Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, or WWDC for short, is a highlight of the summer as the company presents its upcoming operating systems.
This year, iOS 18 is likely to be brought to the keynote stage in a big way, as rumours are growing that Apple will focus more on the AI functions on the iPhone in the upcoming update.
macOS 15, watchOS 11, visionOS 2 and other smaller updates are also not to be missed. Apple has already set up a dedicated page, which will be filled with session videos, forum posts and labs from Monday 10 June.
Hardware announcements can also be expected at the upcoming WWDC keynote, given Apple uses the big stage to present Macs, MacBooks and other hardware for both developers and the general public.
Vision Pro in other countries
Perhaps as an aside at the visionOS 2 launch, Craig Federighi or one of his colleagues will announce that the Vision Pro will soon be available in other regions of the world.
Vision Pro was unveiled almost exactly a year ago at WWDC 2023 and went on sale at the beginning of February 2024.
However, the mixed reality glasses can only be purchased in the US; they can only be exported to Europe with the corresponding additional customs duty. One year after the announcement and more than four months after the sales launch in the US, it seems like now is the time for Apple to start selling the Vision Pro in other countries.
Macbook Pro with M4 Pro/Max
The new iPad Pro M4, which Apple unveiled a few weeks ago, is literally an elephant in the room, casting its shadow over WWDC.
Because for the first time, the manufacturer has built its latest Apple Silicon into a tablet first, not a Mac.
Apple must also follow suit with its new chip in laptops (and desktops), otherwise by autumn there will be an imbalance in which a tablet is equipped with a better chip than the laptops.
As Apple already updated its Macbook Air with M3 in March, we believe it is more likely that the manufacturer will upgrade its Pro models to M4, in the beefed-up Pro and Max variants. This would bring the two variants, Pro and Air, into the familiar matrix: for most users, an Air will easily suffice; those who need a little more workspace will choose the 15-inch model straight away.
Those who edit videos, produce highly complex pieces of music or perform other demanding tasks will opt for a MacBook Pro with a more powerful processor and pay extra.
Mac Mini M4
Apple may take pity on the Mac Mini and upgrade the smallest Mac from M2 to M4, just like the iPad Pro.
After all, the Mac Mini is the desktop Mac that has not been updated for the longest time; the last update came in January 2023, a year and a half ago. The Studio and Pro were updated at the last WWDC; Apple only updated the iMac’s chip in the autumn, while the outdated Lightning ports remained for the keyboard and mouse.
M3/M4 Ultra
Last year, there were rumours that Apple was working on another version of the Ultra chip with spectacular specifications.
But with an M4 on the market, Apple will not be able to convince any professional user to buy a previous generation. The Macs with Ultra chips are very expensive, and with such investments, buyers want the greatest possible future security.
However, we think it is unlikely that Apple will present the M4 Ultra at WWDC 2024. Such chips are intended for professional Macs such as the Mac Studio or the Mac Pro. Since they were only updated a year ago, Apple can afford to wait a few more months, perhaps until around October 2024.
