Worldwide Developers Conference is one of Apple’s biggest events of the year. It’s a gathering place where Apple will announce new updates to its iOS, macOS, and watchOS while unveiling new hardware products. Last year, the Cupertino company announced a lot of new things, including HomePod speaker, iMac Pro, and iOS 11.
HomePod marks Apple’s first steps in the smart speaker market where Amazon Echo and Google Home now dominate. Apple’s smart speaker has its own set of features that set it apart from other rivals on the market. However, Apple still has a lot of work to do to improve HomePod this year.
Rumors say that Apple will launch an affordable HomePod at this year’s WWDC event. The upcoming smart speaker will lack some premium features to achieve a lower price tag. There will be a lot more things coming out at this year’s event. With that in mind, we are going to give you a sneak preview of what Apple will show off at WWDC 2018.
For some background, this year’s WWDC event will kick off on June 8 and run through June 8 in San Jose, California.
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iOS 12
iOS 12 will take the center stage at this year’s WWDC event, with a lot of new features and skills. Last year, iOS 11 did not bring a huge improvement to the operating system, which hints at a big iOS release this year. Back in 2016, Apple officially announced iOS 10 with a ton of new things, making it the biggest iOS unveiling.
Rumors regarding Apple’s next version of iOS have been circulating around for months. Sources say that iOS 12 will come with a much-improved Face ID. Last year, Face ID made its debut alongside iPhone X, offering users a new way to unlock the device. However, Face ID has its own issues ranging from slow unlock to unresponsiveness. Fortunately, Apple has acknowledged the issues and promised to fix them in future updates.
According to some reports, iOS 12 will include new Animoji characters and a redesigned interface. Animoji is one of the highlights of iPhone X, allowing users to create an animated scan of their face. Animoji received a wild welcome from users worldwide at launch, which gives Apple a driving reason to improve it.
Apart from those improvements, iOS 12 is also expected to include a redesigned Stocks app, a much-improved Do Not Disturb mode and better Siri integration in Photos.
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Apple iPhone SE 2
Back in 2016, Apple officially introduced iPhone SE, a 4-inch iPhone. The original iPhone SE sported the same design as the iPhone 5s while coming with a powerful processor under the hood. The iPhone SE was targeted at users who were expecting a small-screened iPhone with crazy specs.
However, iPhone SE failed to live up to expectations as Apple saw a poor sales performance worldwide. The Cupertino company decided to lower the price and launched the device in emerging markets. The iPhone SE quickly hit the top spot in China and India.
Rumors say that Apple will unveil the second generation iPhone SE at this year’s event. According to reliable sources, the SE 2 will feature some premium features like Face ID, better camera setup, a new design, and a powerful chip. Rumors claim that the SE 2 will take some design hints from last year’s iPhone X. If this is the case, we will have smaller bezels and top notch.
When it comes to pricing, the iPhone SE 2 will carry a $349 price tag at launch, making it the cheapest iPhone on the market. According to sources, the SE 2 will be manufactured at a facility in India and target the Indian market.
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New Apple Watch
Apple Watch is one of the best smartwatches out there. Apple’s wearable device has seen a steady growth in sales since the launch day. In 2017, Apple announced the third generation Apple Watch with a lot of changes. Apple Watch Series 3 was met with positive reviews, with praise directed at its innovative features.
According to the latest rumors, Apple has been working on a new version of Apple Watch for the last 2 years. And, the company is ready to announce the device at this year’s WWDC. There is not much to talk about the next generation Apple Watch now. Tech experts say that Apple Watch 4 will feature a lot of new bands.
With a lot of contradictory rumors, it’s hard to tell what exactly Apple will bring at this year’s WWDC event. Let’s wait and see.
Also read: 7 cool things you can do with your Wear OS smartwatch
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