Stephen Silver
Apple's first virtual Worldwide Developers Conference in June saw 22 million app makers tune in, setting "a new standard for what online events can achieve."
During Apple's quarterly earnings conference call Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared some numbers about the success of the company's virtual WWDC in June.
With 72 hours of video content available, the event drew 22 million viewers. A breakdown of viewership was not provided, though it is likely that a large chunk tuned in for the keynote on June 22.
"Apple set a new standard for what online events can achieve," Cook said during Apple's earnings call.
He went on to rehash some of the key announcements from WWDC, including the shift to Apple Silicon and the unveilings of MacOS Big Sur, iOS 14, and other new operating systems.
In early July, AppleInsider talked to developers about what it was like to participate in this one-of-a-kind WWDC.
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4 Comments
This year’s WWDC may not have been everything to everybody, but the results Apple achieved after shifting the conference on an entirely virtual format on very short notice is nothing short of amazing. Everyone at Apple who made this possible deserves the recognition that Tim Cook is celebrating.
Apple Dev community is almost bigger than Australia. Certainly a bigger adult population.
Personally, I thought the online format for announcements and demos worked better.
Even when it is possible to hold in-person events, Apple should consider always making at least the keynote the way they did this year. More time for more info, a relaxed pace for presenters, and just a way better presentation than ever before.
I also enjoyed the “State of the Company” address, and hope that while future sessions can have more QnA and 1-on-1, that they’ll continue to be available to all registered developers — with selected sessions perhaps being made available to everyone.