WWDC 2016 Predictions

TOP STORY: Originally posted on April 14, 2016 at 2:47 PM

WWDC 2016 Predictions

I have been thinking about WWDC 16 a lot recently, and I decided to make a speculation sheet with my personal predictions.

1. iOS 10 Announcement

With iOS 10, they most likely won't go with iOS X. I can predict a few changes, but there isn't enough information.

• Unicode 9.0 Emoji

Most people aren't thinking far ahead about emoji, especially because it isn't a feature that needs updating. It can't hurt, and the long list of new emoji, including the bacon and selfie emojis, just landed on Android N Developer Preview 2. Hopefully they will be present in the first developer preview.

• Control Center and Notification Center Updates

If the jailbreak community has anything to say about control center, it would be that it needs to be customizable. The switches available are nice, but most people don't even use them. Access to the calculator and clock app from the control center hasn't been a heavily requested feature, although nice. The switches at the top will need to be customizable and probably will be with this update.

• Smarter Siri

Apple will most likely add a 3rd party API for developers to add their own app support into Siri. Along with this, having better vocal recognition, animations, integration, and possible typing support would make Siri the best assistant.

• Nightmode

EDIT June 1, 2016: WWDC's updated app has a darker tone, possibly signifying a darker UI option (which I wish everything had). This leads me to believe that a nightmode is a very plausible update.

• Very Few UI Updates

This prediction makes me very nervous. The UI has not changed much for the last 3 iOS revisions, and I assume it will remain that way. iOS 7's design, although I prefer iOS 6 and before's design much better, has been polished a lot since its debut. I doubt anything will be completely redesigned.

• Updated Metal and Swift

Swift, the language iOS apps are written in, will have a major update alongside Metal. Both of these changes will impact macOS and iOS.

2. macOS Announcement (macOS source)

Mac OS was transitioned to Mac OS X in 2001, and then OS X in July 2012. Previously, the revisions went Mac OS 7, then two years later, Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9, then Mac OS X. After OS X was released, only incremental updates have happened (even though they've been pretty drastic).

• OS X will be renamed macOS to fit in with watchOS, tvOS, and iOS

• The Photos app will gain more features that it currently lacks.

• Siri will be coming to macOS through Spotlight.

EDIT May 27, 2016: Possibly leaked screenshots suggest it will not be integrated through Spotlight.

• iTunes will be overhauled, as hinted by Tim Cook a few weeks before the release of 10.11.4.

• iOS app porting capabilities through Swift (hopefully).

• Unicode 9.0 Emoji alongside iOS 10/X.

• True dark mode with system-wide compatibility

• Night Shift and Finder Dark Mode for MacOS

• Updated Dock.app interface (Possibly a new design or 3D dock).

3. Apple Watch 2

The first generation of any Apple product is revised quickly, and I think around a year after the device was released a revision will be announced. It will most likely be a thinner device, with a better battery and specs.

4. New MacBooks

This will probably not be a WWDC announcement, but it is speculation.

• MacBook - The 2016 Retina 12-inch MacBook will replace the current Macbook. The Air's display in comparison with the Retina and MacBook Pro looks terrible, and the specs are falling behind as well. It is thicker than many Windows ultrabooks now, and doesn't have the competitive edge it used to have. Most likely, it will have 12-inch and 14-inch variations, but it may stay only 12-inches as it is now

EDIT May 27, 2016: The new 2016 MacBook was released already. A 14-inch variation was not ever announced.

• The New MacBook Pro - The MacBook Pro lineup will replace the Macbook Air as well. It will be thin, maybe thinner, than the Air with the specs of the current Pro lineup. There will be a 13-inch and 15-inch variation, and the older Macbook Pros with Retina Displays will still be available for ~$200 off. The 2012 MacBook Pro will be discontinued and not a single still-available Apple product will have a DVD-R drive.