Apple has confirmed the dates for its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference – more commonly known as WWDC – and already the rumour mill for what we can expect is hotting up.
The event, which traditionally has focused on the new software features coming to Apple's products, has also been the launchpad for hardware in more recent years. It was at WWDC 2023 that we caught the first glimpse of Apple Vision Pro, and at 2017's event, we got the announcement of the original Homepod.
Artificial intelligence looks likely to be the hot topic for this year, but there are still some hints that we won't be left without TV and audio news. Here's everything we know so far.
WWDC 2024: When is it?
Apple has confirmed that WWDC will run 10-14th June 2024. As usual, it will be held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, and will be attended by thousands of developers in person, as well as millions watching online.
The keynote with all the big announcements will kick off the five-day event, and will be streamed live on Apple's website, usually around 10am PT / 6pm UK time. We'll be covering all the big announcements as they land.
WWDC 2024: What to expect
Apple has made no secret that there is going to be a huge focus on AI this year, with a few hints dropped – including one from Apple's senior VP for marketing Greg Joswiak on X (formerly Twitter).
It's been a huge year for generative AI and Apple has some ground to catch up on here, particularly when compared with competition from Google and Microsoft.
Mark your calendars for #WWDC24, June 10-14. It’s going to be Absolutely Incredible! pic.twitter.com/YIln5972ZDMarch 26, 2024
However, while AI might be the headline topic, we're still expecting a few audio and TV-focused announcements and updates to pique our interest. Here are a few rumours we've caught wind of in recent months.
New fourth-gen AirPods
Last year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested that Apple would be releasing a slew of new AirPods models in 2024 – so could they make an appearance at WWDC24?
According to Gurman, Apple is looking to phase out the regular second-gen and third-gen AirPods due to poor sales of the latter.
Apparently, buyers have been opting for the cheaper second-gen model instead, which has remained on sale. The plan, says Gurman, is to launch two new models of fourth-gen Airpods at similar price points to what the outgoing models cost now. They will still sit below the AirPods Pro 2, but there will be more clear cut differences in features between the two models.
This includes a rumoured introduction of noise-cancellation and integrated speakers on the charging case for the more advanced model, plus a design change for both “that looks like a blend of the third-generation AirPods and the Pro model”.
Apparently this won’t, though, extend to the silicone eartips – with that being a feature that is kept solely for the AirPods Pro.
AirPods Max 2
We loved the original AirPods Max, but considering Apple's biggest and best headphones have been out since 2020, they are now well overdue an update.
As part of his AirPods predictions, Gurman said he expected the AirPods Max do have a refresh coming in 2024, but it doesn't sound like the update we would be hoping for – mainly a move to USB-C charging and a few new colours.
While the USB-C update would be welcome, and one of the bugbears in our original review, new hardware feels necessary at this point. The AirPods Max carry the H1 processor, which is less advanced than the H2 processor in the much-cheaper AirPods Pro. This means they miss out on several new features announced last WWDC, including Adaptive Audio, Personalised Volume and Conversation Awareness.
Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is a little more optimistic. He predicts the USB-C and new colour options too, but also has improved noise cancellation, a longer battery life, plus a move to the U1 chip for more precise" Find My" integration, in his list of expected improvements.
The only downer? He's predicting all of this for the end of 2024 (the original AirPods Max were released in December) or even early 2025, but that doesn't mean we won't hear early details announced in June. Fingers crossed.
HomePod mini 2
Now this one is a bit contentious, as the two aforementioned, largely reliable insiders have different opinions on what’s to come.
As reported by MacRumors, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks we could see a second-generation Homepod mini released in the second half of the year, which – if true – could well signal an announcement at WWDC 2024.
It’s not clear what new features a second-gen HomePod mini might come with, so it’s all a bit vague – particularly when Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says quite the opposite.
Gurman reckons that Apple is not actively working on a new version of the HomePod mini, but is instead focused on “new speakers with screens and cameras” – maybe to create a competitor for the like of Amazon’s Echo Show.
Still, Kuo says that Apple supplier Goertek has secured “secured NPI [New Product Introduction] and assembly orders” for the new mini, so it remains to be seen if anything appears in June.
tvOS 18
Considering WWDC is a conference for developers, you can pretty much consider details of Apple's next update for its tvOS software a certainty – alongside details for what's to come for the likes of iOS, MacOS and WatchOS.
As you'll read in our Apple TV 4K review, we already like what tvOS has to offer, but the ability to update it every year always brings with it some welcome updates.
Last year, tvOS 17 delivered some welcome usability tweaks with a redesigned Control Center, introduced the ability to FaceTime using your Apple TV 4K and even quietly threw in some picture improvements too with support for Dolby Vision 8.1
For tvOS 18 this year, we're expecting the artificial intelligence announcements that will likely dominate proceedings to seep into how you interact with your Apple TV 4K. This will likely be through a smarter Siri, for improved searching, and the introduction of recommendations – all wrapped in a more natural, conversational experience.
Outside of that, it's anyone's guess. Could we see the HomePod 2's capabilities extend to using them as wireless surround speakers in a similar way that Amazon allows its Echo devices to be used? In all honesty, probably not – but here's hoping that that WWDC 2024 has at least one or two AV surprises up its sleeve.
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