Here’s Everything That’s Rumored for the Upcoming WWDC 2021
- WWDC 2021 is about to begin, so here’s what we may see getting presented in today’s keynote.
- From a heavily revamped iPadOS 15 to the successor of the M1 chip, we may see some exciting stuff.
- As always, everything is based on rumors and analyst reports, so nothing is certain.
Apple’s WWDC 2021 (Worldwide Developers Conference) is scheduled to start in less than eight hours, and it will be a fully online event with a keynote, 200 in-depth sessions, challenges, topic discussions, Q&A sessions, and more. The consumers are most interested in that kick-off keynote, obviously, as this is where exciting product revelations happen, so here is everything that is rumored right now for those of you who need some priming or just can’t wait.
First, there’s the iOS and iPadOS 15, which will be Apple’s next major OS releases for iPhone and iPad. Rumors talk about a new notifications management system allowing the user to set preferences depending on the active mode, like “working,” or “sleeping,” or “driving.” This will allegedly come inside a completely redesigned Lock Screen and the Control Center, of course. The modes will also support auto-reply features to incoming messages, etc.
Other rumors concerning the iOS include new Accessibility features like a background noise identifier, built-in support for foot tracking into the Health app, and some additional features onto iMessage that will give it a more “social network” touch. A new privacy-enhancing system that informs the user of what kind of data an app accesses is supposedly also coming.
In the iPadOS, a lot of stuff is expected to help differentiate the M1-powered iPadPro from “regular” tablets and bring the software up to par with the hardware. We should see support for pro-grade applications added, a multi-tasking system that will enable users to harness the power of the M1, and also some flexibility in terms of what the user is allowed to do with the organization of their virtual workspace.
The macOS 12, watchOS 8, and tvOS 15 are also possible, but not much has been speculated or leaked about them until now. We are giving them as possibilities, and they may land with exciting features, but most likely, they will be minor upgrades compared to previous years. The WatchOS 8 is a tad bit more hopeful in terms of adding several health-related features.
On the hardware space, there’s the rumor about a new MacBook Pro with the “M1X” or the “M2” chip, which is reportedly going to feature 12 processing cores and 16-32 GPU cores. Other details that circulate as valid include the MagSafe's return and the addition of an HDMI port alongside an SD card slot.
Then there’s the possibility of finally seeing something on Apple’s VR headset, the Apple car, or something entirely off the radar. Still, all of these entries are more far-fetched for the upcoming event. Nevertheless, if you plan to watch the keynote, you can do so right from Apple’s YouTube channel on this live video feed.