What to Expect from Apple’s WWDC Keynote on Monday

Sign up to receive my blog posts via email (to the left of this post) and be automatically entered to win one of two decks of CMYK Playing Cards on June 27.
___

The rumor mill is in full force this weekend as Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) is taking shape in the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, California.

This event is held each year to debut the new operating systems (OS) that Apple will be launching in the Fall: Mac OS X and iOS 8.

Since people know that I am an avid Apple watcher (some might call me a fanboy), I often hear wild rumors from people I know about what Apple is about to do next.

iPhones that are perfectly clear.

iPads with laser keyboards.

Mac desktops that look like mini trash cans. (Wait, that one is real.)

So, what do I expect Apple to unveil on Monday? Nothing too crazy.

Here’s what I expect:

1. iOS 8. Apple shows off the newest iteration of iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad operating system each year. Last year, Apple totally revamped the look of iOS with iOS 7. Because of the radical redesign last year, I don’t expect iOS 8 to be a major overhaul – just some tweaks and a few new features (like a new native app called Healthbook and possible an expanded version of Passbook for mobile payments).
2. Mac OS X 10.10. In addition to an updated mobile OS, Apple will also update its Mac operating system. I expect this OS update to be as radical on the Mac as the transition from iOS 6 to iOS 7 on the iPhone – a flatter design with little to no skeuomorphism (apps that look like their real world counterparts – like a notes app that looks like a notepad).
3. A new home automation platform through iOS. This rumor was a latecomer to the rumor mill, but it’s one I hope becomes reality. Imagine being able to turn off your lights in your home with your iPhone. Or lock your home’s door from your office. Or turn down the AC just before you get home from your run. Yes, there are apps that can do this now, but they aren’t what they could be.
4. A shoutout to the Beats crew. You’ve probably heard that Apple now owns Beats Electronics – the company that made expensive headphones a status symbol and recently launched a music subscription service. I expect Tim Cook to give Beats two rockstar executives Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre a little love from the stage.

So, there you have it.

No new iPhone (that’ll be in August or September).

No iWatch (later this summer).

No Apple designed TV (not this year).

This event isn’t a product unveiling (though some minor products could see a refresh), it’s a developers conference. Software is in the limelight – so that’s what we’ll see.

___
Sign up to receive my blog posts via email (to the left of this post) and be automatically entered to win one of two decks of CMYK Playing Cards on June 27.