WWDC 2021: What To Expect + Concept Images

Jun 6

Jun 6 WWDC 2021: What To Expect + Concept Images

June 7, 2021. Tim Cook is once again up on stage and greets all Apple fans and developers from around the globe with its characteristic “Good Morning” phrase. Another WWDC, or “Dub Dub” as many call it, kicks off.

About WWDC

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is Apple’s biggest software event of the year. Tim Cook and top executives will reveal the next versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS. Due to the pandemic WWDC will once again be fully virtual. However, WWDC was traditionally one of the most lively tech events. Developers arrived at Cupertino from anywhere in the world in order to attend workshops that will help them develop and optimise their own apps for Apple’s ecosystem. WWDC 2021, just as in previous years, is lasting an entire week with the opening keynote and the “State of The Union” being the most popular sessions (click here for the entire schedule).

Software

The upcoming operating systems will be packed with new features, optimizations and hopefully performance gains for the existing hardware. At the same time, privacy and security remain among Apple’s top priorities. Sometimes more flashy and impactful while others less influential but more meaningful, these new features regularly meet the expectations of Apple fans or sometimes disappoint for the lack of desirable features that didn’t actually released.

iOS 15

The biggest hype is always created around iOS since the iPhone is Apple’s heavy artillery with the largest installed user base across its entire product lineup. This year is no exception since we have seen many great concepts creating high expectations for the upcoming iPhone operating system, iOS 15.

According to Bloomberg, we should expect new notifications settings that will allow users to create separate notifications preferences depending on their status e.g. while driving, sleeping or set a new custom category. Users will also be able to set auto replies in messages based on this status. There will be a new menu for this feature with a shortcut toggle being also available in the new Control Center. This menu was intended to be available in the new lock screen however, rumour has it that a fully or partial redesign of the lock screen will be introduced later. Notifications will also be further improved and grouped aiming to make your notification decluttering easier than before.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and iHacktu also expect a new control centre that may be more customizable and perhaps more compact that the current Control Center as it may not be fullscreen anymore reminding is the original Control Center versions. Additional health and accessibility features perhaps with the ability to track your calories will also be announced from Apple.

Messages is the app that we expect to be significantly updated and re-designed from Apple. The US tech giant aims at competing directly with Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram and other messaging applications. Apple will of course take advantage of iMessage and will focus on privacy related features as well. This will probably be announced during WWDC but may be available in future iOS 15 versions. Could we finally see an un-send or edit button on iOS 15?

Apple’s focus on privacy will be even more intense with iOS 15. A new menu will be introduced aiming at informing better iOS and iPadOS users about what kind of data are collected by each third-party application. Here’s a concept of how it may look:

iPadOS

The introduction of the M1 iPad Pro has also raised the hype for this year’s iPadOS. Many hardcore fans and pro users anticipate more professional applications for their iPad. The hardware is now on par with their latest Apple Silicon Macs. The last M1 Macs use a modified iPad chip which also means that both Apple Silicon Macs and the iPad Pro use similar architecture, making the introduction of a Mac app to the iPad easier than ever before and vice versa. Apple’s Xcode and Final Cut Pro are probably the most requested app conversions from macOS. Let’s see if Apple can deliver on this.

Apart from the aforementioned iOS 15 features, Apple is also expected to refresh the iPad’s home screen. The new Home Screen is expected to be more flexible, where users will be free to select where widgets can be placed rather than being forced to place them on the left side of their home screen. Here’s how it could look (concept):

New multitasking is also expected to be officially unveiled tomorrow by Apple. However, not many details about how this will be implemented have been leaked so far. 9TechEleven has made a concept about how this could look like, although total window freedom is extremely unlikely:

macOS, watchOS & tvOS

What about the remaining operating systems? Truth is that not many details have been leaked about Apple’s remaining OS’s. MacOS is not expected to feature a plethora of new features since Apple is focusing on improving the performance of macOS Big Sur which was radically redesigned in 2020. Some claim that the new name of the next macOS version will be Monterrey.

WatchOS is traditionally adding more health and fitness features year by year with 2021 being no exception to this rule. An enhanced version of Find My on the Apple Watch with the ability to use your watch in order to track a missing AirTag is also highly desirable. Here’s a really good concept about this feature:

AirTag App - Apple WatchOS 8 ⌚️

AirTag is a supereasy way to keep track of your stuff. With WatchOS 8 you will be able to find your items in the same way you do with your iPhone! 🔥#applewatch #applewatch7 #applewatch2021 #watchos8 #watchos7 #watchos #wwdc21 #wwdc2021 pic.twitter.com/HL1rvL3rqz
— Angelo Libero Designs (@ALibero_designs) May 23, 2021

Hardware

WWDC is all about software, right? Wrong! This is simply not true, since Apple usually announces new hardware during most of its WWDCs. What about 2021? According to Jon Prosser we expect to see new MacBook Pro announcement during WWDC ‘21. Mark Gurman has also reported that new MacBook Pros with Apple Silicon and more powerful chips are expected in 2021. Let’s hope that we may finally see a more powerful chip than the M1.

What are you mostly interested to see in WWDC 21?