WWDC 2023: What to expect (READ FOR UPDATE)

[ebprince the computer nerd]

EDIT: All products talked about on this thread was announced. Including the AR glasses. We knew it.

 

Summary

Apple’s annual WWDC 2023 is coming up fast. Here is what to expect on June 5th.

 

iOS 17

WWDC is where we first hear about the new iOS version.

Spoiler

I will not be going into macOS or iPadOS in this article as those are completely different from iOS and different feature sets.

Rumors have said that a brand-new journaling app could be launched with a mood-tracker added on to see the everyday life of an iPhone user.]

Quote

There are no other details on the app in the report, but The ‌Wall Street Journal‌ previously said that the app will let users keep track of their daily activities and their thoughts. Apple will give people topics to write about such as a workout or a meeting, and there will be an "All Day People Discovery" feature that determines when a user is in close proximity to other people. The app will know when users receive text messages, phone calls, and other notifications, but privacy will be a focus and everything will be done on-device.

Sadly, that is all we know about the new iOS. I know, it’s not a lot. But hey, maybe a new app is coming!

 

M-Series Mac Pro

Rumors have surfaced indicating that Apple may be making a Mac Pro desktop with an M-Series Chipset. People have been talking about this for a long time, but it may finally come true.

Quote

Apple last updated the Mac Pro at WWDC in 2019. Despite some teases that confirmed it's working on a new one powered by its Apple Silicon chips, the company has largely been quiet about the super powerful computer. Might the "another day" be June 5? It's possible and Mac Pro fans may want to tune in, but with tempered expectations

MacBook Air 15”

Apple has always had the MacBook Air at 13”. They have experimented with an 11” model, but people speculate that a new 15” model with an M2 processor may hit the market this year, perhaps at WWDC.

Quote

The MacBook Air has long been one of Apple's most popular laptops. Frequently sold with a 13-inch screen, Apple has experimented with different sizes of Airs in the past, including offering an 11-inch model for years. Rumors these days, however, suggest that the company has a larger, 15-inch M2-powered Air raring to go. That once again comes from Bloomberg's Gurman, who expects the new laptop to be announced at this year's event. It's about time. 

 

And now, for the final product (and the craziest.)

 

Apple’s AR/VR Headset

People have speculated that Apple would make a VR headset for years. Yet, they say this year (of course), “will be the year.”

Quote

The biggest rumor heading into this year's WWDC is of course the Apple headset. Rumored to be running on a new "xrOS," the device could utilize mixed reality, a combination of virtual reality and augmented reality. There may be eye and hand tracking, high-resolution displays and... a potential $3,000 price tag. 

$3,000??

Well, it is Apple after all. And I’m typing this on an iPhone 14 Pro, so looks like they got me. I don’t know if this is “the year.” VR isn’t as hype as it used to, now it’s AI. Who knows if Apple will ever experiment with AI.

 

Conclusion

WWDC 2023 will definitely be an interesting one. I’ve watched WWDC for 2 years straight, and this will be my 3rd. See you on June 5th!

Spoiler

All of this is rumors and have NOT been confirmed directly by Apple. This is just what is expected at the event.

Sources

cnet

mac rumors

Edited June 5 by ebprince the computer nerd

[Shimejii]

VR is pretty much dead in the water, even with apple trying to throw its hat in the mix. I can see Apple fanboys using it, but thats about it. Apples ecosystem is not really suited for gaming on their macs, and its sure as hell not ready yet for their phones as powerful as they are. 

 

Still too early for VRs tech to be made worth the massive cost of starting out on them, and not enough people care enough to get one for a mediocre experience. Pretty much no mans land.

[johnt]

Didn't Apple have a public statement about a new feature in the new iOS that will let you generate your voice after you train it?

 

I'm curious to know what happened with the satellite service from the last phones. Will there be new service fees? Can I just not have a satellite subscription? I'm buying a new phone this year and the satellite portion is just something else I have to worry about that is robbing me of battery space to be honest.

