Tonight’s the night, VR fans – WWDC 2023 is expected to bring Apple’s much-awaited AR/VR headset. Will it be the “next big thing” for Cupertino like the Apple Watch was? Or will it be a unicorn only seen by a select few like the Mac Pro?
You might want to watch the livestream (embedded below) even if you don’t have use for AR or VR. Apple traditionally unveils the next major OS versions for its various branches of products: iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, tvOS 17 (and new HomePod software) and macOS 14 are all waiting to be shown off to the public and developers.
The star of the show (as far as software is concerned) will be xrOS, which will power Apple’s new headset. The rumor mill doesn’t have much to say about the other OSes. We have heard a few things, though, e.g. iOS 17 will allegedly have the option of turning your phone into a smart home display, it should also bring an overhaul to the Control Center and Dynamic Island (though details are slim at the moment).
Perhaps the biggest change to iOS is related to EU regulations – Apple has to open up its smartphones to sideloading apps and third-party app stores.
You should watch today’s event if you’re on the lookout for a new computer – there is talk that Apple will launch a 15.5” MacBook Air (with M2), perhaps a new Mac Studio will join it (still no Mac Pro, though).
The event starts at 17:00 UTC. We will have detailed coverage of all major announcements as they happen.
