UPDATED 21:19 EDT / JUNE 21 2020

APPS

Arm-based Macs, new HomePod: Here’s what to expect from Apple’s online-only WWDC

Apple Inc. kicks off its first online-only Worldwide Developers Conference at 10 a.m. PDT Monday with announcements expected across a wide range of Apple products including hardware and software.

The shift to being online-only comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic with many companies switching to presenting online this year, sometimes with mixed results. Here’s what to expect from Apple’s WWDC 2020.

Arm hardware

Unless the rumor mill is completely wrong, Apple is expected to announce that it’s switching its Mac computers — some of them, at least — to processors based on Arm Ltd. chip blueprints. The chips will be manufactured by Apple itself, following in the footsteps of its iPhone and iPad devices, ostensibly giving the company enhanced control over its hardware.

The shift to Arm-based chips is a monumental one for Apple and its biggest shift in architecture since Steve Jobs announced in 2005 that Apple was planning to switch from PowerPC-based processors to Intel. Notably, though the announcement of the switch came in the June of that year at WWDC 2005, the first two computers were not announced by Jobs until the following January.

It’s possible history could repeat here, since Apple will want to give developers time to adapt to the new architecture before Arm-powered Mac are available to the public.

Various reports have suggested that the first Arm-powered Macs will launch in 2021 with the first chip a 12-core model. The chip is believed to include eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores that sacrifice some computing capacity for a lower power draw.

Software updates

The main draw at WWDC 2020 is the latest updates to Apple’s range of software. Expected to be announced at the event are iOS 14 and the related iPad OS 14, along with macOS 10.16, watchOS 7 and tvOS 14.

Leading the pack will be iOS 14 which is expected to offer a range of enhanced accessibility and gestures along with a new app draw, wallpaper features and Homekit upgrades. One of the biggest updates rumored to the coming to the new version of iOS is a new augmented reality app. According to one report, the AR app will enable users to view information about items on store shelves and other objects by pointing their phone’s camera at them.

iPadOS 14, which is basically iOS 14 but customized for iPads, is also expected to get the new augmented reality feature. iPad specific additions could include enhanced Apple Pencil support for websites and some other tweaks to enhance productivity on larger screens.

WatchOS 7 is expected to offer new faces, a mode for kids and a new sleeping tracking app, according to Bloomberg, while tvOS 14 is expected to deliver minor tweaks including a kids mode as well.

As fps macOS 10.16., new features are expected to include a new Messages App, potentially bringing the existing Messages App on iOS to macOS. As part of a move to bring features from iOS to macOS, the operating system could also see built-in translations into Safari, shot-on-iPhone integration into Photos, reused passwords in the iCloud Keychain, third-party default apps and enhanced wallpaper support.

New iMac

Although Apple may be switching to Arm-architecture, that doesn’t preclude the company announcing updates to exiting Intel-powered hardware and a strong report has Apple announcing a new iMac. The all-in-one computer hasn’t had a serious refresh in years, so Apple is expected to give the computer a complete design overhaul.

Where the rumors become confusing is that renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting that the new iMac could actually be Arm-powered and may debut alongside an Arm-powered 13.3-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple HomePod 2

Also rumored to be making its debut at WWDC is HomePod 2, Apple’s first update to its smart home speaker. The original HomePod made its debut at WWDC 2017 and though it has received various software and feature updates since that time, it’s getting a little long in the tooth.

Reports about what new HomePod may offer are a bit all over the place, but some include possible support for Face ID recognition and 3D hand gestures. Presumably, there will also be enhancements to sound and microphone quality.

WWDC 2020 can be watched online starting at 10 a.m. PDT Monday, topped by Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook (pictured), via Apple’s Special Events website, the Apple Developer App, Apple TV app, a YouTube stream and, surprisingly, on four mainland Chinese services:  TencentiQIYIBilibili and Youku.

Photo: Austin Community College/Flickr

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