With Apple kicking off WWDC tomorrow, I believe now is a good time to give my thoughts on what you should expect from Apple tomorrow. DEFINITELY The new iPhone Yes, the very one we’ve heard so much about the last couple of months. It will likely have a 960×640 screen, which is double the resolution […]
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WWDC 2010 Predictions

Jun 6th 2010 by

With Apple kicking off WWDC tomorrow, I believe now is a good time to give my thoughts on what you should expect from Apple tomorrow.

DEFINITELY

  • The new iPhone

    • Yes, the very one we’ve heard so much about the last couple of months. It will likely have a 960×640 screen, which is double the resolution of current iPhones. I also expect this device to have two cameras, one in the front for video conferencing, and one in the back for photos and video. I also expect the iPhone 3GS to be bumped into the $99 slot that the iPhone 3G formerly held, and the new iPhone to start at $199. The device will likely be launched in late June. Lastly, and this is pure speculation, I believe the new iPhone will be called “iPhone HD.”

  • iPhone OS 4

    • Much of the keynote will likely be spent talking about iPhone OS 4 and it’s features. I don’t expect software to be released until the new iPhone hits market. However, I do expect Apple to seed a near-final release to developers during the conference.

DEFINITELY MAYBE

  • New Mac Pro

    • I can’t see Apple not introducing new Mac Pros, their pro machines, to a pro audience. Especially since a refresh for this line is long overdue. However, there is no concrete evidence that they are coming.

  • New MacBook Air

    • This is another product line Apple has allowed to languish. I don’t expect Apple to outright announce this on stage, but I do expect a quite update to show up in the store.

  • New Mac mini

    • This, like the MacBook Air, is not a developers machine, but there is increasing evidence that a refresh is on the way. Expect a quiet launch.

  • Mac OS X 10.6.4

    • Not very exciting, but I can see Apple pushing out the update to Mac OS X 10.6 they’ve been working on.

MAYBE

  • Xcode 4 Demo and/or Release

    • This would make perfect sense. However, I’m sticking it in the “Maybe” pile because we’re only now hearing about it just days before WWDC, and little seems to be known about the release.

  • Safari 5

    • Again, we’re just hearing about it days before the release, yet it would make perfect sense to release a fully HTML5-capable browser at a developers conference. The only reason both of these entries are in the “Maybe” pile, is due to a lack of evidence, or reports.

UNLIKELY

  • “iTunes.com“

    • Little is known about this project, and Steve Jobs even publicly stated that they are working on cloud-based syncing of users’ content to their devices. I can’t see them announcing a media-focused service at a developers conference. Expect this in the fall with Apple’s music event, if then.

  • New AppleTV

    • There are rumors beginning to circulate regarding a revamp of Apple’s languishing AppleTV. The new device would be iPhone sized and sync with users’ content stored on the cloud (“iTunes.com”). I can’t see this announcement without the announcement of the aforementioned “iTunes.com”, and I don’t expect to hear about that or this until the fall.

  • A free version of MobileMe

    • It’s a possibility, and would be a welcome surprise. That is to say, offer a crippled version of MobileMe for free, and a premium version for a price. Little is known about this development, and I personally find it unlikely. I hope I’m wrong. Again, we’ll likely hear more about this come this fall alongside Apple’s other cloud-based initiatives.

NOT A CHANCE

  • Verizon iPhone

    • It hurts me to say it, and I’m coming around to the idea of Apple partnering with Verizon for the iPhone, but I just can’t see them introducing it now. This won’t come until the fall at the earliest, likely sometime in 2011 or beyond.

  • Mac OS X 10.7

    • Expect little more than a passing mention (if any mention at all) of Mac OS X 10.7 at WWDC. We’ve heard little in the way of it’s development, and I wouldn’t expect to hear anything serious about it until this time next year, if then.

So, We’ll see how much of this pans out. We here at Mactropolis plan to offer semi-live coverage of Steve Job’s keynote tomorrow at 10:00AM Pacific.

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