It was Siri, Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) virtual assistant, who first spilled the beans: Apple’s next big public affair will be WWDC 2016, starting on June 13.
At the last Apple event, the new iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro made their debut. What is AAPL expected to be announcing this time?
WWDC 2016 Apple Event: The End of OS X?
WWDC stands for World Wide Developer’s Conference, and in keeping with that theme, Apple tends to focus on its operating system(s) during the annual event.
Expect to see iOS 10 make its first public appearance. The operating system that powers AAPL’s iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch is expected to get the usual slew of performance upgrades. There are also rumors that for the first time, owners of Apple mobile devices will be able to hide the apps that APPL pre-installs.
Also being talked about are a Siri upgrade for handling voicemail and the possibility of multi-user support.
On the Mac front, the big news is the signs pointing to AAPL killing off its OS X operating system.
This isn’t quite so dramatic as it sounds. Apparently the company is simply going to re-name OS X to MacOS — in keeping with iOS, watchOS and tvOS — a move that makes sense for Apple’s branding.
WWDC 2016 Apple Event: New Mac Hardware?
Of course what the world really watches for at any Apple events is the release of new hardware. WWDC is focused on Apple software, but it has served as a launching pad for new Apple gear in the past, including:
- Mac Pro in 2006
- iPhone 3G in 2008
- New 13-inch Mac Pro, 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro updates, iPhone 3GS in 2009
- iPhone 4 in 2010
- MacBook Pro with Retina Display and updated MacBook Air in 2012
- New Mac Pro in 2013
There were expectations that Apple might show off new MacBooks with slick new metal-injected hinges designed by the company that worked with Microsoft Corporation’s (MSFT) Surface tablets. It was also hoped that Apple would cave and add a second USB-C port to the new MacBook.
Along with the refreshed MacBook, anticipation has been building for a revised MacBook Air that finally incorporates a Retina display.
AAPL dashed both those WWDC hardware hopes with the announcement earlier this week that the MacBook would be refreshed with new Intel Corporation (INTC) Skylake processors and a Rose Gold case option, while the aging MacBook Air gets a bump in its base RAM.
So will there be any new hardware at this Apple event, or will this be one of those off years where it’s purely about the OS?
It’s possible the company might unveil new, thinner MacBook Pro laptops and the iMac could get refreshed with those new Skylake CPUs. It’s also possible that AAPL might use this Apple event to show off a thinner Apple Watch 2, which is expected to be announced sometime this year.
No matter what AAPL announces, expect Apple watchers to be disappointed. Historically, the expectations leading up to the June Apple event have never quite been matched by what is shown off, and for the past decade or more, AAPL stock has traded down the day after the WWDC keynote — even in 2009, when there were a ton of new hardware announcements, including a new iPhone model.
WWDC 2016 runs from June 13 to June 17. The $1,599 tickets for the Apple event are currently being offered through a lottery and are expected to sell out immediately.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
