The Core cuts to the heart of the Apple news that matters to you every week. iMore's News Editor Stephen Warwick breaks down all the top stories, along with a helping of deals, tips, insight, and humor.
Apple has finally announced that WWDC 2024 will take place on June 10. While WWDC is actually a week-long conference for developers to take part in workshops and sessions with Apple experts, most people know it and love it for the keynote unveiling of Apple’s forthcoming new software.
Apple will undoubtedly follow suit again this year, taking to the stage to reveal the next big thing in all of its major product categories, from iPhone to Mac, and everything in between. As such, we have a pretty good idea of what Apple is going to announce at WWDC 2024. Apple has confirmed that WWDC 2024 “will spotlight the latest iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS advancements,” so what exactly does this mean? Here’s a full rundown.
The Core - Everything Apple will announce at WWDC 2024 (probably)
iOS 18 - Apple’s new iPhone software has reportedly been dubbed internally as the biggest iPhone update in the company’s history, according to reports. That’s because it will herald Apple's AI revelation. Indeed, Apple has already teased an AI upgrade ahead of the event. We’ve heard Apple won’t debut its own generative AI model, but it could include one from a major partner such as Google or OpenAI. Elsewhere, expect AI tweaks to everyday apps like Pages, Keynote, Apple Music, and Xcode. We’re also expecting RCS support for messaging, and Home Screen customization changes.
iPadOS 18 - As is often the case, we know less about iPadOS 18 than we do its iPhone counterpart. As the operating systems are very similar, it’s very possible that Apple will offer many of the same upgrades across both. We’d expect at least some of the iPhone’s potent AI offerings to filter through to the iPad.
macOS 15 - The next iteration of macOS will no doubt have some cryptic California-inspired moniker. Beyond that, we’re again hoping that AI is a focus, just like the iPad and iPhone. There are no clear rumors about specific features as yet, but with Apple silicon more powerful than ever, Apple is making big leaps on the Mac.
watchOS 11 - We do know that watchOS 11 will be a pretty muted update this year, with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reporting that the update will be “fairly minor.” Beyond that there are no rumors of specific new features, but Apple did introduce better on-device Siri last year, which could pave the way for some AI-powered Siri improvements.
tvOS 18 - tvOS 17 was such a small affair last year that Apple didn’t even mention it during the keynote. However, it did introduce video calls for the first time. We’ll be getting tvOS 18, but rumors of new features are extremely limited.
visionOS 2 - One of the biggest questions for WWDC 2024 was whether or not Apple would unveil anything for Apple Vision Pro. With Apple confirming “visionOS advancements,” all that remains to be seen is whether that will be a significant update to visionOS 1, or a whole new iteration, visionOS 2.
M4 chip - Apple has previously unveiled its new M-series chip at WWDC, however its most recent iteration, the M3 series, was unveiled in October. As such, Apple doesn’t always unveil new Apple silicon hardware, and the M3 chip is not that old, making M4 an outside candidate. If Apple does unveil the M4, we’d expect some hardware to go along with it.
Hardware - Apple has plenty of hardware left in the tank for 2024. Of all the new products Apple could still announce in 2024, the most likely candidates are probably new Macs. The new OLED iPad Pro and iPad Air 6 will likely launch in April. It’s probably too soon for a new MacBook Pro, and the M3 MacBook Air just came out. My money’s on a new Mac mini, or perhaps the M3 Ultra chip inside a new Mac Pro.
Boot up
WWDC 2024 announced — iOS 18 and Apple's AI revelation to headline June 10 event
Apple has announced that WWDC 2024 will take place on June 10, get the lowdown here.
Launchpad
We've finally got a Severance season 2 release date update from an official source — and it's not good news
Sorry Severance fans, Severance season 2 is still no closer to release. Even director Ben Stiller doesn’t know when the show’s coming out.
For your reading list
No one is watching Apple TV Plus? You’re all missing out: Here are our five top recommendations
A recent report claims that almost no one is watching Apple TV Plus. The team at iMore has put together a stellar list of recommendations for the uninitiated.
Genius Bar
This iPhone trick solves the worst problem with using your device in bed — and it isn't dropping your phone on your face
Is your iPhone screen too bright to use in bed, even at the lowest setting? Unlock a secret setting that’s even dimmer with this hack.
One more thing
Apple 'accidentally' updates every AirTag in the world at the same time - here's why
Find out why a typo caused Apple to accidentally update every AirTag in the world at the same time.
