Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is now just a few days away! Let’s take a look at what to expect from WWDC’23 including iOS 17, rumored hardware release(s), and more.

Event Attendance

With COVID-19 travel restrictions now relaxed, Apple has announced it will have a special in-person experience at the Apple Park on June 5, along with the online conference.

It is also possible that Apple will opt to recreate last year’s WWDC structure, offering a small-scale viewing party of a pre-recorded event keynote for developers at Apple Park. Apple has in the past often highlighted improved engagement and accessibility as key strengths of hybrid and online-only presentations. This indicates that at least some of the online elements of the conference, including educational sessions for developers, will likely remain here to stay.

iOS 17

iOS 17 will mark the next major release of iOS for iPhone users with its tablet counterpart, iPadOS 17, likely debuting alongside. iOS 17 was originally set to be a “tuneup release” forgoing the addition of major features, but this strategy changed during the development cycle, according to Chief Correspondent for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman:

When Apple set out to develop iOS 17, the initial thinking was to call it a tuneup release — one focused more on fixing bugs and improving performance than adding new features (not unlike the approach the company took with Snow Leopard on Mac OS X back in 2009). The hope was to…

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) March 26, 2023

While iOS 17 is not expected to feature any monumental changes or breakthrough features, the new update could deliver several “nice to have” features that users have been asking to have for years, according to Gurman. With that in mind, this could be the year that the iPad finally receives a dedicated Calculator app, or the year that Siri finally adopts some AI-driven smarts.

Europe’s Digital Markets Act could see iOS 17 introduce support for third-party web browsers not tied down to the limitations of Apple’s WebKit engine, including Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Microsoft Edge. Further European legislation requires Apple to allow sideloading for apps starting in 2024. iOS 17 could lay the groundwork for these changes offering foundational software implementation strategies for alternative app marketplaces beyond the built-in App Store app.

iOS 17 will most certainly be the operating system that delivers the entirely revamped CarPlay experience that Apple first previewed nearly a year ago at WWDC 2022. This is because the new CarPlay integration, complete with multi-screen toggles for a number of vehicle instruments, including those that control climate and radio, is expected to debut in late 2023 according to Apple. This would align with Apple’s longstanding strategy of releasing major platform updates to the public later in the year alongside new flagship iPhone models.

All developer betas following the iOS 16.4 beta, including iOS 17, now require a paid Apple Developer account. This limitation will eliminate the ability to download and install the iOS 17 developer beta using a configuration profile. Non-developers will still have the option to test iOS 17 by accessing public beta versions. 

While the rumors are still not clear regarding what exactly will be included in the next major versions of macOS, watchOS, iPadOS, and tvOS, Apple is also expected to preview betas for the following platforms at WWDC’23:

• iPadOS 17
• macOS 14
• watchOS 10
• tvOS 17

watchOS 10 and macOS 14

There have been no concrete rumors suggesting what users can expect from the next major versions of watchOS and macOS. However, it’s safe to bet that Apple Watch fans can expect more health and fitness features to make their way into watchOS 10, with both categories still a major focus when it comes to Apple’s wearables strategy.

Apple Watch users have called for the ability to toggle “rest days” in the Activity app, which would allow for breaks in a fitness routine without ruining workout streaks. While new watch faces are sure to make their debut in the next version of watchOS, users have long sought after a watch face marketplace that would allow developers to create and share watch faces online. Some watchOS 9 features, including Bicycle routes and Race Routes, could also expand to more regions in watchOS 10.

macOS 14 could feature a number of monikers as indicated by the various trademark filings discovered by French blog Consomac. Filed under a number of shell companies known to be linked to Apple, some of the trademarked names including Big Sur, Monterey, and Ventura have already made their way into Apple’s macOS naming pipeline that is based on iconic locations in California. Here are some of the unused macOS monikers that Apple has trademarked:

• Redwood
• Mammoth
• Pacific
• California
• Diablo
• Sequoia
• Sonoma
• Miramar
• Rincon
• Redtail
• Condor
• Grizzly
• Farallon
• Tiburon
• Skyline
• Shasta

Apple will likely continue its tradition of bringing more iOS-centric features to macOS 14 in an effort to make the operating system feel more intuitive and appealing to iPhone users. The Mac community has expressed interest in the iPhone and iPad’s App Library replacing the dated Launchpad interface in macOS 14. Other potential features could include Time Machine backups for iCloud, the addition of the Clock app from iOS, and a dedicated Wallet app for Mac users.

Hardware Rumors

The question of whether or not Apple plans to unveil new hardware at this year’s conference remains a wildcard among even the most renowned Apple analysts. However, recent reports of an internal hardware demo suggest that Apple’s long-anticipated mixed reality headset dubbed “Reality Pro” could make an appearance at the WWDC keynote this year, despite mixed skepticism among some Apple employees. The headset is said to run an operating system based on the foundation of iOS dubbed “xrOS”.

With $3,000 rumored as the retail price of the industry’s next-gen headset, Apple expects to sell only about a million units in the first year. Some early testers of Apple’s headset have remarked that the device feels uncomfortable to wear and that the system lacks a killer app that would serve to incentivize potential wearers to purchase it. The headset allegedly features an external battery, which needs to be replaced every couple of hours, and it is expected to launch with limited media content, according to reports.

With the 2019 Mac Pro remaining the only Mac left in Apple’s desktop and notebook lineup still powered by Intel processors, there is a strong possibility that Apple could announce a new Mac Pro powered by a new Apple-designed chip at this year’s conference. Apple has long missed its self-imposed deadline of fully completing the Mac transition to Apple Silicon by summer of 2022, but professionals are still holding out hope for a supercharged Mac Pro powered by Apple’s in-house chips.

In an interview with India Today, Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing, Bob Borchers, had the following to say about the transition to Apple silicon:

We’ve been very clear from the beginning that our goal is to take our entire product line to Apple Silicon, and that’s something we intend to do”

Bob Borchers, Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing – Apple

Last year’s WWDC brought the announcement of the M2 chip and the drastically-redesigned MacBook Air, making the presence of new hardware at this year’s event a distinct possibility. While Apple released iOS 16 several months ago, many of its most anticipated features including Apple Pay Later, Live Activities, the Freeform app, and iCloud shared photo libraries were missing at launch. iOS 17 could deliver most if not all of its promised features at the time of launch if Apple opts for a less ambitious update cycle at WWDC 2023 this year.