What to expect at WWDC 2017

Every year, Apple holds a Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), giving thousands of developers from around the globe a chance to join Apple’s engineers for valuable workshops and software sessions.  

The 2017 edition will be held Monday, June 5 through Friday, June 9 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. This year the company is expected to launch the latest versions of iOS and macOS. Apple can also launch new versions of watchOS and tvOS, the operating systems that run on the Apple Watch and the Apple TV.

We've rounded-up all the rumours and speculation to paint you a better picture of what to expect from Apple this year:

iOS 11

Apple will most likely unveil the next version of the iOS, followed by a public release in September. The software will first be seen on the upcoming iPhones slated to launch in September.

Specifically, Apple is said to be working on expanded Apple Pencil support for the iPad Pro, which would be combined with hardware improvements to introduce features like smoother on-screen zooming, panning, and scrolling.

There is huge possibility that the iPad 4, iPad mini 2 and iPhone 5 will all miss out on iOS 11 compatibility, but we’ll have to wait for the company to make an official statement.

MacOS 10.13

Apple unveils a new version of macOS every year at WWDC, so the company will probably unveil the next version of MacOS (10.13) at WWDC this year. As far as the features are concerned, the company has rolled out a new file system, APFS, which is currently at the experimental stage and should get a final release in 2017.

Not much information is available about the next update, however people have already shown interest in a Health app, Home app, and dedicated Music app for MacOS. Other wish-list features have included a system-wide Dark Mode and nearby iPhone auto-unlock feature.

iMessage

One of the biggest rumours surfacing over the internet is that Apple will be bringing its iMessage service to Android. It would be one of the few times Apple has launched an app for Android, with the first two being Apple Music and an app to help you switch from Android to iOS.

WatchOS 4

Apple has released the latest version of the WatchOS last year. The software which powers the Apple Watch was launched in WWDC 2016. The enw update brings new apps, new watch faces, a new dock, new activity sharing, a new Breathe app and other performance upgrades.

tvOS 11

Alongside iOS 11 and macOS 10.13, we will also likely see new versions of tvOS. We have no hints on what to expect from the updates as of yet, but the operating system will likely continue to receive features that heavily integrate with iOS.