What to expect from WWDC 2013

With Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) fast approaching, excitement is growing all through the each industry as speculation mounts about Apple’s latest plans which will be announced during the keynote address. There are many rumors regarding what these announcements might include, from new models of the iPhone and iPad to updated versions of the iOS and OSX operating systems – not to mention a range of new Macs. However, amidst all of the speculation it is important to remember that at its core, WWDC 2013 is a developers conference and it is intended to allow a chosen few to learn about upcoming developments so that they can develop apps for the latest platforms.”

It is highly unlikely that WWDC 2013 will bring with it a complete re-imagining of the Apple product line, after all the keynote address usually only last for a couple of hours. So what exactly should we be expecting from the conference? Here are some predictions abut what will be unveiled at next week’s conference.

wwdc 2013

Music Streaming With iRadio

According to a report in the New York Times, Apple could be close to finalizing a licensing deal with one of several major music labels, which will allow them to lunch their long waited music streaming service, dubbed iRadio. Music services such as Spotify have been steadily growing in popularity in recent years and with major competitor Google Play launching their Music All Access app it is important for Apple to get their internet radio services up and running sooner rather than later and WWDC 2013 would be the perfect opportunity to announce such a service.

iOS 7 Operating System Upgrade

Most people were expecting the next version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 7, was expected to be released alongside the iPhone 5S, but has yet to make its debut. This suggests that it could be being held back until WWDC 2013. It is expected that any changes will focus mainly on cosmetic aspects and greater integration with vehicle link ups and social networks.

Siri Integration On Mac

Tech experts have long been predicting that mobile and desktop devices are locked in on a direct collision course with each other and the introduction of Siri on Macs would be one more step towards making that a reality. Many people believe that there is little call for vocal assistance software on a desktop or laptop, but others paint a picture of Mac users being able to perform hands free Google searches with the help of Siri. It is entirely possible that there will be some form of announcement if not a launch come WWDC 2013.

Apple Apps To Be Available On Android And Other Platforms

Historically, Apple apps have run exclusively on Apple hardware and this has proven to be profitable for them in the past. However, with Google and Microsoft continually offering up cross-platform services it seems that Apple my now be lagging behind. There have been hints that Apple are looking at porting their apps to other platforms with CEO Tim Cook telling last week’s D11 Conference that ‘If it made sense to do it, we would do it. There’s not a religious issue with it.’ It is unlikely that WWDC 2013 will see the launch of a shower of Android apps, but the door to cross-platform development will most likely be opened.

These are just some of the possible announcements that could be offered up at the WWDC in San Francisco, but Apple are notoriously tight lipped so anything is possible!

Tiffany Trepanier

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *