Here's What Apple Is Going To Announce At Its First Major Event Of 2014
At WWDC, Apple will roll out new software, and potentially new hardware, which will set its course for the rest of the year.
Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac has a new report on what Apple will announce at WWDC. His report makes WWDC sound a little boring.
He says the Mac's operating system, OS X, will have a "larger presence" than Apple's mobile operating system, iOS, at WWDC.
The new version of OS X, 10.10, will be a total design overhaul. The Mac's software is going to match the aesthetic of the iPhone, which went "flat" last year.
Gurman says, "The new look will have similar toggle designs to iOS 7, sharper window corners, more defined icons across the system, and more white space than the current version." However, it will still retain its unique desktop computing features. Apple isn't pulling a Windows 8 where it tries to force an entirely new user experience on consumers.
He says Apple is planning to release 10.10 by the fall and is planning "a slew of hardware updates to promote the new software."
Mac software is nice, but for Apple, it's no longer the main draw. What people really care about is iOS, which powers iPhones and iPads. Gurman says some of the new features for iOS might be pushed back. He's not sure why those features might get delayed, but he says Apple has shifted resources to finish OS X.
Gurman has previously reported details on iOS 8 - transit directions for Apple Maps, Healthbook, which collects health/fitness information, a new TextEdit app, and breaking out iTunes Radio as a standalone application. He also says that Apple is working on some new iCloud functions for developers.
Gurman also says he's not expecting a big Apple TV update at WWDC. He says that will probably come with iOS 8.1, which will be out later.
So, all in all, it doesn't sound like it's going to set the world on fire. The truth is that the Mac operating system doesn't move the needle for Apple.
Perhaps there's more in the works, though. On Twitter, Gurman hints that new, exciting hardware could be announced.