As Apple’s annual developer conference kicks off tonight, a lot of software upgrades are in the works.
Apple will be hosting its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) tonight, an event that brings together developers and creative minds from all over the globe. Scheduled for June 13 to 17, 2016, in San Francisco, the event will see Apple unveil the latest in new products and features over the entirety of its software platforms (OS X, iOS, watchOS and tvOS), which currently power over a billion devices worldwide.
Experts believe OS X, the company’s laptop and desktop operating system, could be renamed macOS, in line with Apple's current software branding strategy. The last model was called ‘MacBook, despite previous versions having names like the MacBook Air, showing the company is going back to basics with its nomenclature.
However, Siri is likely to be the largest talk point of the event. Apple’s digital assistant on iOS is expected to make its way to the Mac platform, and also become much more powerful. The Information reported that Apple is planning to open up Siri to third-party apps as well. What that means is, developers will be able to code Siri instructions directly into their apps. For example, if WhatsApp integrates Siri into its app, you could conceivably dictate messages to your phone, right from within your WhatsApp chat screen.
Additionally, 9to5Mac reports that Siri is being added to OS X, which means you’ll be able to use the digital assistant on your Mac, the same way you would on your iPhone or iPad.
While Apple is known to release a new iOS version every year, this year’s update could well end up being minor. Aside from redesigned notifications, a newer interface, and browser support for Apple Pay (the company’s home-grown payment gateway), not much else is known. The only other notable changes are a new look for Apple Music, and possibly new photo editing options for iOS’ Photos app.
We’re also very likely to see software updates for both the tvOS (Apple TV) and the watchOS (Apple Watch). Both platforms are as yet nascent, and are still in need of some basic functionality additions, though Apple has been silent on what those updates might be.
As far as hardware goes, it’s unfortunately quite likely that there might be no new products debuting this year at all. While Apple has announced new devices at WWDC in the past, it is after all a conference aimed primarily at the developer community.
Apple will be streaming WWDC sessions live on its official website developer.apple.com/wwdc, and on the WWDC app. The conference kicks off Monday, June 13 at 10:30pm (IST), with a keynote in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.
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