A recent job listing from Apple revealed the existence of homeOS, an OS designed specifically for its smart home devices like the HomePod and other future products. There have not been any leaks or reports detailing homeOS, though WWDC would be the perfect stage for Apple to unveil a new OS for its smart home products.
It is also possible that homeOS is still in the early stages of development, so it might not make an appearance this year at all.
What are your expectations from this year’s WWDC? Do you think Apple will launch new MacBooks at the event? What improvements do you want to see in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15? Drop a comment and let us know!
