Apple will reveal details about software updates coming to its phones, tablets and computers at the company’s annual World Developers Conference (WWDC).
But while the new PCs, the enhanced messaging app and the redesign of the iPad’s software to make it more like a laptop are on the map, Monday’s biggest question mark is whether Apple will show any evidence of its upcoming augmented reality. or AR – glasses.
The company has branded RealityOS as a headphone operating system that has been talked about for years, but is expected to be unveiled at some point in 2022. Little is known and much is speculated about the device: rumors suggest the appearance of a ski mask with screens front, as well as the inside of the headphones in an attempt to limit the sense of isolation that these headphones can provide.
Augmented reality features have been a regular presence at WWDC for the past few years: the top-of-the-line iPhone and iPad now have Lidar sensors that use radar-like technology to map 3D space and combine with a range of software options. which allow developers to create easy AR-based applications.
A new wave of AR features, even if they are not explicitly tied to new headphones, will ensure that developers are ready to create applications that can be easily converted to the new RealityOS without significant extra work, which helps to avoid the catch – 22, which plagues new platforms: no one buys an expensive device until there are useful applications, which means that no one develops a useful application because there are no customers for them.
Similarly, WWDC is expected to show some of the fruits of Apple’s own work on RealityOS, coming to other platforms. A new version of Apple Maps, for example, can take over features from the headset and allow users to explore a virtual version of the world through their iPhone.
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But not every message is expected to be related to augmented reality. The company is likely to show an updated version of its MacBook Air laptops, albeit with supply chain issues that make it difficult to buy soon, and will debut an updated version of iPadOS that makes it easier to use tablets as a complete replacement for a burned-out laptop.
Updates to iOS 16 will include a new version of the Messages app, new features coming to the Health app, and a major overhaul of the iPhone’s notification system.
The WWDC’s main note will be broadcast live from 19:00 British time.
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