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WWDC 2017 Keynote - What to expect and how to watch it

iOS 11! iPad Pro 2! Siri Speaker?

WWDC 2017 Keynote - What to expect and how to watch it
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iOS

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is set to kick of at 10am PST / 6pm GMT today. Not long to wait!

This isn't the company's big iPhone unveiling - that won't happen for another three months or so. However, WWDC is always worth tuning into if you have any interest in mobile technology.

As the name suggests, WWDC is an event where Apple talks about its latest software - most notably iOS. But it also throws in some hardware from time to time.

Here's what we're expecting to see from the WWDC 2017 keynote address, which you can watch live on the Apple website.

iOS 11

It's the biggest guaranteed topic of the night - Apple's next mobile operating system, which will be made available alongside the next iPhone towards the end of the year (probably).

Many commentators are expecting iOS 11 to greatly expand and improve its Siri tool. Also expect to see a new Android-like file management app, and maybe a dark theme that switches away from Apple's typical white-and-grey colour scheme.

Most notably for pocket gamers, though, it's widely predicted that Apple will ditch 32-bit support in iOS 11. This means that older games that haven't been updated in several years will no longer work on your device. Bad news if true.

iPad Pro 2

People don't tend to replace their tablets quite as often as they do their phones, which is why iPad sales have flatlined a little in recent years. However, Apple could be planning a redesign for its tablet line in 2017.

Rumour has it that Apple is working on a new iPad with a 10.5-inch display that nonetheless occupies the same basic area as its current 9.7-inch models.

How will they achieve this magical effect? By shrinking the bezels - seemingly the defining trick of 2017. It's expected that the iPhone 8 will pull the same trick later in the year, while Samsung, LG, and Essential (Google it) have already done something similar with their own phones.

The question seems to be whether this iPad Pro 2 will show up at WWDC. Respected Apple analysts reckon the odds are good.

Siri Speaker

The big new hardware announcement for WWDC 2017 could well be related to Apple's personal assistant - a Siri Speaker.

Amazon's Echo speaker has been an unexpected success, which has had its tech rivals scrambling to compete (Google Home just launched in the UK). Now it's Apple's turn, if rumours are to be believed.

Interestingly, it's been suggested that the Siri Speaker will place the emphasis on audio quality, so it could be as much of a rival to Sonos as it is to Amazon and Google.

WatchOS 4 and macOS 10.13

Of less interest to gamers, Apple will also probably use its WWDC keynote introduce new versions of its Apple Watch and Mac operating systems.

WatchOS 4 could support sleep tracking, while macOS will probably do a bunch of marginally tweaked computery stuff. Let's not beat around the bush here - it's not going to be all that radical, and no one here cares all that much anyway.

New Macs

Expect to see a refresh of Apple's MacBook Pro line. This won't be a big deal - in fact, it'll probably just entail marginally faster/more efficient processors, and maybe a bump up in memory options.

Yes, they'll still be prohibitively expensive. No, you won't be getting your USB port/SD card/DVD drive back. Let it go already.

Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.