UPDATED 22:18 EST / JUNE 02 2019

APPS

Here’s what to expect at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference Monday

Apple Inc.’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference kicks off Monday morning in San Jose, California, and the company isn’t expected to disappoint as it’s likely to debut a range of new products.

Leading the pack, Apple’s main focus at WWDC is expected to be iOS 13, the latest incarnation of its mobile operating system. The new version is expected to introduce a dark mode for the first time, reflecting the same feature that first debuted with macOS Mojave at WWDC 2018.

The most media-grabbing headlines are reports that Apple will announce that it’s closing down iTunes in favor of new apps, including Music, TV and Podcast. Launched 18 years ago in 2001, iTunes arguably defined the era of digital content as the first popular legal service to facilitate paid music downloads.

In 2019, the age of paying for and downloading music has passed. While Apple did recently launch a new version of the iPod Touch, its first new iPod in four years, it stopped making its original iPods years ago. Today the market is dominated by streaming music services, Apple Music among them.

As is traditional at WWDC, other Apple software is also expected to be updated. MacOS 10.15 is expected to debut, with reports suggesting that the new version of the Mac operating system will have expanded support for iOS apps. MacOS 10.15 is also rumored to introduce native support for using an iPad as an external display.

In addition, Apple may announce that it is ending support for 32-bit apps in macOS 10.15. The company began issuing warnings about using the older apps in macOS Mojave last year, so a move to block support for them outright is not a surprise.

Apple Watch is reported to be getting an update in the form of watchOS 6. The update is notable in that along with more functions to allow the devices to work independently of a tethered phone, it’s claimed that Apple Watches are getting enhanced support in iOS as well. Reportedly there will be additional support in Apple’s App Store for Apple Watch apps in iOS, making it easier for Watch owners to find and install apps.

Another report, albeit with less widespread confirmation, is that Apple may debut a new Mac Pro at WWDC 2019. A niche product in Apple’s lineup, the Mac Pro is nonetheless loved by developers. The company has continued to mess with it, not positively, with its last incarnation seen by many as a complete mess. Apple first said that a major revamp for the Mac Pro was coming in 2017, with nothing announced since.

Apple’s WWDC kicks off at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose at 10 a.m. PDT Monday, and SiliconANGLE will have coverage of the highlights.

Image: Apple

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