[ebprince the computer nerd]

36 minutes ago, johnt said:

I'm curious to know what happened with the satellite service from the last phones. Will there be new service fees? Can I just not have a satellite subscription? I'm buying a new phone this year and the satellite portion is just something else I have to worry about that is robbing me of battery space to be honest.

The satellite service is 2 years free, but nobody knows the price after the 2 years. You will most likely be able to disable the subscription after the 2 years is over. Although, I believe (take with a grain of salt) that the satellites only activate when you have 0 service. The service is only available in the US and Canada. (for the time being) It is still very new and needs work. This article should help with some information on what it does.

 

https://7labs.io/technology-news/apple-emergency-sos-via-satellite-pricing-plan.html

[Lightwreather JfromN]

Looks like you beat me to it this year. Heheh

 

Though the only real thing I find interesting this year is the 15" MBA, I really don't have high hopes for the ar/vr headset (especially at that price point).

 

Also, according to theVerge Apple might add a smart display-like iPhone lock screen in iOS 17, similar to google's At a glance feature on Pixels. Might also be coming to the iPad.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/24/23736096/apple-iphone-smart-display-ios-17

 

And watchOS might receive a UI refresh that centres around Widgets.  

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-04-30/watchos-10-details-apple-watch-to-gain-widgets-as-part-of-new-software-at-wwdc-lh3f71uv

[williamcll]

2 hours ago, Shimejii said:

VR is pretty much dead in the water, even with apple trying to throw its hat in the mix. I can see Apple fanboys using it, but thats about it. Apples ecosystem is not really suited for gaming on their macs, and its sure as hell not ready yet for their phones as powerful as they are. 

 

Still too early for VRs tech to be made worth the massive cost of starting out on them, and not enough people care enough to get one for a mediocre experience. Pretty much no mans land.

Apple VR that is, Occulus and Vive are still getting constant orders. It's just that closed ecosystems are never good for emerging technologies.

[saltycaramel]

Lol, the LTT forums bubble never disappoints. 

 

"Apple VR is dead, long live Apple VR."

 

Some takes here have the potential to age so badly...is it really wise to bet against Apple's Next Big Thing? At least wait until the headset is released to do your Steve-Ballmer-laughs-at-iPhone impression..

 

Also I wonder if, given he's not the CEO any longer (more free time?) and given the momentousness of this historic occasion (Apple announcing a completely new platform that will define the mixed reality industry), Linus will make an exception to his too-cool-to-watch-Apple-keynotes rule...not like he would admit it, doesn't sit well with his audience..

[leadeater]

1 hour ago, saltycaramel said:

Some takes here have the potential to age so badly...is it really wise to bet against Apple's Next Big Thing?

When it comes to VR it's not really an Apple thing. Many times some super awesome VR headset has come out, even been rather successful but ultimately died because the simple fact is most people don't actually want to have to put on a VR headset. Hell I don't even like wearing hats and find them annoying and bothersome. VR headsets just aren't for everyone.

[saltycaramel]

1 hour ago, leadeater said:

When it comes to VR it's not really an Apple thing. Many times some super awesome VR headset has come out, even been rather successful but ultimately died because the simple fact is most people don't actually want to have to put on a VR headset. Hell I don't even like wearing hats and find them annoying and bothersome. VR headsets just aren't for everyone.

 

I do agree that ergonomically it's an uphill battle compared to the introduction of devices that took the place of legacy devices people had been using for decades (portable cassette/CD/mp3 players before the iPod, cellphones/early_smartphones before the iPhone, watches/wristwear before the Apple Watch, earbuds before the Airpods). In comparison to wrist, pockets and ears, the upper face is the wild unconquered West. (well except maybe for snow goggles, which are roughly as heavy and as encumbering as the Apple headset, but they're not as commonplace as watches or earbuds)

 

The provided value will need to be out-of-this-world good to persuade non-enthusiast customers to use the headset...Apple has 18 months (from June 2023 to January 2025) to make a good first impression before the actually-for-everyone headset (the early 2025 $1500 Reality "Air", which will also be thinner and lighter) is unveiled...the upcoming $3000 Reality Pro will be a low volume product (estimated 70k headsets produced per month), definitely not for everyone. 

