With WWDC about a week away, rumors are starting to paint a picture of a jam-packed show, with a major watchOS refresh, some of our “most requested features” in iOS 17, and a customizable lock screen in iPadOS. . 17. But beyond upgrades and improvements to our older devices, Apple will also use the stage to unveil some products that are completely new to Apple’s catalog. Here are five that could pop up as we all watch the June 5 speech.
Reality Pro Helmet
While the first part of the keynote will almost certainly be devoted to iOS, iPadOS, macOS and the rest, everyone will be waiting for Tim Cook to launch a One More Thing slide and unveil the first real new Apple product in years: An AR headset /VR. Dubbed Reality Pro, the new device will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen from Apple and it’s easily Apple’s most exciting release since the Apple Watch.
We’re expecting a headset that looks like a pair of ski goggles with 8K displays, an M2 processor, advanced eye and head tracking, and a digital crown. But whatever it looks (and costs), it will be like anything we’ve ever seen from Apple or anyone else.
xrOS
With the new headphones will come a new operating system, and this one won’t just be iOS with a new name. Apple’s xrOS, short for Extended Reality OS, will usher in an all-new interface that blends augmented and virtual realities in an immersive and interactive environment. The three main focus areas are rumored to be gaming, entertainment, and communication, so we’re expecting completely revamped and revamped versions of FaceTime, TV, and Messages, along with everything Apple has planned.
Apple has never made a MacBook Air larger than 13.6 inches.
Foundry
15-inch MacBook Air
In 2019, when the 16-inch MacBook Pro debuted, Apple retired our favorite laptop size: the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Nearly four years later, it’s rumored to return as a 15-inch MacBook Air. Rumors say that Apple is preparing to launch a larger Air with the same design and processor as the current model. Apple has experimented with Airs in different sizes, but this would be the first time it has offered one larger than 13 inches. And while it’s ‘just’ an Air, we think many pros will want one too.
M2 Ultra processor
Apple released the M2, M2 Pro and M2 Max, leaving only one chip: the M2 Ultra. The high-end chip is rumored to have up to 24 CPU cores, 76 GPU cores and 192GB of RAM, a reasonable upgrade over the 20-core CPU/64-core M1 Ultra GPU. Currently, the chip is only found in the Mac Studio, so the new chip could arrive as part of a Mac Studio refresh or Apple’s long-awaited silicon update to the next product…
Apple Silicone Mac Pro
It’s been nearly three years since the transition to Apple silicon was announced at WWDC 2020, and Apple’s most important Mac still uses Intel chips. Why do we think Apple’s silicon Mac Pro will finally be unveiled this year? Apple used the WWDC stage to announce the last three Mac Pros: the Intel G5 tower in 2006; the cylinder in 2013; and the current model in 2019, not to mention the iMac Pro in 2017. Current rumors call for the new Mac to have a bloated M2 Ultra processor and expandable storage, though probably not as modular as the current model.
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