WWDC 2022: iOS 16, Macs, Notifications and all that we expect
What new features will Apple's new software announce at WWDC 2022? Is the company planning big surprises? Hardware, perhaps, or even, dare I say it, a VR headset? We've analyzed the rumours to get an idea of what to expect when Apple's keynote premieres on June 6, 2022, at 1 p.m ET / 10 a.m PT, and this is what we found:
IOS AND IPADOS 16 MAY GET A NEW COAT OF PAINT AND BETTER NOTIFICATIONS
Prominent Apple rumour reporter Mark Gurman predicted that iOS 16 will come with "new apps from Apple," though it's unclear if that means new apps from Apple or a new look for existing apps. Gurman also predicts "new ways to interact" with iOS; I hope it is a reference to interactive widgets.
For iPadOS 16, he specifically pointed out multitasking improvements that could make the line a little better as a laptop replacement.
NEW VERSIONS OF WATCHOS AND MACOS
As usual, there isn't a ton of buzz around watchOS, but Apple is pretty consistent with what it adds to the Apple Watch each year: some new health/ fitness features, new workouts to track, and new watch faces. 9to5Mac also reports that there may be an iPhone-like low-power mode that would offer more ease of use than the current power reserve mode (which basically just shows the time).
The next version of macOS may bring, but rumours have been few and far between. There is speculation that it could get the iPhone's focus mode feature and could be called macOS Mammoth. Other than that, the only thing we really hope to see is support for...
TWO NEW MACs
The current rumour (which also comes from Mark Gurman) is that Apple will introduce at least two new computers "by the mid of the year." That prediction came along with a complete list of computers Apple is reportedly working on, including a new Mac Pro, an entirely revamped line of laptops, and a Mac Mini or two.
There were rumours of a redesigned MacBook Air doing the rounds for a while, and Apple has promised to bring a Mac Pro with Apple Silicon. The latter definitely looks set for a WWDC announcement. It's the conference where Apple brings together a large portion of its professionals and enthusiasts (ie, people who would love a Mac Pro), and it would be weird if it teased the hardware at an event and didn't announce it In the next.
THE M2 COULD MAKE ITS DEBUT
In the report detailing the Macs potentially in progress, Bloomberg also said they are likely to feature Apple's next-generation silicon. While there aren't many details on what kind of improvements the M2 will bring, what better place to brush up on all the technical details than at a developer conference?
While Apple has continued to release new variations of its chips, they have all been expansions of the M1 design it announced more than a year and a half ago. The company said it has finished introducing new M1 chips, so it seems possible that the new computers will have to come with a new generation of chips (although prominent analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the new Air could still have a chip M1).
APPLE MAY ANNOUNCE ITS LONG-RUMORED AR/VR HEADSET
It never actually happened, but there are rumours that Apple is about to announce one after years of supposedly chaotic development. As per this report from a couple of weeks ago, Apple's board of directors was recently able to test the headphones, something that historically happens shortly before consumers see them.
That report said that Apple was planning to unveil the headphones at WWDC, but that there may be delays that would prevent that. Apple could always tease him, though: some people suspect he's already done that by including a bespectacled person in his Memoji iconography for the show.