 

And even then, when the Reality "Air" is released, it may not be for everyone, and Apple may be playing the long lightweight glasses game. Those will truly be for mostly everyone. But the MR/XR/VR/AR headsets are needed to spin up the app/media ecosystem first. 

[leadeater]

18 minutes ago, saltycaramel said:

(well except maybe for snow goggles, which are roughly as heavy and as encumbering as the Apple headset, but they're not as commonplace as watches or earbuds)

Snow goggles also have a real function purpose and allow you to do something you couldn't otherwise do, protect our eyes and face from cold ass wind lol. Sure they mainly get used for entertainment and sporting activities but they also do get used for daily actives where needed also. Something like snow goggles have a bit more real purpose than a VR headset. I mean put it this way, VR isn't really a replacement for actually skiing etc.

 

I highly doubt Apple's doing VR and particularly AR with any real thought towards gaming though. I think their play will be more around visualization and design, like looking at building plans and designs etc. Then moving in to visual assistants. There will be some really good stuff but I don't think it's going to be "entertainment focused".

 

Even something like clothes design would be awesome with AR, being able to walk around and view on a person or manikin would be really helpful.

 

I think Apple's pitch is the "I can make money with this" rather than "this can entertain me".

[LAwLz]

I don't have high hopes for Apple VR either, but it would be interesting if they released it. 

 

Hardware and software wise they are probably in a better position than anyone else to pull it off. They got really powerful mobile hardware that could do untethered VR better than anyone else, and they got developers that would probably be eager to develop for the platform. 

 

What I think puts most consumers off is the price and space requirements for VR, and I don't think Apple can do anything about that. Most people don't want to spend hundreds of dollars and then have to reorganize their living rooms just for some entertainment. I am sure some might, but most people don't. 

 

 

I am more excited for the Mac Pro, if they release that. Not because I want to buy one, but because I would like to see what they do with it. How do they go beyond the M1 Ultra? Will it have expandability and how? What will performance be like? 

I would be pretty disappointed if it turns out that it's basically just an M2 Ultra, like the M1 Ultra but based on the M2. 

[saltycaramel]

My prediction for the headset VR gaming line-up at launch:

- Resident Evil Village VR

- No Man's Sky VR

- GRID Legends VR

- What the bat? VR 

- BONUS: secret Hideo Kojima project (“It’s almost like a new medium,” Kojima says. “If this succeeds, it will turn things around, not just in the game industry, but in the movie industry as well.")

- 2D iPad games in floating window mode

 

Non-gaming entertainment:

- MLS and MLB immersive pitch-level sport watching experience (technology from the acquisition of NextVR)

- some AppleTV+ shows natively shot for VR viewing? (like the dinosaurs one by Jon Favreau)

- regular 2D AppleTV+ shows in theater mode

[WolframaticAlpha]

11 hours ago, LAwLz said:

don't have high hopes for Apple VR either, but it would be interesting if they released it. 

I could totally see apple selling a boatload of 400 dollar Apple AR glasses that work with your iphone, but considering that interest in VR has quietened down by quite a bit, VR headsets? Not so much. Again, I can be wrong, but I am quite skeptical from what I have seen in the renders. And for 3000 bucks?

Nope.

12 hours ago, leadeater said:

Apple's pitch is the "I can make money with this

Yeah, but the thing is that it charges hololens amounts of money for a quest segment product. 

Heck, if leaks are anything to go by, they are going to be charging literal 2x of what the already ludicrously expensive Quest pro

15 hours ago, saltycaramel said:

really wise to bet against Apple's Next Big Thing?

