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Well, we were expecting a press release from Apple yesterday, weren’t we?
Just not that one.
Ahem.
Although, I’m not complaining. We need WWDC 2024 more than ever. Apple certainly does.
Confirmed as taking place between 10th and 14th June, Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference is a chance for Apple to swing the spotlight away from its legal troubles (we won’t go into those today) and towards the future of its operating systems.
There are two letters which are destined to be cast across the entire event – and I think we all know what they are – but what if you could design your own, perfect WWDC? What would you do? Answers in the comments below, please.
In the meantime, this is what I’d be putting on those Keynote decks.
The A-Inevitable
Apple isn’t waiting for WWDC to utter those two letters. The new M3-powered MacBook Air is being touted as “the world’s best consumer laptop for AI”. That is, clearly, Apple setting down a marker for what’s to come for developers this summer – and, by proxy, later this year for the rest of us.
It feels as though Apple has some catching up to do, given the avalanche of AI-fused product launches that have taken place over the last twelve months elsewhere. In reality, Apple has leaned on AI and machine learning for many years – they just haven’t shouted about it. That’s a tactic which, with hindsight, might have been a bit shortsighted. Because, boy are the others shouting about it now.
Does Apple care? Of course it doesn’t. It won’t be rushed to show people what it’s capable of, AI-wise. Equally, we shouldn’t forget that Tim Cook and co. are rather adept at sneaking in last minute with user-focused, refined solutions.
However, the question remains: what, exactly, will Apple do with AI at the 2024 WWDC?
I’ll quote from my previous post on this subject:
Apple’s stance on AI needs to be centred on making it a useful companion – not a replacement for creativity. This is where Apple has always scored highly. They value human creativity and individuality. They certainly value privacy, which, following that dreadful OpenAI CTO interview, is still very much in the spotlight regarding AI.
What we need from Apple’s AI effort is simple. Assistance with photos (the ability to remove glaring errors such as shadows and reflections). Deep integration with the Notes app for automated summaries and help with ideation. The ability to have web pages and Apple News articles summarised.
With that inevitability out of the way, this is how my perfect WWDC would look across the entire Apple ecosystem.
iOS 18
My iPhone 15 Pro Max has exhibited very disappointing battery life over the last six months. Whether this is down to the hardware or iOS – or a combination there of – I have no idea. Regardless, it pales in comparison to every other Android phone I’ve tested recently.
Google is doing something right with its operating system. Devices running Android barely sip any battery percentages when left unattended – I want iOS 18 to do everything it can to help the iPhone achieve that same stamina.
Next up – Jiggle Mode. Please, Craig, let us move our app icons around freely without the bum-clenchingly frustrating snapping that currently takes place and which makes it nigh-on impossible to precisely place app icons between pages.
I’d also like to have the option of swiping right from the Home Screen and being presented with the curated Google news feed I get on my Android phones. Rather than those widgets that no one uses.
I’ve recently switched from the Apple Watch Ultra to the Garmin MARQ Commander, and as much as I’m loving the latter, the inability for the Connect companion app to update Apple Health in the background means my Whoop profile constantly misses workouts I’ve undertaken (unless I manually sync them in the Connect app). I think this is API-related, but it needs sorting, please.
Lastly, I’d like Apple to finally get rid of that really confusing screen that comes up when you’re on a call and another call comes in. If you know, you know. Fifteen years into owning an iPhone and I still have no idea which button I’m supposed to press.
Oh, and AI stuff.
iPadOS 18
Give us the Journal app on the iPad, please! Why it didn’t arrive with the iPhone version I have absolutely no idea; it’s a beautifully designed and integrated app which demands a bigger screen and a proper keyboard.
My previous requests for improved Jiggle Mode and swipe right for the Google news feed apply to the iPad, too.
I’d also like Apple to make more efficient use of each sized iPad. As things stand, iPadOS remains at its best, visually, on the 10th Generation iPad and 11-inch iPad Pro. The iPad mini and 12.9-inch iPad Pro need more love for their available screen estates.
Oh, and AI stuff.
macOS <insert next Californian location name here>
I always struggle with macOS, come WWDC. I think it’s all those years spent tearing my hair out (literally) using Windows. The Mac continues to be a breath of fresh air – even after many years of successfully breaking free of Microsoft’s grasp.
macOS is damn near perfect.
There’s just one thing I want this year – that Journal app, please, Tim!
Oh, and AI stuff.
watchOS 11
As mentioned earlier, I’ve ditched my Apple Watch Ultra for a Garmin watch, and the switch has been painless.
I wouldn’t be able to say the same if I switched whole stock to Android, or Windows; both of those platforms would need some serious work to replace the iPhone and Mac.
That doesn’t seem to be the case with watchOS. And I know this won’t go down well with the DOJ, but I’m not convinced that watchOS is sticky enough in terms of its place within the Apple ecosystem. Leaving it shouldn’t have been this easy.
I’m not sure how Apple fixes that, but they need to do something – and, no, AI won’t help here.
tvOS 17
We are now an Apple TV-only household, having ditched Sky TV completely a couple of years ago.
It’s been a pretty simple transition – mainly because we’ve saved a fortune each month on Sky’s astronomical subscription pricing.
The Apple TV has, obviously, played a huge role, too. It’s stupidly easy to use, fast, and delivers the best picture quality I’ve seen from a set top box, with the right content.
The Apple TV lacks two things – a proper TV guide that enables you to channel hop between your home country’s terrestrial channels, and, in the UK’s case – integration with Sky. If tvOS had the latter, it’s the only thing that might tempt me back to Sky – and I’m aware of the delicious irony there.
visionOS
Here’s something to ponder: will visionOS make an appearance at WWDC?
It should. Apple’s spatial computing operating system may only be currently available on a stupidly expensive and nose-crushingly heavy headset that you can only buy in the US, but it is Apple’s gamble on the future of computing.
I’ve been using Vision Pro for several weeks now, and every time I strap that thing to my face, I’m both wowed by its potential and left equally frustrated by its failings.
If visionOS does make an appearance at WWDC this year, I’d love to see a focus on stability improvements (it still feels incredibly beta-ish), multiple monitor support for the Mac, iPad integration (that works in the same way as the Mac integration), and the announcement of the worldwide Vision Pro launch schedule.
That’s not too much to ask, is it?
Wrapping up
You may have spotted that my perfect WWDC is rather unambitious. It’s an honest one, though, and it illustrates how close Apple is to nailing its entire ecosystem.
I’d love to turn this over to you, though. What do you want from WWDC 2024? Get involved in the comments section below.
Before you go
Image courtesy of Apple
