What are the WWDC dates?
Apple has confirmed its next Worldwide Developer Conference will take place from June 2 to June 6.
This annual event is typically where Apple engineers, content creators, and press gather to swap technical notes. More importantly (or at least more interestingly), it’s where we find out what new software and special projects Apple is working on.
We occasionally even get sneak peeks at new hardware.
So what does Apple have planned for WWDC 2014? As ever, it’s all guess work at this point - but we can at least have an educated stab at what to expect, as well as what not to expect.
iOS 8
So what do we know about iOS 8? Not much, actually. Certainly a lot less than iOS 7 last year, which spilled its guts all over the web in the months leading up to WWDC 2013.
That should be a hint that iOS 8 won’t be the radical step forward that iOS 7 was. Rather, it promises to be a solid iterative update on the design and themes laid out by its predecessor.
The biggest rumour so far (courtesy of a leaked app icon) seems to surround a new default Healthbook app, which would appear to be Apple's attempt at a new health and fitness tracker. And if you’re thinking that might be laying the groundwork for a certain rumoured wearable Apple device later in the year (more on which later), well, we’d be inclined to agree.
Alongside this new Healthbook app, the leak appeared to show iOS versions of the TextEdit and Preview OS X apps. This suggests that Apple is looking at firming up the file-handling capabilities of its mobile OS to better replicate that of its desktop OS.
Elsewhere, we can probably expect to see iOS 8 expanding on the Touch ID system introduced with the iPhone 5S. In particular, we wouldn't be surprised to see Apple finally introduce a new mobile payment system using your fingerprints for authentication.
Another rumour that seems to be doing the rounds is that Apple will spin iTunes Radio off into its own standalone app, forming a distinct service to rival the likes of Spotify.
OS X 10.10
If that doesn’t sound like a particularly snappy new version name, that in itself should tell you that this is unlikely to be a particularly momentous overhaul. It won’t be OS X 11 (or OS 11), in other words.
Still, that’s not to say that Apple won’t be ringing the changes for Mac users. Some reports have suggested that Apple will bring iOS 7’s bold, flat visual style to the new version of OS X. We doubt that the update will be that dramatic, but a further shift away from Apple’s old skeuomorphic tendencies seems likely after Apple started the ball rolling with Mavericks.
As for precise information on new OS X 10.10 features, well, there isn't any. It’s all speculation at this point, with suggestions such as Siri implementation and an improved Notification Center sounding like good bets without being based on anything concrete.
New Apple TV
Rumour has it that the new Apple TV - which would represent the first major hardware update for two years - will be able to stream content from established media institutions, and may even be fitted with a TV tuner. It could, effectively, have the capabilities of a standard set-top-box, but with Apple’s UI magic sprinkled on top.
Other reports suggest that Apple will enable its new box to act as a games console, just as the Fire TV does.
The question is, will Apple use WWDC to unveil the new Apple TV? It would make sense for one simple reason: developers. Such an ambitious new Apple TV would have to have its own App Store, so the sooner Apple can get developers making content for its new platform the better.
And what better opportunity to launch a new SDK than when you have thousands of talented content creators under one roof, hanging off your every word?
We wouldn't say we're expecting to see the Apple TV at WWDC 2014, but it would certainly make sense for Apple to do so on a number of levels.
New MacBooks
That’s why we’re always a little hopeful that Apple will release an exciting new laptop at WWDC. But what might a new MacBook look like in 2014?
There’s one outstanding gap in the MacBook line-up, and that’s for a MacBook Air with Retina display. We’ve been waiting for one for years.
Reports and rumours seem to confirm that Apple has such a device in the works. Interestingly, it’s claimed that the new Retina MacBook Air will be neither an 11-inch nor a 13-inch notebook, but rather a 12-inch in-betweener.
As for the full-sized MacBook Pro range, we’re not expecting to see any major updates, as the most recent Retina model was only released in October. But that doesn’t mean that Apple won’t announce a bit of a reshuffle. After all, there's still one remaining non-Retina model that’s propping up the range, which looks a little untidy in this day and age.
What not to expect
You might have noticed a few major omissions from our list of what to expect from WWDC 2014. So let’s deal with those.
First, the obvious one. Don’t expect to see an iPhone 6 announced at WWDC. While the iPhone 4 was announced at just such a June event, the three subsequent Apple smartphone models have had their own special event closer to the end of the year.
Nor should you expect to see a new iPad launched. Again, Apple tends to launch its new tablets towards the end of the year to capitalise on the holiday spending period.
Of course, there are those rumours of a super-sized 12.9-inch 'iPad Pro,' but again, we can’t see that being shoe-horned into a packed June event.
Finally, the big new platform everyone’s waiting for - the iWatch. All credible reports point to a launch some time towards the end of the year for Apple’s smartwatch, so June’s WWDC event may come a little too soon - particularly as iOS 8 (which will likely be optimised for the iWatch) won't have its feature set finalised until nearer its launch later in the year.
Next, read our iOS 7 tips and tricks article