This year, we expect Apple to walk us through highlights of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, WatchOS 8, MacOS 12, and TVOS 15. In invites sent to members of the press, the event had a tagline of “And away we go.” However, the invites that developers received all said “And away we code.” It’s unclear what either one means or why there were two different taglines, but I’ll leave it up to you to speculate. Below, I’ll cover how to watch the event, which will be live-streamed, as well as what you can expect given the little information we have just a few days away from the event. Must read:
Apple iMac 24-inch (M1, 2021) review: Slim, power-efficient and colorfulApple TV 4K (2021) review: A welcome upgrade, all aroundApple iPad Pro (2021) review: Impressively powerful
In the meantime, what are you hoping to see Apple add to any of its software platforms? Let us know in the comments. Keynote start time:
10am PDT on the US West coast1pm EDT on the US East coast6pm GMT in the UK7pm CEST in Central Europe1am CST in Beijing2am JST in Japan3am AEST in Sydney
The keynote doesn’t have an in-person component to it again this year due to the pandemic, but anyone who wants to can tune into the live stream and watch all of the announcements.
Apple channel on YouTube: The YouTube placeholder for the WWDC 2021 keynote is already live.Apple Event website: You don’t have to use YouTube – you can watch the event directly on Apple’s Event website on your computer, phone, or tablet. Just make sure your web browser – Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or Edge – is up to date and supports MSE, H.264, and AAC.Apple Event app: Install the Apple Events app on your Apple TV. Some of the older Apple TV devices will already have it preinstalled. The app icon will reflect the same image as the invite a day or two before the event.
That said, there’s a lot of expectations on Apple to improve the iPad’s software after the release of the M1-powered iPad Pro. It’s an overpowered device that’s begging for more powerful software to take advantage of it. What we do know is that Apple will unveil iOS 15, iPadOS 15, WatchOS 8, MacOS 12, and TVOS 15 based on the yearly update cycle Apple has followed since the iPhone launched. What exactly is in those updates, is a good question. There have been some reports that the iPad is expected to gain widgets on the home screen, much like the iPhone received with iOS 14, and that both the iPhone and iPad will see improvements to Apple’s iMessage messaging platform as well as improved notifications. Outside of that, nothing has leaked or been reported. This year, rumors have gone back and forth about whether a new MacBook Pro, possibly with the next version of an Apple Silicon processor, will make its debut at WWDC. There have also been rumors circulating for months that Apple has a new pair of AirPods ready to be announced. It’s possible we’ll see both devices at WWDC 21. Then again, it’s quite possible we’ll see neither device announced. The only real guarantee is software. This is a developer-focused event, after all.
