WWDC 2015: What to expect from Apple tomorrow?

As it does every year around this time, Apple is getting ready to host its Worldwide Developers Conference. The popular conference will take place between June 8 and June 12, and will give developers a glimpse at the future of iOS and OS X.

To kick off the event, Apple will give a keynote address on the 8th, where it will make all of its most significant announcements. As usual, it’s been fairly quiet about its plans, but there are several things we’re expecting to see come Monday.

OS X

Rumor has it that Apple is using this year’s OS X release (believed to be 10.11) to shore up major features like Handoff and polish the new design introduced in Yosemite. Think Snow Leopard. Apple has been widely criticized for OS X 10.10, which has been riddled with Wi-Fi issued and other bugs since its release. It’s expected to fix a lot these issues in 10.11, as well as introduce a new system-wide font and security features such as Rootless and Trusted Wi-Fi.

iOS

Like OS X, the next version of iOS (likely iOS 9) is expected to be more of a Snow Leopard-like release, with less of the focus on new features and more on refinements. iOS 8, too, has been criticized for bugs and stability issues, and it sounds like Apple means to squash those bugs in iOS 9.

That doesn’t mean we won’t see any new features, though. Rumors indicate that Apple is working on a new Google Now-like feature called Proactive, which will make Siri smarter and more contextually-aware, as well as the ability to run apps side-by-side on iPad, and access to public transit information in its Maps app. We’re also expecting design tweaks, and various other enhancements.

Music

Apple is expected to talk about the overhaul of two major services on Monday: Beats Music and iTunes Radio. Let’s discuss the former first. It’s been reported that Apple is rebranding the streaming music service, which it acquired as part of its $3 billion Beats purchase last year, to simply ‘Apple Music’ and has rebuilt it from the ground up. Rumored features include a $10/month subscription fee, a 3-month free trial to make up for the fact that there’s no free tier offering, exclusive content, and a focus on music curation and discovery.

As for iTunes Radio, it hasn’t really made the splash that Apple had hoped for in its short tenure, so it’s expected to get refreshed next week as well. Rumored features for the radio service have been more scarce, but we have heard that Apple has been hiring up ‘celebrity DJs’ like Drake, Pharrell and French DJ David Guetta.

Apple Watch

We know of at least one major Apple Watch-related announcement coming next week—Apple itself confirmed it already. The company plans to give developers a preview of its new SDK at WWDC, which will allow them to develop native apps for the wearable. Since its launch in April, Apple Watch has been criticized for its slow and clunky third-party app experience, and the new SDK is expected to remedy that.

Other potential Apple Watch announcements include new security features like Find My Watch, and talk of third-party bands as part of the newly-launched ‘Made for Apple Watch’ initiative. We also expect Apple to talk about how well the Watch has been selling over the last 2 months, and the upcoming expansion to 7 more countries.

Apple TV

For months, reports have been pointing to a new Apple TV set-top box and possibly a new streaming TV service making appearances at WWDC, but sadly, that talk has been put to rest. Within the last week, multiple credible outlets have claimed that Apple has decided to delay the announcement of its new TV hardware because it’s “not quite ready for prime time.” Like-wise, we’ve heard the same thing about the TV service.

Prior to the news, we were expecting Apple to show off a slimmer, more powerful set-top box at WWDC, with a much improved remote control and an operating system that would support native apps (it’s possible Apple could still announce an Apple TV SDK). For the service, reports suggested that Apple was putting together a cheap, web-based alternative to cable with a slimmer channel lineup and unique mix of live and on-demand content. Learn more about Apple’s TV plans below.

Apple Pay

There hasn’t been much talk about Apple Pay in the run-up to WWDC, outside of one New York Times report that claims the mobile payment service is likely getting a rewards program soon. The program, reportedly, will allow retailers to offer customers coupons, store cash and other promotions for making purchases using Apple Pay.

HomeKit

There has been lot of talk about HomeKit in recent weeks, as multiple companies have announced products that will support the smart home platform. Announced at last year’s WWDC, HomeKit acts as a unifying bridge and dashboard for various accessories. The goal is to allow users to control products made from different manufacturers with touch and voice controls, and rumor has it that there is an app coming in iOS 9 called Home that will help achieve that objective.

And that should just about cover all of our expectations. Of course, while it seems like we know a lot about what’s going to be announced on Monday, it’s possible this is all way off. Apple is known for secrecy and misdirection, so you have to expect surprises.

Apple’s WWDC keynote begins at 10am Pacific Time on Monday, and a live stream will be available on the Apple TV, and iOS and Mac devices via Safari. We will be covering the event live on iDB, as well as subsequent announcements throughout the day.

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Apple iOS 9 to Feature Force Touch, New Keyboard and Group Read Receipts!

The next-generation iPhone will feature some form of Force Touch as one of the biggest new additions to the hardware, a rumor that has been circulating since the beginning of the year and only gaining forward momentum. The report today, however, specifically mentions that Apple has designed iOS 9 “to be Force Touch-ready” and is already hard at work with developers to integrate the technology into various apps.

Since Apple’s work on Force Touch runs the gamut of iOS devices, there’s also a possibility of updated Force Touch displays on new iPad models sometime this year. All iOS versions of Force Touch are also expected to provide the real-time haptic feedback buzz similar to that of the Apple Watch to provide users a physical response when their deep presses have been noticed. As 9to5Mac points out, however, since any new Force Touch on iOS announcement automatically requires the confirmation of new hardware, any iPhone and iPad support for the feature is unlikely to happen at WWDC.

Next, Apple is rumored to be working on a new keyboard experience for iOS 9, with the company experimenting on multiple designs, like one that is “slightly longer than the current keyboard” and provides users with a more robust suite of editing options while in portrait mode. Also in the works is a more accessible way to access the QuickType keyboard and a redesign to the unpopular Shift Key to provide an easier visual understanding of when shift or caps lock is engaged.

Today’s report also falls in line with previous rumors reporting that Canada will be the first country outside of the United States to support Apple Pay, with the report claiming that iOS 9’s Passbook app includes a “necessary foundation” to support various banks, credit and debit cards, and credit unions within the country. Although Canada is well-prepared for such a service, with many retailers and businesses across the country equipped with the contactless payment terminals needed for Apple Pay, such an expansion outside of the United States has proved difficult for Apple, especially in places like China, so a WWDC announcement yet again seems unlikely.

The final minor update to iOS 9 reported today includes the addition of read receipts to both group chats in iMessage as well as on a per-contact basis. Users will be able to turn on the read receipt functionality for specific recipients while leaving the read status of a message in the dark for other contacts. The company also seems to be considering removing the little-used Game Center app altogether in iOS 9, and minor data points suggest a few additions and updates to the new Health app, as well.

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Apple Watch pre-orders now open: shipping times range from weeks to months!

The Apple Watch is here! Kind of. Pre-orders are now open online, which is honestly not as exciting as waiting in line for days in anticipation of the next big thing. However, the actual watches will take weeks, and for most people more than a month to arrive, as shipping times are surprisingly long.

We checked out shipping times for all three versions of the Apple Watch: the Sport, the stainless steel, and the premium Edition, and here’s what we found:

• Apple Watch Sport ships in June (!)
• Apple Watch (stainless steel) shipping times are four to six weeks
• Apple Watch Edition shipping times vary between models from July to August (!!)

Hey, but if you want to order a band without the watch it will arrive quicker: it only takes 2 to 4 weeks for most bands to ship. Some ship in May (classic buckle), and others are simply not available yet (modern buckle).

You can pre-order an Apple Watch at the Apple Store.

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Apple Watch: 18h Battery life, Siri Integration and priced from $349 to over $10,000!

We’ve been waiting for months to hear how long the Apple Watch’s battery will last, and luckily the Cupertino-based company has appeased us during its “Spring Forward” media event on Monday. Apple says the Apple Watch will have an 18-hour battery life, or what Apple calls “all day battery life”.

“During a typical day you can expect 18 hours. This works for most people I think,” Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, told attendees at the event.

The magnetic charger will click to the back of the Watch to charge at the end of the day, Cook told attendees.

