Tokyo, 6 June, /AJMEDIA/
The most important part of Apple’s upcoming announcements on Monday may already be in your pocket.
At the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC as it’s called, Apple is expected to announce an array of software upgrades for its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, in addition to, potentially, a new performance-focused Mac Pro computer and fresh TV-related features.
For iPhones, the new software is expected to include small “widget” apps on the lock screen, according to reports from Bloomberg and others. Apple is also expected to add features to improve multitasking and running apps side by side, particularly on the iPad. Those changes for Apple’s tablet would be welcomed by CNET reviewer Scott Stein, who’s criticized the device for its lack of PC-like features.
“The hardware seems just about perfect,” Stein wrote in his review of last year’s iPad Pro, which is now powered by the same M1 chips as the company’s MacBook laptops. “If Apple starts updating its iPadOS to add new features, more multitasking and monitor support, more Pro apps, and maybe even some sort of Mac compatibility mode using the M1 chip it now shares with all those new Macs, this could be an amazing machine.”
Though Apple may show off some hardware at this year’s WWDC, the event is primarily focused on the company’s plans for the future. It’s an opportunity for Apple to tease ideas that will power key new features in its devices. In the past, the company has used WWDC to announce revamped looks for its iPhone software, new coding languages for its devices and new initiatives like its transition to home-made chips to power its Mac computers.
Apple has also expanded its subscription offerings over the past couple of years. Those now include the $5 per month Apple TV Plus for movies and TV shows, the $5 per month Apple Arcade gaming service and the $10 per month Apple Fitness Plus. People have so far responded well to them, Apple has said, pointing to the 825 million accounts with paid subscriptions on its platform at the end of March. That’s an increase of 17% from the prior year.
“The pandemic has underlined even more how much we rely on this stuff,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies.
