Apple confirms WWDC 2024 keynote timing, but offers no more AI hints

Apple has confirmed it will be holding its usual keynote at WWDC on June 10. Here's what to expect from the company during that packed week.

Apple has previously announced WWDC will be held from June 10, and has already strongly hinted that it will be an AI-centric event. Weeks away from the event itself, Apple has outlined the schedule for the event.

According to a Tuesday announcement, the keynote will happen at 10 a.m. PDT on June 10, which will detail the "groundbreaking updates" arriving on Apple's platforms. The address will be streamable via the Apple Developer app, the Apple TV app, Apple.com, and YouTube.

The Platforms State of the Union will happen a few hours later at 1 p.m. PDT. It will take a deeper dive into the changes in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS.

Apple Developer Program members and Apple Developer Enterprise Program members will be able to take part in online labs throughout the event, and in live forums.

There will be over 100 technical sessions across the week, covering new technologies and frameworks.

Despite the new information on scheduling, Apple doesn't offer any new hints about content in the announcement. Then again, it's probably already said enough.

Operating Systems and Software

Apple's chief announcements will be its operating system updates, including iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and the next edition of macOS. With the release of the Apple Vision Pro, WWDC can also show off Apple's first major feature updates for visionOS.

The updates to iOS 18 will arguably be the main focus for users and developers alike. Following on from iOS 17, iOS 18 is rumored to include a big redesign of various UI elements, though it's unlikely that the Apple Vision Pro and visionOS will influence design alterations.

AI will apparently be a big element for WWDC 2024

Ai improvements to Siri and iOS in general is expected to be a big feature, with the iPhone maker continuing to invest resources into developing generative AI. Aside from expected Siri improvements, the AI changes can also feed into other apps, such as providing automated summarizing functions.

This is far beyond consumer usage, too, as Apple has been rumored to be including changes to its development tools. Test versions of a future Xcode release apparently include AI tools, such as the automated prediction and completion of blocks of code, and automated code generation for testing applications.

While few elements of what Apple will include aside from AI enhancements are reliably rumored, it does seem that Apple will be trying hard to minimize any initial beta bugs.

In November, development of new features for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 had been put on pause in favor of a week of bug stomping. The releases may be more crucial to Apple than usual, due to a general need to catch up with others in the generative AI space.

Hardware

New devices almost always play second fiddle to software at WWDC. Following the iPad Pro release with M4 in May, it's not clear at all if the Mac will get an upgrade.

The MacBook Pro and iMac were last updated with M3 in October 2023, with the M3 Air arriving in early 2024. That leaves the Mac Studio, Mac Pro, and Mac mini.

Recent rumors suggest that the pro-level hardware won't see an update until M4 Max and Ultra are released. The current timing on those is the fall, at the earliest, with 2025 perhaps being more likely.

The most likely candidate for a M4 update is the Mac mini. Rumors for that still suggest the fall as well.

Also long-rumored but still absent are USB-C versions of the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and AirPods Max. Timing is unclear on the release of those, though, and they don't seem like keynote-worthy products.