What we can expect from Apple at WWDC 2013

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off next week and we’re expecting new iPhone and Mac operating systems and new hardware.

The Moscone Centre in downtown San Francisco is the venue and Apple CEO Tim Cook will take to the stage on June 10 at 10am (June 11 3am Sydney time) to kick off proceedings.

Being a developer’s conference the focus will be on the software – in this case the iOS operating system for iPhone and iPad and OS X for the iMac and MacBook laptops.

There have also been some hardware announcements at WWDC in the past including the iPhone 3 (2008), iPhone 3GS (2009), iPhone 4 (2010) and MacBook Pro with Retina Display (2012).

Here’s what we can expect to see at WWDC 2013:

iOS 7

The latest version of the iOS operating system is set for a major update with rumours already suggesting the change will be quite radical.

Apple design guru Jony Ive has been given the task of putting his touches to the iOS interface.

One site with access to an Apple source says the new iOS will be “black and white and flat all over”

This suggests the icons and overall appearance will be a lot more consistent with a flatter design and less 3D texturing.

We can also expect a change to the home screen, notifications and the slide to lock functionality.

OS X

The software that runs Macs will have even more features in common with the iOS operating system to bring Apple’s computers even closer to its portable devices.

Apple has reportedly re-assigned engineers from the Mac OS X teams to help finalise iOS 7.

This could mean that the changes to OS X – version 10.9 – will be minimal and that more help is required for iOS 7.

It could also mean that there will be even more crossover features.

Changes are rumoured to include Siri and Maps integration, improved tabbed browsing, and a redesigned engine for Safari for faster page loading and efficiency and features to support easier multitasking.

iRADIO

A streaming music service from Apple has been rumoured to be on the cards for some time and could be officially announced at WWDC.

Reports are surfacing about Sony is the last of the major music labels, after Universal Music and Warner, to come to an agreement with Apple.

iRadio will reportedly be offered as a free service which is supported by Apple’s iAd program.

Unlimited and ad-free iRadio services like Spotify and Rdio could also be offered for a small monthly fee.

iRadio is likely to be released at the same time as iOS 7.

HARDWARE

Apple will probably hold back the next iPhone for its own event later this year but we will still see some new products at WWDC.

We can expect updates to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro range – most likely processor updates for Intel’s latest chips.

Design changes may include a thinner 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

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