Apple announced today that it would be holding its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) from June 8 to 12 this year, giving both developers and the general public a first look at “incredible updates for Apple platforms, including AI advancements and exciting new software and developer tools.” The conference will start with an in-person “special event” at the company’s Apple Park headquarters that will also be streamed online via YouTube and Apple’s Developer app, among other places.
Apple occasionally introduces new hardware at WWDC, but the presentation is usually dedicated mostly to the major software releases that Apple will test all summer and release alongside new iPhones and other products in the fall. We don’t know much for sure about what’s coming in the new releases, but we can probably expect iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, and the other new updates to refine the Liquid Glass design language, introduce the promised “AI advancements,” and end support for the last remaining Intel Macs.
Like the past few years, Apple will primarily host the developer-centric parts of the conference online. The keynote and the more technical Platforms State of the Union presentation will be live, in-person presentations on the 8th, and Apple says that day will also include opportunities to “meet with Apple engineers and designers, and connect with the worldwide developer community.” In-person passes will be handed out via lottery to those who request them.
There’s a chance that the “more personal Siri” that Apple originally announced back in 2024 will actually appear as part of the iOS 27 release, rather than an update for iOS 26. When Apple delayed the feature, the company said it would launch in 2026, a timeline broad enough to make either option a possibility.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported over the weekend that Apple had several hardware refreshes that were essentially “ready,” but that Apple was holding off on releasing them until the Siri update was ready. These products include a refreshed HomePod mini and Apple TV box, last updated in 2020 and 2022, respectively. An updated base-model iPad with an A18 or A19 chip and enough RAM to support Apple Intelligence is also still coming this year; reporting suggested it could launch alongside the MacBook Neo, M4 iPad Air, and the other product updates Apple released earlier this month, but that obviously didn’t come to pass.
