What we expect to be announced at Apple’s WWDC 2020
APPLE. In this file photo taken on September 10, 2019 the apple logo is projected on a screen before the start of a product launch event at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California. Photo by Josh Edelson/AFP
MANILA, Philippines – Apple is set to kick off this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) later tonight, where it typically showcases what the company has been developing on the software end.
However, unlike previous years’ conferences, this year will not have a live audience, and will be held entirely online due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Considering Apple is still holding an event of sorts, and not cancelling its plans entirely tells us that it has some important announcements that it can’t wait to share.
Here are some of what you can expect to be announced:
iOS 14
Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 14, is, as expected, one of the main focuses this year.
It’s reportedly going to come with performance and stability fixes for this year’s iOS 13, which many claim is riddled with bugs and problems, as well as a couple of new features.
One such addition, according to 9to5Mac, will be the ability to view your installed apps in a list, where you can see all of them at once without having to go through different pages of your home screen.
You’ll be able to filter through them based on which ones have unread notifications or you’ve recently used.
The feature will also include smart suggestions from Siri, making it easier for you to find the apps you use at a specific time and location.
Another new feature that’s coming with the update is said to be the addition of customizable home screen widgets.
Widgets aren’t exactly new to iOS, but ever since they were introduced, you couldn’t move them around or reposition them where you want them to be in the same way you can on Android. That could all change with this new update.
New iMac
While Apple usually reserves hardware announcements for its other events, reputable Apple leaker Sonny Dickson on Twitter suggested that a new iMac will be unveiled at this year’s conference.
It will have an overhauled design with much slimmer bezels, a T2 security chip, along with an AMD Navi GPU, and it will drop the fusion drive storage option.
An update to the iMac is long overdue, with Apple seemingly putting its focus on laptops and tablets in the last couple of years. If these rumors are true, desktop fans have new hardware to look forward to before the year ends.
ARM shift
Earlier this month, it was reported that Apple is planning to shift the processors it’s using on its Macs from Intel to its own ARM-based chips.
The company is expected to make this official with an announcement and probably outline their transition plans at the conference.
What this means for Mac hardware moving forward is not entirely clear yet, but it’s been hinted that the new ARM chips are going to provide “sizable improvements” to performance.
The rumor going around right now is that the first product to be powered by the new ARM processor is a revival of the 12-inch Macbook. But it’s unlikely for it to make a showing at the conference as it’s not expected to ship until sometime in 2021.
iPadOS 14
As far as rumors and leaks go, there’s not a lot on the new version of iPadOS, which last year became its own after splitting off from iOS.
The only solid rumor to go off of so far is that Apple is introducing a new PencilKit feature to iOS 14 that lets you automatically convert handwritten words into text, which is said to work on any input field.
You can catch Apple’s WWDC 2020 stream via the company’s website, its Developer app, Apple TV, or YouTube on Tuesday, June 23, 1AM, Philippine time. – Rappler.com