We’ve always known that Apple Watch will have Siri integration, but some new developments were revealed at Today’s Apple Watch event. While on stage, Kevin Lynch demonstrated Hey Siri functionality, which allows you to invoke Siri by simply raising your wrist and using only your voice. 

As you’re likely aware of, the iPhone features Hey Siri functionality as well, but on the iPhone, you must have you device plugged in to do so. Having Hey Siri available on your wrist makes it much easier to interact with Siri hands-free, and will usher in a a much more convenient way of communicating with the Siri voice assistant software.

Hey Siri on the iPhone is a big battery drainer, because it means that the device is actively listening for the “Hey Siri” command. On the Apple Watch, the device won’t listen unless you raise your wrist. This means that there will be a lot less battery drain while using Hey Siri on the Apple Watch.

Apple has announced the Apple Watch Edition will be available in select retail stores, priced from $10,000.

Pre-orders begin April 10.

Note:

On stage at Apple’s media event on Monday, Tim Cook announced that iOS 8.2 will launch to the public today. The software update, which has been in beta for several weeks now, will bring about the Apple Watch companion app that will allow your iPhone to talk to the upcoming wearable.

We saw a preview of the app back in January, when it was unearthed from a developer beta. It will allow users to customize a wide range of things on their Apple Watch including the Clock app with personalized monograms and alerts for notifications, people in your Contacts list, and more.

Additionally, the Companion app will offer up details on the device itself. Users will be able to view the storage capacity of their Apple Watch, the number of songs, photos and apps onboard, and other info like serial number and connection status. We’ll let you know as soon as iOS 8.2 hits today.

Apple unveils new Ultra-thin MacBook with Retina display, new Trackpad and Colors!

Apple’s “Spring Forward” event is underway at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Performing Arts and CEO Tim Cook said that Apple has challenged itself to “reinvent the notebook” before he took the wraps off a brand new MacBook model which weighs just two pounds and is available in silver, space gray and “a stunning gold.”

Featuring a twelve-inch screen with a Retina pixel resolution of 2304-by-1440 pixels, the display produces clearer images and consumes up to thirty percent less energy. The trackpad, now called, Force Touch trackpad, ditches away the mechanical design in favor of four sensors and Haptic Engine from the Apple Watch.

The trackpad has adjustable click feel and, more importantly, it can distinguish between a force click and a tap or standard click. They’ve developed new gestures that take advantage of force-clicking in OS X, enabling a range of pressures that the sensors can sense.

For instance, when watching a video, the deeper you press the faster the video plays.

What’s inside the notebook is the latest Unibody architecture and, most importantly, a 67 percent smaller logic board one third the size of the previous logic board, thanks to its fanless design.

Yes, no fans on the new MacBook, meaning it operates silently.

It’s powered by Intel’s new 14-nanometer Intel Core M chip clocked at 1.3 GHz, but you can configure it with a faster chip in mind. Apple has created the notebook’s battery in sheets so it can occupy more space, allowing for a 35 more capacity in energy use, good enough for a 24-hour performance on this notebook.

“It’s the world’s most energy efficient notebook,” Apple said.

Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, took the stage to talk more about the notebook, which “looks absolutely gorgeous from every angle”.

Weighing just two pounds, it’s the “thinnest notebook we’ve ever made.”

At its thickest point it’s just 13.1mm thin versus 18.3mm for the 11-inch MacBook Air, a 24 percent thinner appearance.

“That is a huge difference,” said Schiller.

As rumored before, the machine has a new USB Type-C connector that’s fully reversible and now replaces MagSafe, Thunderbolt and USB.

Incorporating a new Butterfly keyboard technology, the keyboard on the new MacBook is four times more stable than the standard mechanism, even if you strike the keys on their side.

Each key now has its own LED backlighting allowing for a more precise illumination. Connectivity wise, the new MacBook has 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.

The computer is shipping on April 10 priced at $1,299 for the baseline model, with a $1,599 model available with twice the storage and faster internals.

By the way, Mac growth has been outpacing the rest of the industry for ten years straight.

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