Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference, or WWDC for short, is a highlight of the summer as the company showcases its upcoming operating systems.
This year, iOS 18 will likely see a big spotlight as rumors grow that Apple will focus more on the iPhone’s AI features in the next update.
macOS 15, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and other smaller updates are also not to be missed. Apple has already set up a dedicated page, which will be filled with session videos, forum posts and labs starting Monday, June 10.
Hardware announcements can also be expected at the upcoming WWDC keynote, as Apple uses the big stage to showcase Macs, MacBooks, and other hardware to developers and the general public.
Vision Pro in other countries
Perhaps in passing at the launch of visionOS 2, Craig Federighi or one of his colleagues will announce that Vision Pro will soon be available in other regions of the world.
Vision Pro was revealed almost exactly a year ago at WWDC 2023 and went on sale in early February 2024.
However, mixed reality glasses can only be purchased in the United States; they can only be exported to Europe with the corresponding additional customs duties. A year after the announcement and more than four months after launching sales in the United States, it seems like the time has come for Apple to start selling the Vision Pro in other countries.
MacBook Pro with M4 Pro/Max
The new iPad Pro M4, unveiled by Apple a few weeks ago, is literally an elephant in the room, casting its shadow over WWDC.
Because for the first time, the manufacturer has integrated its latest Apple Silicon into a tablet, not into a Mac.
Apple must also follow suit with its new chip in laptops (and desktops), otherwise there will be an imbalance by fall in which a tablet will be equipped with a better chip than laptops.
As Apple already updated its Macbook Air with M3 in March, we think it’s more likely that the manufacturer will upgrade its Pro models to M4, in both the beefed-up Pro and Max variants. This would bring the two variants, Pro and Air, into the familiar matrix: for most users, an Air will easily suffice; those who need a little more work space will immediately choose the 15-inch model.
Those who edit videos, produce very complex pieces of music, or perform other demanding tasks will opt for a MacBook Pro with a more powerful processor and pay extra.
Mac Mini M4
Apple might take pity on the Mac Mini and upgrade the smaller Mac from M2 to M4, just like the iPad Pro.
After all, the Mac Mini is the desktop Mac that hasn’t been updated in the longest; the last update was in January 2023, a year and a half ago. The Studio and Pro were updated at the last WWDC; Apple only updated the iMac’s chip in the fall, while the outdated Lightning ports remained for the keyboard and mouse.
M3/M4 Ultra
Last year, rumors swirled that Apple was working on another version of the Ultra chip with spectacular specs.
But with an M4 on the market, Apple won’t be able to convince any pro users to buy a previous generation. Macs with Ultra chips are very expensive and with such investments, buyers want the greatest possible future security.
However, we think it is unlikely that Apple will introduce the M4 Ultra at WWDC 2024. Such chips are aimed at professional Macs like the Mac Studio or Mac Pro. Since they were only updated a year ago, Apple can afford to wait a few more months, perhaps until around October 2024.
This article was originally published in our sister publication Macwelt and has been translated and adapted from German.
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