Apple's WWDC – World Wide Developer Conference – is when the company opens its heavy curtains to reveal what it's been working on, and how it sees tech moving. In theory, it is to help developers prepare, but we're all looking – and Apple knows it!
A select few are invited to Apple Park, in Cupertino, California - , but the main event is online. The highlight is always the Keynote, where we expect to see product announcements and new software for the developers to get their teeth into. Since the iPhone is arguably the world's most popular camera, and the company has the power to change industries, everyone should be interested in what happens at WWDC23.
You can watch the keynote live here, and follow along with our live build-up and analysis of the products, especially from photographers' eyes.
It's fair to say that the rumor mill – which started with some discussion of a 15-inch MacBook Air (which could be a very nice tool for photographers indeed) – has now reached a fever pitch. Some are expecting to see Apple's long-awaited mixed-reality headset. Who knows what that could mean for photography – some say it has 12 cameras in it, while others point out it was expected last year and never appeared!
We've also seen some price cuts on Apple's monitors, which suggests the Mac Studio (rumored to be getting a refresh of its own) might get a new partner on the desk. That could be very interesting for photographers.
What you definitely won't see is a new iPhone – they are always announced at a separate event. We also suspect that, despite the invites using the tag "Swiftly developing," a new film camera is unlikely!
Stay tuned to this page to find out.
Apple monitors come along fairly infrequently, but it's a little interesting that Amazon – in the US, at least – is discounting the Apple Studio Display by 16% – big for a discount on an Apple product. Back in April we did hear some talk of a new Apple display, thought to sit between the $1,599 / £1,499 27-inch Studio Display and the $4,999 / £4,599 32-inch Pro Display XDR. Perhaps it's coming, or does this mean the Studio Display is just getting a refresh?
• Apple Studio Display discount on Amazon (US only)
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has gone as far as to put a codename – J475 – to the next iteration of the Mac Studio. The current desktop is called J375, and is powered by M1 processors, but the M2 Max has been available in MacBook Pros since January. Could this be the final piece of evidence that we're going to see an M2 Max and perhaps even M2 Ultra-powered Mac Studio on Monday?
Apple fans have been waiting a long time to see the not-yet-revealed AR headset, so you'll have to forgive them this. Made me smile too, though in all fairness the Meta Quest 3, just announced, will ship this fall and the Quest 2 can be picked up for about a tenth of what some say Apple's offering will cost... soooo.... which door will people really choose (if they ever get the choice)?
Definitely click the See More on this Tweet box so this makes sense!!
Mark Zuckerberg’s Quest 3? I mean who cares? 😂#WWDC23 🙂 pic.twitter.com/K7ejp21MItJune 3, 2023
Looking at AR / mixed reality / goggles a little more seriously, we do find ourselves starting to ask about their potential usefulness in the real world. Reaching out, grabbing, and manipulating part of a data set looks great in the movies, and might actually make a lot of sense in Photoshop. Or would your arms end up getting tired?
Click the See More to see clips of how the system might work.
How will Apple’s new realityOS look and feel?Both of these prototypes were designed by people who are now Human Interface Designers at Apple#WWDC23 pic.twitter.com/0Bl2MeCxoaMay 31, 2023
OK, one more on the goggles then I'll leave it for a bit. None other than Morgan Stanley reports that Apple will begin production on the goggles this October, suggesting they'll have to tell WWDC (and developers) about it at WWDC23.
There is also a bit of a show of faith in the tech – an increase of $5 to $190 as a target prices for Apple stock. Oh, and they're calling it 'Reality Pro' and projecting that Apple will be shipping 3.4 million in financial year 2026 (but initial sales as early as December this year, at least for developers, in the low hundreds of thousands).
One more thing... they say invest in the competition too (Apple's interest in a tech is good for others in the space... like Meta Quest!)
Looking over the various WWDC23 bingo designs I'm disappointed to see that almost nobody is considering a new QuickTake digital camera. Apple has done it before... in 1994. (Cue swirling mists of time music if you click that link!)
I can't keep away from Twitter, from nostalgic pictures of developers in deck chairs watching WWDC on big screens, to the seemingly thousands of announcement summary graphics, Apple style, which enthusiasts have been working on. Some show aMacBook Air 15", a stubby Mac Pro (a bit less likely), there is a 'next-gen CarPlay occasionally, much speak of updated OS and – of course – an all-new xrOS / Reality Pro.
Less frequent but perhaps more sensible we see ARKit 7 and RealityKit 2 – updates to Apple's existing augmented reality systems are bound to be in there.
USB-C Airpods? Nah, probably with the new iPhones later in the year.
