Just a few days away from one of the most awaited events of the year for technology enthusiasts: the‘Apple WWDC 2023 – that this should have some really great news. This annual conference brings together developers, designers and creators from around the world to discover the latest innovations from the Cupertino house. Among which, it seems, there could also be the the company’s first AR/VR headset. In this article, we’ll tell you about some of our predictions (and hopes) for the event.
Apple WWDC 2023: the news we expect from the event
Apple WWDC 2023 is Apple’s annual developer conference, where the news about operating systems, applications and devices of the bitten apple. This year the Apple WWDC will be held from 5 to 9 June 2023at Apple Park in Cupertino, California.
A shot from Cupertino for last year’s WWDC
From 2020, due to the global health situation, the event will take place digitally, with the possibility of following the sessions online via the Apple Developer app or the official website. But the initial conference on June 5, in which Apple will announce all the main news for 2023 for the software (and some hardware gems) will also be in attendance. We will follow the event closely and we will tell you about the main upcoming news.
The main hardware news
The Apple WWDC 2023 event has always presented software innovations: it was created with the intention of providing app and program developers with the possibility of being ready for the updates that Apple will launch (usually in late summer). But Apple almost always reserves some time for hardware announcements, which should be particularly juicy this year.
The AR/VR viewer (Apple Reality?)
We talked at length about Apple’s AR/VR viewer (here all our articles about it, which go back several years). But it looks like it could finally come true. It makes sense that Apple will announce it at WWDC 2023 because it will be a device designed especially for developers: in fact, it should cost over 3,000 dollars and will mainly be used to test new applications and features. Only later will Apple launch a more “popular” version for users.
It should be a visor that allows you to change modes with a simple twist of the control knob, similar to a digital crown, moving from Augmented Reality (AR) to Virtual Reality (VR). The viewer should be powered by an external battery pack that we will keep in our pocket, to reduce its weight on the head. Indeed, the design feels light and comfortablewith a band similar to Apple Watch and a mesh against the face that ensures good breathability.
There should also be the ability to choose the option that best suits your vision for the wearer of lenses or glasses. The display will be a micro-OLED 4K for sharp, lifelike images.
Like the new Apple computers, the heart of the device will be the powerful Apple silicon chipsthe same as the chips used in the Mac, which guarantee high performance and fluidity.
Apple should launch an ad hoc operating system, xrOS, an enhanced version of iOS for augmented and virtual reality, with a dedicated App Store, unique FaceTime experience, and the ability to run iPhone and iPad apps. The control method is gesture based, without the need for physical controllers. The headset will have over a dozen cameras that can read our facial expressions, detect your body movements, and map surrounding areas. For authentication, the viewer uses the iris scanning, which ensures security and privacy.
Mac Pro and 15-inch MacBook Air?
If the confirmations of the arrival of the new AR / VR viewer keep coming (even if Apple has already postponed its launch to the last minute in the past), for the rest there are no certainties about the hardware.
However, for some time we await the arrival of a Mac Pro, the most powerful version of the Apple desktop. At the moment it remains the only model without Apple Silicon chip. Maybe because Apple wants to make sure it launches the most powerful commercial chip when it arrives.
We also know that Cupertino is working on a MacBook Air 15 inch, although we don’t know if Apple will announce it among the news of WWDC 2023. It could be the first product with M3 chip, launching a new generation of Apple chips for the summer.
Apple WWDC 2023: the software news
We can undoubtedly focus on a series of novelties on June 5th: those software. This conference was created to talk about the Apple operating systems, which developers will be able to test to be ready for public releases. Here are the main innovations that have recently emerged.
iOS 17 and iPadOS 17
The most awaited innovations undoubtedly concern iOS 17 and the “almost twin” for tablets, iPadOS. Apple’s mobile operating system may be getting a major update, with new features related to privacy, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Perhaps we will also see changes in the user interface, more customizable and dynamic.
iOS 17 is one of the most anticipated releases of Apple’s operating system, and there are many new features that we expect to see at the WWDC 2023 event. Among them, there are:
- News for the Dynamic Island, to improve the use of notifications and background applications. Perhaps even Siri will be in the dynamic island of the Apple
- Restyling for different applications: Mail, Promemoria, File, Fitness, Wallet and not only
- A new diary app for the mental and physical health of iPhone users
- New for Apple CarPlay, to make the in-car experience more complete.
iPadOS should present similar novelties, with some extra options for multitasking. But above all, on both we expect new software for connect to the AR/VR headset new generation smoothly.
macOS 13
News also coming for macOS 13, the Mac operating system that could follow in the footsteps of iOS and offer more customization and integration options with other Apple devices. We also expect improvements in performance and security, especially for Macs with Apple Silicon processors. A sensational scoop would even like that macOS was compatible with iPad Pros with the M2 chip, although this news at the moment has no official confirmation. But it could revolutionize the way we use iPads, with a solution similar to that seen with Microsoft’s Surface.
watchOS 10 e tvOS 17
News also coming for watchOS 10. Apple’s smart watch could become even smarter, with new ones applications dedicated to health, fitness and well-being. Perhaps we will also have the possibility to change the watch face with a swipe or to use Siri without having to press any buttons. But there is less information about it: we only know that Apple wants to invest again in safety and health features.
At WWDC 2023 Apple will also talk about the news of tvOS 17: the operating system for Apple TV could be enriched with new contents and services, especially those involving Apple Arcade, Apple Music and Apple Podcasts. We could also see a new version of the Siri Remote that is more ergonomic and intuitive. And it seems possible that Apple will introduce new features for smart home management via TV, after joining the Matter standard.
These are just some of our guesses about what to expect at Apple WWDC 2023. We don’t know if these predictions will come true or if there are more surprises in store – Apple has changed plans at the last second in the past as well. To find out the official details, we just have to follow the event live on June 5th. But in the meantime we will keep you updated with all the most interesting speculations and rumors.