Gurman: WWDC 2018 to Have Software Focus, New Macs, iPad Pros, and Larger-Screen Apple Watches Coming Later

[MacRumors]

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference commences on Monday with an opening keynote, where the company previews the next major versions of its software platforms, and usually shares some other announcements.

Ahead of the keynote, Bloomberg's well-sourced Mark Gurman has outlined what he expects Apple to discuss on stage:A series of Digital Health tools in the Settings app on iOS 12 that will help users monitor how much time they spend using their devices and individual apps, helping to address concerns about smartphone addiction.
ARKit 2, including a new mode that allows for a multiplayer mode in augmented reality games. Another mode is said to allow objects to be dropped into an area and virtually remain in place.
Apple could reveal its reported plans to allow iOS apps to run on Macs as early as this year. The wording suggests it's not entirely clear if Apple plans to discuss the project at WWDC or later.
Minor new features for snoozing notifications, tracking the stock market, making video calls, and sending Animojis via FaceTime.Overall, Gurman expects this year's software updates across iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS to be more "muted," with "bigger changes later," as Apple has decided to focus more on the quality and stability improvements this year, according to an internal meeting the company reportedly held earlier this year.

Planned new iOS 12 features that have been shelved until 2019 are said to include a redesigned home screen with more information, an artificial intelligence upgrade to the Photos app, and new file-management tools for iPads.

Unfortunately for those hoping to see Apple refresh its product lineups at WWDC, Gurman suggests that "a suite of new gadgets is unlikely," although a surprise hardware announcement or two cannot be entirely ruled out. Hopefully, an update will also be provided about Apple's AirPower charging mat.

Gurman claims Apple is working on refreshed MacBook, MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Apple Watch models, and a new low-cost MacBook, but he doesn't expect any of those devices to be ready until "later this year."Refreshes to the 12-inch MacBook and MacBook Pro lines with next-generation Intel chips ready "later this year."
A new low-cost notebook to succeed the MacBook Air ready "later this year."
A redesigned iPad Pro line with Face ID is also expected "later."
A pair of new Apple Watch models that keep the overall size of the current models, but include slightly larger, edge-to-edge screens. The new models are expected to support watch bands from existing models.Gurman outlined most of these expectations in his previous reporting over the past year.

WWDC's opening keynote begins on Monday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. MacRumors will be in attendance at the keynote, with live coverage both here on MacRumors.com and through our @MacRumorsLive account on Twitter.

MacRumors will also have pre-event coverage, beginning around 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and post-event hands-on coverage if applicable.

Article Link: Gurman: WWDC 2018 to Have Software Focus, New Macs, iPad Pros, and Larger-Screen Apple Watches Coming Later

 

[Gorms]

"Gurman: WWDC 2018 to Have Software Focus"

Get outta town, really? Where do these journalists source this stuff? Wizardry.

 

[Freida]

That would be a flop if thats all that its going to be out

 

[dan9700]

great seems apple has delayed everything as usall and wwdc is gonna be dead boring, ruined the hype

 

[Logic368]

So basically, the worst keynote of all time? Why does Apple even do keynotes anymore???

 

[NBAasDOGG]

Do you know how long i have waited for a quad-core 13”. Now you blew it!

 

[strawbale]

business as usual - no new Mac Mini

 

[meme1255]

Why would the MBPs be delayed? Apple wants to lose marketshare? I have no other explanation if that happens.

 

[NT1440]

So basically, the worst keynote of all time? Why does Apple even do keynotes anymore???

Because WWDC is a *developer* conference....

I’m patiently awaiting nerd Christmas. The keynote is cool and all, but the real fun is in the session breakouts...

 

[iName]

Everything with Apple now is “later, later, later”. Then what’s the point of this conference?

 

[NT1440]

Why would the MBPs be delayed? Apple wants to lose marketshare? I have no other explanation if that happens.

Intel....

 

[MacFather]

Deleted.

 

[KazKam]

TLDR... Set you're expectations extremely low.

 

[imran5720]

i am sure there is some hardware, why else they will hold Mac Os

 

[meme1255]

Intel....

Intel has released all the necessary CPUs. Well, I'll stay optimistic 'till Monday. If they will not update the MBPs, I'll start looking for some temporary machine.

 

[NT1440]

Greed, arrogance and delays.

The new norms of Tim Cook’s Apple.

I’ll never understand how people here can take an analyst’s description of delay as the word of god. Did Apple announce new hardware will be revealed at WWDC? No? Then guess what, there is no delay by definition.

 

[Appleaker]

This is no surprise, the new iPads were rumored to be announced later this year, and I have said that certain Mac updates have been delayed until later this year. Having said that, we could still see the iPad Pro, and there will certainly be changes to the Mac line at WWDC. People had too many expectations for this years WWDC, especially for Macs, which they seemed to not consider would be delayed despite comments about this. As for the watch, I don't think anyone was expecting to see that at the event.

EDIT: Despite my comments, I am not someone who is saying "this is a developers conference only, no hardware should be expected, Apple saves that for hardware focused events".
That isn't true and is view fueled by the fact that under Cook, Apple went 3 years in a row without announcing hardware at WWDC.
You would have thought they would learn after the abundance of hardware announcements at last years event, but they are sticking a view that Apple doesn’t share.

 

[TMRJIJ]

Nothing new here. WWDC is a developers conference meant for software. Unless there's significant new hardware that merits notifying the developers, it would likely be pushed to the hardware events. This was the usual case every year.

 

[Andres Cantu]

Nothing worse than Intel having new-generation chips and Apple not updating their Macs to take advantage of them.

By the time they have Macs with 8th-gen Intel chips, the 9th gen will start to come out.

 

[recoil80]

A redesigned Macbook Pro would have leaked by now, so a new Watch.
We can only expect a CPU update on the MBP and maybe a new iPad pro with a revamped SoC, but nothing really new.

I'm keeping my expectations low, but I don't think it will be a disappointing WWDC. I'm a developer, so I'm more interested in new API than new products during the conference, but you never know... My 2016 MBP is fine and I'm not planning to upgrade my iPad this year so as a user the only product I'm going to upgrade this year is the iPhone, and maybe the Watch and they're clearly not coming next week.

 

[HarryKeogh]

Oh man, I can wait for this!

 

[yaxomoxay]

Only thing I might be on the market for is a new iPP 12”. Later this year I’ll get my AW4.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

So...September/October for new hardware? They might do another Mac event like they did in 2016?

 

[Kaibelf]

That would be a flop if thats all that its going to be out

Uhhh... why? It’s a software conference, and this is another year like snow leopard back in the day. It’s not and never was geared toward people who just want shiny things to dazzle them. Also, how can a software conference be a flop? It’s a seminar, not a movie.

 

[agsystems]

TLDR... Set you're expectations extremely low.

for once maybe we can get surprises this year - what's boring its having everything spell out before we see it.