Let's see what apple has released as new products since 2011

Apple watch: didn't match the hype

Airpods: success

Homepod: utter fail

ARM macs: success

So that is a success rate of about 60%

[saltycaramel]

1 hour ago, WolframaticAlpha said:

it charges hololens amounts of money for a quest segment product. 

Heck, if leaks are anything to go by, they are going to be charging literal 2x of what the already ludicrously expensive Quest pro

 

The estimated BOM (which doesn't include R&D, software, marketing, etc.) of Apple's headset is 2x the BOM of the Quest Pro, incidentally.

 

And I wouldn't call it "quest segment".

 

The Apple Reality Pro will (probably/supposedly) be 

- the first standalone headset with microOLED 4Kx4K displays (vs 2Kx2K in Quest products), that's a 4x upgrade

- the first standalone headset with laptop-grade CPU and GPU power (vs smartphone-grade SoCs in every other standalone headset)

- the first standalone headset with an advanced cooling module

- the first standalone headset with 12 camera modules plus a number of LiDARs

- the first standalone headset with iris scanning authentication

- the first standalone headset with automated motorized IPD adjustment

- the first standalone headset with a third (outward facing) display 

- the first standalone headset with a supremely low latency video capturing pipeline, to allow for the best full color transparency mode ever

- the first standalone headset with an OS worth its salt, coming with 25 top notch native first party apps (Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iMovie, GarageBand, Safari, Mail, Maps, Home, Photos, Camera, Stocks, Weather, Notes, Music, Books, Contacts, Facetime VR, Messages, Files, Freeform, Reminders, TV, Wellness, Fitness) 

- the first standalone headset to be mostly made of carbon fiber, aluminum and glass

- 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM vs 12GB in the Quest Pro

- 512GB of fast flash storage vs 256GB in the Quest Pro

 

Not sure what leaks have you been following to call it "quest segment". 

It's got a lot of "firsts" up its sleeve and for sure it cannot cost as little as a Quest Pro or an HTC Vive XR Elite. 

[williamcll]

How successful will depend if its cheaper than Windows MR or not.

12 hours ago, saltycaramel said:

My prediction for the headset VR gaming line-up at launch:

- Resident Evil Village VR

- No Man's Sky VR

- GRID Legends VR

- What the bat? VR 

- BONUS: secret Hideo Kojima project (“It’s almost like a new medium,” Kojima says. “If this succeeds, it will turn things around, not just in the game industry, but in the movie industry as well.")

- 2D iPad games in floating window mode

 

Non-gaming entertainment:

- MLS and MLB immersive pitch-level sport watching experience (technology from the acquisition of NextVR)

- some AppleTV+ shows natively shot for VR viewing? (like the dinosaurs one by Jon Favreau)

- regular 2D AppleTV+ shows in theater mode

iOS running games continues to be hot shit and the only saving grace is genshin impact (which doesn't provide VR)

[saltycaramel]

23 minutes ago, williamcll said:

How successful will depend if its cheaper than Windows MR or not.

Windows MR?

You mean tethered to a PC, like cavemen?

 

Where we are going, we won’t need the shackles of a PC to tether the headset to.
 

M2 + 16GB unified memory + foveated rendering + MetalFX Upscaling is all we need. 

 

Bring it on, Lady Dimitrescu!

[williamcll]

8 minutes ago, saltycaramel said:

Windows MR?

You mean tethered to a PC, like cavemen?

 

Where we are going, we won’t need the shackles of a PC to tether the headset to.
 

M2 + 16GB unified memory + foveated rendering + MetalFX Upscaling is all we need. 

 

Bring it on, Lady Dimitrescu!

Unironically hideous

[leadeater]

3 hours ago, saltycaramel said:

- the first standalone headset with an OS worth its salt, coming with 25 top notch native first party apps (Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iMovie, GarageBand, Safari, Mail, Maps, Home, Photos, Camera, Stocks, Weather, Notes, Music, Books, Contacts, Facetime VR, Messages, Files, Freeform, Reminders, TV, Wellness, Fitness) 

Why on earth would I or anyone want Pages, Numbers etc on a VR headset?

