A few weeks ago, Apple confirmed its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which is expected to showcase a slew of new devices, from Macs to upcoming mixed reality headsets.
With WWDC taking place on June 5th, we won’t have to wait long to see what the company brings us. And with rumors pointing to both the headphones and the new Mac Pro, this could be one of the most important developments in Apple’s recent history. Will there be something else?
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After years of delays, mixed reality headset rumors have gone all out. From the Meta Quest Pro to the HTC Vive XR Elite, Apple has bided its time and watched its competitors launch their own devices, and apparently now feels it’s time to join the battle. In this sense, numerous rumors claim that Apple is planning to show its highly anticipated device in this edition of WWDC 2023.
Headphones Reality Pro
Thanks to a massive leak uncovered by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, we now know pretty much everything you can expect from the headphones, which will reportedly be called Reality Pro. The device is likely to feature a host of impressive specs, including high-resolution displays, hand and eye tracking capabilities, a suite of cameras, and a much lighter design than its competitors. There will also be a switch, similar to the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch, that will let you switch between virtual reality and augmented reality.
Given all this technology, a price of around $3,000 was suggested. It would be expensive, but according to Gurman, Apple would obviously sell each unit at a loss. That says a lot about how much high tech can be in this device. Apple is reportedly planning a cheaper version that will cost closer to $1,500, though it’s not expected to launch until 2024 or 2025.
But there’s one more thing: There’s a chance Reality Pros won’t show up at WWDC this year. While much of the industry press is convinced they will launch in June, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple isn’t sure it can create an “iPhone moment” with its headphones. Therefore, the company apparently postponed the launch of the device to a later date. Other reports say that Apple is worried about the poor outlook for Reality Pro, and even suggests that it could be a “big flop”. With all this negative press, perhaps Apple decided that now is not the right time to introduce its headphones to the world.
It is not yet known if Kuo’s report is accurate. But without the Reality Pro headset, WWDC 2023 will be pretty empty. Will Apple think it’s worth making a program with just a couple of products? We’ll have to wait and see.
Apple Mac Pro with silicon
Almost every Mac has at least one model that runs on an Apple silicon chip, except for the Mac Pro. We know there will be a new version of this PC because Apple supported it at the March 2022 Peek Performance event. However, since that show took place over a year ago, a Mac Pro update should be inevitable. And it’s unlikely to show up alone: if there’s a new Mac Pro, there might be a new Pro Display XDR monitor as well.
The long wait makes the Mac Pro almost certain to be at WWDC 2023. However, after such a long wait, this could be a disappointing device. According to Gurman, Apple has ditched its M2 Extreme chip, which was made specifically for the Mac Pro, although the chassis will remain the same as the current model. Meanwhile, there won’t be any graphics options or upgradeable memory, which could make the Mac Pro a daunting task given its high price tag.
15 inch Macbook Air
Apple hasn’t deviated from the usual 11-inch or 13-inch MacBook Air formula. However, that may soon change as rumors circulate that Apple is developing a larger 15-inch model.
The 15-inch MacBook Air will reportedly have a 15.5-inch screen, according to industry analyst Ross Young. Most of the other details are shrouded in mystery for now, but we expect the device to be very similar to the existing 13-inch MacBook Air.
This means we should expect the same chassis design, the same screen (just bigger) and the same M2 chip. There is a chance that the 15-inch model will receive an M2 Pro chip, but this is still up in the air. Rumor has it that it will arrive later this year, but you never know, depending on the chip you use, that could change.
New 27″ screen
When Apple released the Mac Studio, it also introduced a companion monitor called the Studio Display. While it’s certainly impressive, it’s missing some features that would really take it to the next level. This may change at the June event.
Analyst Ross Young believes that Apple has a new monitor that will feature Mini-LED and ProMotion technologies. These features are missing from both the Studio Display and the much more expensive Pro Display XDR, and could make the new monitor a compelling choice for your target audience.
operating system updates
As the name suggests, WWDC is a developer-focused event, which means it’s software-focused. Throughout the week, Apple will not only host hands-on developer sessions, but also showcase the latest versions of its operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
So far, it’s been very quiet on that front, and there aren’t many clues as to what Apple might showcase at its event. The only exception is watchOS, as Mark Gurman said it could get a “noticeable” update. While Gurman doesn’t have any details, he points out that the change could be due to the heavy focus on watch hardware last year (including the release of the Apple Watch Ultra).
Beyond that, Gurman has hinted that iOS 17 may have a few features that many users have been asking for, though he didn’t go into details on what those might be. iOS 17 was previously expected to be something of a “bug fix” update, but it’s good to know it could include some new features.
Why so few new software features? It is believed that Apple spends a lot of time and resources developing the operating system for its mixed reality headset, and this detracts from other software developments. Reality Pro’s operating system is apparently called xrOS, and it may offer features like gesture control and eye tracking. It would also have to support the augmented and virtual reality features of the headset. That is, Apple engineers are engaged in xrOS, leaving aside other systems.
What will we not see at the event?
As 2023 rolls around, Apple has released a ton of products through press releases. This includes the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, the updated Mac mini, and the relaunched HomePod.
So the potential list for WWDC looks a bit shorter. However, there are many more potential devices that could be announced, along with Apple’s list of operating systems, so there’s a lot to keep in mind.
Source: Digital Trends
