One of the biggest dates in the Apple calendar arrived on 13 June. Yes, the WWDC 2016 kicked off in San Francisco at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Taking place over five days, the WWDC is a highlight for tech buffs the world over. Bringing together thousands of developers and industry professionals, the WWDC is where Apple unveil some of their updates for the coming year.
So what exactly were the major announcements?
Watch OS3
Since its release last year, the Apple Watch has adorned millions of wrists right around the world. So seeing as it’s been almost 14 months since its release, and almost a year since the release of watchOS2, there’s little wonder that Apple are keen to bring watchOS3 to the market soon. Bringing further improvements, the new OS is focusing on speed and refining the System so owners can – and will – use the Apple Watch more and more.
watchOS3 will allow users to streamline their processes to make it more user friendly while providing increased performance. It will also boast background updates and quicker refresh times.
The update will be widely available in the Fall.
macOS Sierra
It’s goodbye to the OS X, as Apple announced it was dumping the X after 15 years, and calling their new operating system, macOS Sierra. With a large focus on Continuity, iCloud and Siri, the new System will come with a plethora of features. Allowing users with an iWatch to unlock their Mac when they are near it, the addition of Apple’s iconic Siri and introducing Community, a universal clipboard function that will give users the ability to copy and paste information between the iPhone and the Mac, the new features are designed to further integrate all Apple devices seamlessly.
A beta version will be available next month, with the full release coming in the Fall.
Apple TV: tvOS
The Apple TV has been somewhat underwhelming compared to its counterparts, however the company is determined to cement it firmly as part of the Apple family. Introducing a whole range of features, such as Remote App, Siri Search and Single sign-on, which will make short work of logging into multiple services, the Apple TV is set to stay around for a long time.
Of course there were many other announcements, but these were the big two that got developers – as well as Apple fans – talking.
Now Apple didn’t mention anything about the much rumored new MacBooks. Being a software-only event, that isn’t entirely surprising, however it’s long been talked about that they are due for a re-fresh. So what exactly can we expect to see coming soon – even as soon as their next Apple event in September?
MacBook Pro 2016
The last MacBook Pro was announced three years ago, so it’s more than ready for a bit of TLC. The first rumored noteworthy update is the expected move to use Intel's Skylake processors. Already a feature in PC rivals, a move to Skylake would make for a more dramatic move than one to Broadwell processors, as Skylake delivers significant speed improvements, as well as support for WiGig and WiDi wireless data transfer and wireless charging. Another rumor swimming around is that it will come with 10 USB 3 ports – which may seem excessive, but if it is to cement itself as a pioneer, it’s not that unbelievable.
MacBook Air 2016
Just like the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air is also due an update. Like the current MacBook Pro, it's still on Broadwell processors meaning that its rivals run faster more efficient Skylakes, so the announcement of a MacBook Air 2016 is likely. Numerous reports late last year predicted a "significant refresh" of the Air range in mid-2016, complete with Retina displays, USB-C, Skylake processors, as well as the end of the 11-inch model. However there is still a lot of uncertainty over the Air's future. With Apple’s extensive range of portable Retina MacBooks alongside refreshed MacBook Pros, is there still a need for the Air? But whatever happens, Apple seldom disappoint.