 

That's next level useless BS you see in movies with hands waving using "virtual screens" in Iron Man/Avengers. Remember some shit that looks cool in movies is actually really, really stupid in real life 

[RedRound2]

On 5/25/2023 at 9:39 AM, ebprince the computer nerd said:

$3,000??

Well, it is Apple after all. And I’m typing this on an iPhone 14 Pro, so looks like they got me. I don’t know if this is “the year.” VR isn’t as hype as it used to, now it’s AI. Who knows if Apple will ever experiment with AI.

The hardware is high-end. Reports show they will sell the "$3000" headset at cost. Apple isn't stupid to think it's going to sell like hotcakes. At this point, they are just releasing it to get the ecosystem ready in time for a much cheaper and more cost-effective version of the same next-gen. This first gen product will be treated like how the first iPad and the first Apple Watch were treated.

'Apple VR headset to be sold at cost' | MarketScreener

On 5/25/2023 at 9:49 AM, Shimejii said:

VR is pretty much dead in the water, even with apple trying to throw its hat in the mix. I can see Apple fanboys using it, but thats about it. Apples ecosystem is not really suited for gaming on their macs, and its sure as hell not ready yet for their phones as powerful as they are. 

This is a highly ignorant statement. I am pretty sure you do not really know what Apple is doing. If there is anyone, and I mean literally anyone that can bring AR/VR from the dead, it is Apple. Not that they will not be perfect, but they will focus enough on the user experience and show a viable way to use it effectively to increase productivity/entertainment, at which point everyone else will jump over. Currently, the AR/VR space is a complete mess and even Meta seems close to giving up on it.

 

There were so many people who said the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, ARM-based Macs, etc were going to be doomed before they were even released. Don't put yourself at risk of being so wrong just because you were ignorant. Wait and watch. Let it release, then give your opinions on what you think. IMO, not really interested in VR/AR, but I will be open to it if Apple can change my mind based on their presentation and independent reviews that would follow.

On 5/25/2023 at 10:25 AM, ebprince the computer nerd said:

The satellite service is 2 years free, but nobody knows the price after the 2 years. You will most likely be able to disable the subscription after the 2 years is over. Although, I believe (take with a grain of salt) that the satellites only activate when you have 0 service. The service is only available in the US and Canada. (for the time being) It is still very new and needs work. This article should help with some information on what it does.

 

https://7labs.io/technology-news/apple-emergency-sos-via-satellite-pricing-plan.html

Apple has released their satellite connectivity feature for more countries

Use Emergency SOS via satellite on your iPhone 14 - Apple Support

 

This is going to slowly become a standard feature on all phones and I am glad that Apple released it. And from what I think, Emergency SOS is probably going to remain free, while other satellite features may be become part of a subscription (which is tbh honestly fair)

[Shimejii]

23 minutes ago, RedRound2 said:

 

This is a highly ignorant statement. I am pretty sure you do not really know what Apple is doing. If there is anyone, and I mean literally anyone that can bring AR/VR from the dead, it is Apple. Not that they will not be perfect, but they will focus enough on the user experience and show a viable way to use it effectively to increase productivity/entertainment, at which point everyone else will jump over. Currently, the AR/VR space is a complete mess and even Meta seems close to giving up on it.

 

There were so many people who said the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, ARM-based Macs, etc were going to be doomed before they were even released. Don't put yourself at risk of being so wrong just because you were ignorant. Wait and watch. Let it release, then give your opinions on what you think. IMO, not really interested in VR/AR, but I will be open to it if Apple can change my mind based on their presentation and independent reviews that would follow.

