WWDC Will Announce Apple’s Plans For 2026

Apple has announced this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference will take place the week of June 8th, with the keynote laying out Apple’s plans for the next year, before everyone breaks out into small sections with more dedicated focus. Forbes contributor David Phelan has the details:

"The keynote kicks off WWDC26 at 10 a.m. Pacific on Monday, June 8. That works out to 1 p.m. Eastern and 6 p.m. U.K. time. The event will be held at Apple Park, with an invited audience of developers, guests and press. Which means most people will be watching online rather than sitting in rows of seats just outside the Apple Park spaceship building (in the bit just next to Caffe Macs, since you ask)."

Why WWDC Is Really About AI

One of the big focuses will, yet again, be how Apple plans to integrate the latest artificial intelligence techniques into its hardware, especially the iPhone. Many promises have been made during previous WWDC’s, and many features have been delayed or remain in beta. Writing for the Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman highlights how AI will be approached at this WWDC:

"Siri’s new look is what Apple is highlighting in its teaser. The design currently being tested within the company includes a Siri interface that sits within the Dynamic Island, the pill-shaped element near the top of the screen. When Siri is triggered, the Island expands with a prompt that reads “Search or Ask,” accompanied by a glowing cursor. It looks similar to how the “26″ is highlighted in the conference’s logo."

What Products Will Be Launched After WWDC Ends?

WWDC is primarily focused on software and what it can offer consumers over the next year. Software needs hardware, and Apple’s plans for the 2026 portfolio are unlikely to be revealed at WWDC. Nevertheless, one of the growth areas is likely to be the smart home. Vincee Cole gathers up what we know of Apple’s launch portfolio and why Apple Intelligence, via Siri, is key

"The hold-up is Siri. Apple rebuilt its voice assistant from the ground up. The new version works as a genuinely conversational AI. It can understand context and remember previous exchanges. It responds the way ChatGPT or Claude does — not just answering isolated commands. Until that new Siri goes live, shipping the smart home hub makes little sense."

The iPhone 18 Pro’s New Satellite Connection

Last year, Apple conducted a limited rollout of its first in-house modem, the C1, while relying on Qualcomm for the balance of its hardware. This year’s C2 modem is expected to have a wider install base, including the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, which shoudl ensure support for 5G connectivity via satellite. 9to5Mac’s Ryan Christoffel:

"Specifically, C2 is said to offer 5G NR-NTN. This ‘New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks’ technology integrates satellite connectivity with 5G cellular. Though we don’t yet know exactly what Apple’s implementation will be, one benefit of 5G NR-NTN is that users may not need to manually point their iPhone at a satellite anymore."

iOS 27 Will Drop Support For These iPhones

WWDC will see the launch of iOS 27, which will be in beta over the summer and have a full public release alongside the iPhone 18 Pro family in September. While Apple will offer a long support window, it is inevitable that some iPhones will no longer receive the latest version. MacWorld’s Roman Loyola has the hit list:

"Notably missing from the list are the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, and the 2nd-generation iPhone SE. The iPhone 11 models were released in 2019, while the SE was released in 2020. Apple often drops devices from new OS releases after about seven years. If you happen to have one of those iPhones, you’ll still be able to use it. You just need to stay on iOS 26, which will still receive regular security updates for at least another year."

The iPad Will Feel The Commercial Heat

Apple’s iPad family is going to feel the pressure during the next production cycle. The 9to5 team look at the challengers that will squeeze the iPad inside Apple from both above and below:

"iPhone Ultra is Apple’s first foldable iPhone. When folded, it will have a pocket-sized, iPhone-like design. But when unfolded, it’s expected to look and work more like an iPad mini. MacBook Ultra is the rumored name for Apple’s forthcoming MacBook Pro overhaul that will add a touchscreen to the Mac. Neither product will have a big impact on iPad sales from the outset. But over time, they could prove the first in a series of dominoes that do."

And Finally...

For a long time, it was assumed that the Apple Car would hit the streets. Alas, the project never left the R&D team. Yet… former Apple design head Jony Ive is behind the Ferrari Luce, the first EV from the Italian luxury brand. It may be the closest we ever get to seeing the ideas that drove the Apple Car. But it’s not a Ferrari, argues Tom Jarvis from Auto Express:

"In fact, it feels like [Jony Ive’s design house] LoveFrom has ditched the principles of traditional automotive design altogether in favour of a similar approach to developing smartphones. The firm has focused its best efforts on the UI – in this case, the interior – and relegated the Luce’s exterior to little more than a vessel to hold the cabin with which the driver interacts."

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