Apple WWDC 2017: A Look At Things That Are Expected

We’re only a few hours away from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference of this year and as time is passing the curiosity is increasing. This year’s conference is more widely anticipated than that of any previous year because Apple is expected to announce a number of new things at the conference.

From iPhone 8 to a smart speaker to new software updates, we’ll probably see a ton of new stuff today, which will set the direction for company’s future. Therefore, no surprise that entire tech industry has held its breathe for the event. So before Tim Cook takes the stage, let’s take a quick look at all those Apple products that are expected to see the limelight tonight.

Amazon and Google Watch Out: An Apple Speaker is Coming for You!

Amazon Echo and Google Home – the two shiny toys on which their parent companies are betting big. And while both companies may be happy to see their Echos and Homes enter thousands of new homes everyday, their party may end soon – because reportedly Apple is also coming out with its own smart speaker tonight at WWDC.

That’s right. Rumor mill is suggesting that breaking the tradition for first time Apple will release a completely new product at WWDC, and that product will be a smart speaker. The speaker (or Siri Speaker – as people are calling it) will be able to do all major things that Amazon Echo and Google Home are capable of doing, but what will make it special is the fact that it can replace those Apple TVs and iPads that you currently use as hubs for controlling your home while you’re away. The next hub for your Homekit apps may be this Siri Speaker.

Not much is known about speaker’s size or shape at this point, but Apple has a tendency of standing out from the crowd. Therefore, Bloomberg expects that Siri Speaker won’t just be more stylish than both Amazon Echo and Google Home but also provide a louder, crisper and more immersive sound experience with virtual surround sound.

A Refreshed Macbook Lineup

A refresh of Macbook product line is also expected at WWDC. While nothing radical is expected in the exteriors of new macs, it’s expected that the processors may be changed to latest 7th generation Intel Core processors. Another change that may come is increased RAM support for Macbook Pros, after which they may be able to support up to 32GB of RAM. Many professional users had complained that current 16GB limit wasn’t enough for some heavy programs. An update of Macbook product line is also being considered confirm because Apple recently delayed shipping times for its 15-inch Macbook Pro laptops to the day after WWDC.

New 10.5 inch iPad Pro with Thin Bezels

An iPad Pro update is overdue from a long time, and therefore, rumors suggest that we may see one coming at WWDC. According to 9to5Mac, a 10.5 inch iPad Pro with thin bezels may be released at the conference to replace the current 9.7 inch model. Thinner bezels will mean that the display size can be increased without increasing the size of slate, which means that larger display won’t be a threat to its portability. This new iPad is also likely to pack a faster processor and a higher resolution display to match its size, which is kind of obvious to expect from Apple. Not much else is known about it at this point.

iOS, macOS: Because Ultimately it’s A Developers’ Conference!

WWDC has traditionally been about software, so there’ll obviously be some new stuff to see regarding Apple’s both major operating systems. iOS 11 is expected to be revealed at the event, and Jimmy Iovine had said in a Bloomberg interview that it’ll come with a new version of Apple Music app that’ll probably serve as a one stop shop for all things related to pop culture, including video content. Rumors have also suggested that there may be increased Apple Pencil support across all of iOS as Apple tries to position its iPads as replacements to PCs.

As far as macOS is concerned, not much is known about it. However, we may see company’s new file system that was launched with iOS 10.3 coming to it. If that happens, it’ll mean more security and better optimization for SSDs.

But besides both these things a more important theme of discussion regarding software may be AI. It’s well known by now that Apple is investing heavily in artificial intelligence. This conference is the right stage to show how those investments are improving the functionality of Siri and other apps included in both iOS and macOS.

And What About iPhone 8?

The 10th anniversary iPhone is unarguably the most anticipated iPhone ever. So while it’s expected that company may reveal some details about it at WWDC, don’t expect its launch tonight. Apple iPhone 8 launch date expected to have slipped a few months ahead because of some issues remaining with fingerprint sensor and supply chain, so it’s expected to take place at a separate event in September or October.

Will That Be All?

Not necessarily. Apple has a well-known track record of surprising, so we can’t say that WWDC keynote address will be wrapped up with announcements related to above things only. Some surprising products or updates may also be revealed, as it has happened many times before. The best thing you can do is keep checking HiTechWiki, because we’l bring you the details of entire action after the keynote address is wrapped up. Drop your valuable comments, What you are expecting from Apple this year 😉

Leave a Comment