 

I wont be wrong about VR. VR has been dead in the water for years, Apple wont change that.  Meta has been an awful company for years so i had 0 expectation from the start, especially when they bought the VR side. Apple will make it a part of their eco-system and make it so its not very usable outside of that.  Its going to be quite some time before VR or a new tech that replaces it actually becomes worth investing in. Its always going to be quite expensive, thats just how this type of tech is. Its whether or not a company can make enough products for it that make it WORTH getting, and as it stands now it still just isnt there.

 

When iphone came out i thought it was going to be a smashing hit, the ipod was great. When they decided to make their own chip in the m1, i thought they had a fairly good chance of doing just fine since theyve been designing their phone chips for a while. Apple has been great at certain things, but pretty abysmal at others. I dont trust them to make a substantial change to the VR space, its just not ready yet. Its going to be yet ANOTHER VR headset that will be tied to that specific eco system and it wont go very far beyond that. First few gens are going to be rough, then they will release the much improved option and then it may get more people into it, but its still going to be limited to what Apple silicon can do. 

 

Given enough time Apple if they put in as much effort into it, i could see them making quite a lot of new and useful things for VR that would be neat, but just as quickly as they can make it, they can just scrap it when its not bringing in the amount of money they thought it would.

[saltycaramel]

8 hours ago, williamcll said:

Unironically hideous

You don't like Resident Evil Village?

 

I can't wait to see the M2 punch above its GPU weight thanks to foveated rendering!

[saltycaramel]

7 hours ago, leadeater said:

Why on earth would I or anyone want Pages, Numbers etc on a VR headset?

 

That's next level useless BS you see in movies with hands waving using "virtual screens" in Iron Man/Avengers. Remember some shit that looks cool in movies is actually really, really stupid in real life 

 

"Why would anyone need a desktop-grade browser on a cellphone?" - iPhone skeptics in 2007 

 

It sounds like Apple wants xrOS to be your next general purpose platform to "do stuff", including office productivity apparently. 

It will be possible to use a physical bluetooth keyboard, maybe even a mouse/trackpad. Plus hands and gaze as a mouse. 

[leadeater]

21 minutes ago, saltycaramel said:

"Why would anyone need a desktop-grade browser on a cellphone?" - iPhone skeptics in 2007 

This is literally nothing like that. Explain to me the benefits and usability improvements from putting on a VR headset for typing up a document.

 

You can sell me on the very easy to market use cases for VR/AR, you can't sell me on the obviously stupid ones.

 

Next you're going to tell me how to make a round wheel rounder?

[saltycaramel]

6 minutes ago, leadeater said:

This is literally nothing like that. Explain to me the benefits and usability improvements from putting on a VR headset for typing up a document.

 

To have your full desktop 42"-display setup in a portable device that is roughly this big?

 

 

[leadeater]

35 minutes ago, saltycaramel said:

gaze as a mouse. 

The immobile can tell you all about how difficult this actually is and they HAVE to do it for the rest of their lives, not sometimes. This requires lots of practice and consistency to actually be usable. Again put aside what looks cool in movies, that is fantasy land, it's not real.

 

This does not work well, maybe not ever. Something else in a totally different way could replace this idea making the effort to do it badly pointless.

 

35 minutes ago, saltycaramel said:

It will be possible to use a physical bluetooth keyboard, maybe even a mouse/trackpad.

Using keyboards and mouse with a headset on even with low latency visual passthrough is horrific. Same comment as above, real life isn't movies. We have already got this now and Apple cannot change this. Only open glasses can, once you enclose your eyes and translate everything through screens and lenses what is easy and natural completely changes.

 

Getting used to doing it doesn't make the experience better.

 

I'm sorry for hitting you with the reality stick but you need it.

 

4 minutes ago, saltycaramel said:

To have your full desktop 42"-display setup in a portable device that is roughly this big?

And? Does this actually make it a good idea. Does it make it useable. Does it make it a better experience over other options. You don't create adoption with worse experiences.

 

I can make my desktop portable with a Honda generation too, is that a good idea?