Apple will kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) today and it’s fair to say that a lot of hype has been built around what could be announced.
Some predictions are inherited from early releases that did not appear at previous Apple events, such as the M2 system-on-a-chip, Apple’s next-generation silicon following the incredible success of the Original M1 chip.
Others have been suggested for so long that it’s started to feel like Apple is lighting us up (where’s my purple MacBook Air Tim?).
With all this excitement comes the near certainty of disappointment. While there are a few things we believe Apple will announce during today’s presentation, there are also some rumors floating around that we think are unlikely to appear later (if ever).
If you want to watch alongside other expectant Apple fans around the world, tune in to the WWDC 2022 live stream at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, or hang out with us on WWDC’s own live blog coverage.
So here’s what to expect…
1. Rainbow MacBooks are on the horizon
The event’s colorful banners. The rainbow decor and logos. Heck, it’s even LGBTQ+ pride month.
You will not want to miss it! #WWDC22 pic.twitter.com/k1TEnWIEAYJune 4, 2022
The stars are aligned so we can finally get some confirmation that Apple will be releasing its next generation of redesigned 2022 MacBook Air laptops, in a range of colors inspired by the original iMac G3 released in 1997.
This won’t be the first retro throwback, with the 24-inch iMac desktop computer with M1 also available in a range of vivid hues, but people have been waiting to get their mitts on a pink or green MacBook for years.
There’s a chance that this is simply an announcement and that the rainbow-hued versions of the new MacBook Air have a delayed release (we’ll get to the reasons for that later), but as far as an actual reveal goes? We’re keeping all our fingers and toes crossed – and the fact that the Apple Store went down today helps make that idea even more real.
2. The M1 gets a gaming-ready/M2 Debut glow
We are cheating a bit, but caution is needed as we all know that Apple The love is to throw a curve ball.
We anticipate that a final version of the M1 chip will be announced for specialized graphics projects such as game development and visual effects, as many animation studios are equipped with Apple hardware, or that the M2 will be announced and that a version of this chip will work in the same way.
There is even the possibility that we can see these two eventualities. Apple has been the butt of the joke for years when it comes to gaming hardware, which is a shame given its roots.
The original Halo was apparently going to be Mac exclusive, until Microsoft’s acquisition of Bungie, and many games were released on Apple computers before other branded offerings in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
It’s safe to say that Apple has lost the upper hand in the gaming race, but releasing a system optimized for gaming and graphics could fill one of the few hardware gaps the computing giant still has. Anyway, we’ll see who’s laughing by the end of the presentation if Apple decides it wants to regain some of the video game market.
3. Software, software everywhere
Hardware forecasts can be shaky, but our faith that software and app updates will come is unshakable. After all, it’s a developer conference.
iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9 and macOS 13 are sure to be mentioned at this year’s event with a host of new features. We speculate that macOS 12 would be called Mammoth or Monterey, and it proved to be the latter at WWDC 2021. However, Mammoth may still be in the running for macOS 13.
iOS 16 is expected to offer a new range of lockscreen apps and notification updates and is speculated for a Q3 release later this year, but Apple is tight-lipped as it usually is regarding any official details. . If you want to know what updates are coming to most of Apple’s hardware ecosystem, tune in to the WWDC stream today.
And now that we’ve covered the positives, here’s what will make Apple fans pretty sad:
1. No updated 13-inch MacBook Pro… yet
There is an expectation that hardware releases will be formulaic, and in some cases this is accurate – iPhones have been released at a fairly controlled pace over the last 10 years, for example, so many people believe this because the original M1 chip was released. next to new models of the Mac Mini, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro of 13 inches we could see a similar line with the M2.
That’s not too far-fetched, but the manufacturing delays in China could mean the small-sized MacBook Pro will appear later on.
The design, when it appears, is believed to remain largely unchanged from the version we saw released in 2020, with a few exceptions – most notably, this will apparently be the MacBook that drops the controversial Touch Bar.
In recent weeks, only two computing products have been tipped to appear at WWDC, believed to be the MacBook Air and some version of the Mac Mini (or potentially a new Mac Pro), which leaves fans of Apple’s portable workstation in the dark for a few more months, but as they say, good things are worth the wait.
2. The Apple VR Headset will be anti-climatic – or it won’t exist
Is it really an Apple event if there aren’t any rumors of some sort of VR technology appearing? WWDC 2022 is no different, and there’s been a lot of rumblings about the upcoming mixed reality headset over the last few weeks as the ever-growing threat of the Metaverse begins to infect every major tech brand.
Problem is, we don’t think the Apple VR headset will be ready for quite some time yet, so if Does see something later today is likely to be placed towards the end of the show as their ‘One More Thing’ bombshell.
We’re imagining Tim Cook using a headphone prototype to prove its existence, but an actual live demo could take a few months – and in reality (sorry) it will be 2023 before we see anything, thanks to reported issues with battery technology. .
3. Be wary of the Rainbow MacBook Rumors
Yes, we appreciate that this is rich, as the long-provoked MacBook Air color update appeared first on our list of expected announcements, but it really looks like we have a lot of chance to be haunted by it. again as we race to add one to our basket after the performance is complete.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman predicts we could still get a new MacBook Air complete with the shiny new M2 chip, albeit not in pastel or neon tones.
Instead, the Apple analyst predicts the laptop will fall into the usual hues of space grey, silver and gold, with a bonus navy blue hue taken from the 24-inch iMac’s color refresh.
The much-publicized idea of the new MacBook Air arriving in a “multi-color” range is probably overblown. It currently comes in space grey, silver and gold. I wouldn’t expect more than these colors (although the new gold is more like champagne), other than my favorite iMac color. pic.twitter.com/vYl56FOikgJune 3, 2022
We 100% believe that rainbow-hued MacBooks are coming – but this could be a delayed release due to manufacturing restrictions that are causing problems for the fruit-themed company after many of its factories and assembly lines have been affected. by strict Covid-19 lockdowns worldwide. China.
It makes more sense for Apple to reduce the number of SKUs initially to deliver the actual product, and if that’s the case, we can expect an announcement within the next 12 months as to which shades will be available.
