Apple\u2019s annual World Wide Developer Conference kicks off on Monday at 10 a.m. PT\/1 p.m. ET<\/strong> with the standard Tim Cook keynote. Whereas last year\u2019s event will be remembered as the event that finally introduced the world to the Vision Pro, the company is hoping to make WWDC 2024 even more memorable as it finally spells out its generative AI plans. Some things we can expect: a big Siri refresh, Mail with an injection of Apple\u2019s Ajax LLM to offer email reply suggestions, and even a new look \u2014 and new features \u2014 for Apple Photos.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll find information on how to stream the event live over here<\/a>.<\/p>\n WWDC\u2019s opening salvo is different from other Apple keynotes, in that it\u2019s the kickoff to a weeklong online and in-person event, running from June 10 to 14. The company began opening things up more to the public during the pandemic, but it\u2019s important to remember the reason for the season: Much like Google I\/O and Microsoft Build before it, the true purpose for the event is showcasing the latest updates for developers.<\/p>\n Concern that Apple has fallen behind on gen AI has been enough to prompt Cook to promise big things on shareholder calls. In fact, the CEO made the decision to comment on future plans. In May, he promised that the company would \u201cbreak new ground\u201d on generative AI<\/a>, adding, \u201cWe believe it will unlock transformative opportunities for our users.\u201d<\/p>\n Will Apple\u2019s bid to break new ground be, in fact, groundbreaking? I anticipate it will be big on promises for developers, highlighting how generative AI will affect future versions of the company\u2019s various operating systems \u2014 with a focus on iOS. Rumors around Apple\u2019s approach to the world of large language models have been swirling around for some time now.<\/p>\n Early reports suggested the company was meeting with Google about potential Gemini integration for iOS. That would be a huge win for Google, with the model playing a key role in two operating systems that account for a combined 96% of the global mobile<\/a> operating system market. More recent reporting, however, has pointed to a partnership with OpenAI. Much like I\/O before it, I would anticipate being sick and tired all the AI talk by the time the company is finished.<\/p>\n Following the collapse of its electric car project, Apple reportedly shuffled<\/a> a number of employees into its internal generative AI efforts. Given how fresh that news is, it\u2019s safe to say that the company is still trailing the competition there. With that in mind, I anticipate that a lot of the AI-related news will come off the back of its OpenAI deal.<\/p>\n Along with that partnership, expect iOS 18 to be the centerpiece of the event. There\u2019s a lot riding on what is reportedly<\/a> \u201cone of the biggest iOS updates \u2014 if not the biggest \u2014 in the company\u2019s history.\u201d It\u2019s going to be so big, in fact, that Sarah took time out of her busy schedule to collate the rumored updates<\/a>. I don\u2019t want to repeat her work, so I\u2019m going to distill some of the rumors here. Go read her story for more.<\/p>\n Apple announced that RCS (Rich Communication Services) is coming to Messages, to make Android users feel slightly less bad \u2014 still green bubble, mind. Reports suggested it would arrive last fall<\/a>, but that ship has obviously sailed. This coming fall, on the other hand, seems like a fine bet, especially with the whole DOJ thing looming<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every time Tim Cook says \u201cAI,\u201d an investor gets their wings. While iOS is undoubtedly going to be the big operating system focus, Apple\u2019s still got news in the works for desktop. We\u2019ll be getting the official name for macOS 15. What\u2019s the most AI California place name? Alameda? Alcatraz? RodAI Drive?<\/p>\n A lot of the iOS updates should also make their way to macOS, including those in Siri, Notes and Safari. Apple\u2019s office apps are said to be getting a gen AI boost, as well. That includes assistance in Pages, Keynote and developer environment app Xcode.<\/p>\n System Settings will be continuing Apple\u2019s longstanding project of turning macOS into iOS, with a design refresh. Apple should be overhauling some key accessibility features, as well. And don\u2019t forget the most exciting update of all, some big design changes to Calculator<\/a> \u2014 the app most of use but somehow never manage to think about.<\/p>\n While the last few years have showcased key hardware updates, owing to developments in Mac silicon and last year\u2019s headset preview, WWDC is not a hardware event. In fact, the latest buzzing from the rumor mill points to a keynote presentation that\u2019s very light on the hardware. Bloomberg is now even suggesting<\/a> the event will be entirely devoid of new hardware.<\/p>\n Keep in mind, Apple made a unusual choice of hosting a standalone virtual iPad event almost exactly a month prior to WWDC. The May 7 program debuted new versions of the iPad Pro and iPad Air<\/a>. Much to the chagrin of many, AI didn\u2019t play a major role in the event. After all of the fanfare around models like GPT and the big fuss Google has been making around Gemini integration in Android, Apple needs to come out swinging next week.<\/p>\n That said, the new M4 chip did just debut on the iPad. MacBooks featuring the chip and its more powerful siblings can\u2019t be too far away<\/a>. Nor can the upcoming iPhone A18 chip, which the company will almost certainly claim is \u201cthe most advanced smartphone chip for AI\u201d or something equivalent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nAI everything<\/h2>\n
iOS 18 with more AI<\/h2>\n
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macOS 15 debut<\/h2>\n
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Hardware updates<\/h2>\n
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