The biggest Apple event of the year, WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) 2017 kicked off yesterday and will continue throughout the week until June 9th. The buzz has been exceptional this year with many predictions on what exactly will be revealed by Apple this week.
You can watch the event live everyday but if you just can’t wait to get an idea on what sort of things are likely to be showcased at the keynote this week then keep reading to get a lowdown on day 1 of the event, as well as what to expect at Apple WWDC 2017!
iOS 11
Image Source: Apple
Software is of course the focus of the event, as it is for developers after all, day 1 started off with the unveiling of the software update; iOS 11. Along with a different look to the control centre and the notification centre, we also get an update to iMessages, Apple Pay, the music app and of course, Siri.
The redesign of the App Store is a big deal as it has been unchanged in 9 years; it will now include a tab view, to allow you to discover a range of genres and options easily, simplifying the user experience whilst also making it much more exciting and engaging.
Siri’s overhaul probably seems long overdue for a lot of Apple users; with updating their AI assistant, it seemed like Apple was getting left behind in the ‘AI assistant race’, however Siri will now be ‘more intelligent’ and base suggestions on what it thinks you want to see by learning what you like.
The control centre will now be displayed on one page rather than two making life much easier. An upgrade to Apple Pay also means we will now be able to transfer money to each other and we will be able to do so via iMessages as well!
MacOS 10.13
Image Source: Tech Radar
A new update for Mac was also announced and we now know it will be called ‘macOS High Sierra’. The update which will be released around August, will include major improvements to Safari, where it will now feature ad-tracking, to prevent those tedious adverts popping up everywhere as you browse, refining the user experience greatly.
Photos is also getting updated with better facial recognition, enhanced editing options as well as a different layout to help you better organise and sort your images. After 30 years, Apple is also switching from its older file system to APFS (Apple File System) for a faster more secure Mac.
Hardware
Aside from software, we also saw some huge hardware news which, let’s face it, is what most of us are most excited about. Rumours of an Apple speaker have been floating around since last year; but yesterday saw the debut of the HomePod, the intelligent speaker which even senses where it is placed in the room for maximum sound effect.
We spoke about the new Google Home and how it may be slightly better than Amazon’s Echo after Google’s similar developer event earlier this year (you can read more here) however, it will be interesting to see where Apple’s offering stands when pitted against these two already well established speakers.
In addition to this we also saw the iMac get an upgrade in graphics and displays and the new update will finally introduce VR compatibility too. We got a glimpse into the new iMac Pro as well as a new MacBook Range, but more significantly the world was introduced to the new iMac Pro.
Image Source: The Guardian
The desktop will feature 128GB of ECC RAM, a stunning 5k or 4k screen, and a Radeon Pro graphics card. It will be available in December, and you’ll be able to get your hands on one for a staggering starting price of $4,999!
With just the first day of WWDC 2017 being packed with exciting news and launches by the tech giant, we are intrigued to see what the rest of the week will entail, and what more there could be for what to expect at Apple WWDC 2017.
Today we’ll see Michelle Obama joining the event for an open session so be sure to stay tuned! We hope you enjoyed reading our highlights of what to expect at Apple WWDC 2017! Let us know what you’re most looking forward to seeing this week in the comments below!
