Jun 11, 2016 6:39 AM

WWDC 2016: What to Expect, From the Certain to Certainly Not

Here comes iOS 10, MacOS, and more.

Featured in this article

Image may contain Electronics Phone Mobile Phone and Cell Phone

Image may contain Electronics Phone Mobile Phone Cell Phone Human and Person

Image may contain Glass Electronics Phone Mobile Phone Cell Phone Drink Beer Alcohol Beer Glass and Beverage

Every year, Apple huddles its developers together to spin tales of software improvements to come. And while some of the announcements coming on Monday are pretty much a lock---hello, Siri!---other rumors seem a lot less likely. Here's what to expect, from the certain to the almost certainly not.

Siri Plays Nice With Third-Party Apps
Siri was early to the voice assistant party, but you wouldn't know it given its many limitations. This year's biggest WWDC focus looks to be opening up Siri to third-party developers, so that it can integrate with their apps, instead of just Apple software and a handful of selected partners. If Apple wants to keep up with Google and Amazon---whose Alexa assistant has over a thousand integrations since it launched in late 2014---it's going to need a little help from its friends.
Apple
New and Improved Apple Music
Apple Music isn't short on subscribers (it's got 13 million as of late April) or exclusives (Chance the Rapper, how could you!). It is, though, missing all kinds of polish. Reports from Bloomberg and 9to5Mac suggest an overhaul is coming to streamline the bloated streaming music interface. No mention so far of a Ping comeback, but there's always next year.
Apple

An iOS 10 Grab Bag
Siri and Music should be the biggest changes coming in iOS 10, but you can also expect a handful of other improvements large and small. Apple Pay, for instance may be coming to the mobile web, to spare you the annoyance of filling out payment forms. And it may offer person-to-person payments? (Sorry, Venmo!). Otherwise, the only update that really matters is maybe possibly being able to hide all those junk preloaded apps for the first time. A guy can dream.
Apple
OS X? Try macOS.
There's not a lot of speculation out there about OS X specifics. It will probably have Siri now! But it will even more probably no longer be called OS X, emerging from its firmware cocoon to spread its wings as macOS, to fall in line with the naming convention Apple has used for all of its other product lines since the iPhone.
Apple

watchOS and tvOS... Something?
There's precious little to say about watchOS and tvOS going into WWDC this year. We may see custom Watch faces? Tweaks toward a more intuitive interface? Maybe signs of real commitment to Apple TV as a smart home hub? We'll see!
Apple
iMessage for Android
A late-breaking rumor from MacDailyNews says that Apple will introduce a version of its popular iMessage app for Android users. That would be great for Android, and not really beneficial to Apple, since it would make switching off of iOS that much easier without offering much apparent upside. Let's hope that collecting a bunch more Apple IDs (and a determination to win the messaging war no matter what) is enough incentive to make this happen.
Lenovo

Improved iCloud Security
Apple improves its security every year, but one particular opportunity---especially in the wake of its recent showdown with the FBI---has been encrypting iCloud in a way that not even Apple can access it. That's almost certainly coming at some point, just maybe not in time for iOS 10.
Apple
New MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs
Does Apple need to update the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air? It does. Will Apple do that at WWDC? Probably not. The good news is, when Apple finally does give some update love to its laptops (probably this fall?), it may include a fancy OLED display bar to replace the function keys. And better specs and such. But mostly fancy OLED.
Josh Valcarcel/WIRED

Comments

Brian Barrett is the executive editor of WIRED. Previously he was the editor in chief of the tech and culture site Gizmodo and was a business reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest daily newspaper. ... Read More

Executive Editor

Topicsapple ios Mac WWDC

Gemini 3 Is Here—and Google Says It Will Make Search Smarter

Gemini 3 is skilled at reasoning, generating video, and writing code. Amid talk of an AI bubble, Google notes the new model could help increase search revenue too.

The Best Binoculars to Zoom In on Real Life

Whether for bird-watching or baseball-spotting, we break down prices and specs to find the best pair for you.

Microsoft’s Agent 365 Tries to Be the AI Bot Boss

Microsoft still sees AI agents as the future of work, and the enterprise software giant wants companies to be able to manage those agents just like human employees.

Best Early Black Friday Mattress Deals 2025

Some of the best sales of the year are happening right now—rest up before the holiday rush with a new bed.

The Best Advent Calendars for Every Type of Little Treat

Treat yourself or someone else to days of little gifts, ranging from sweet treats and savory beverages to beauty products and toys. We found a tiny door for everyone.

Best Housewarming Gifts for Any New Home

Make a house into a home with these gifts, whether your recipient is moving into their first house or a great new apartment.

A Simple WhatsApp Security Flaw Exposed 3.5 Billion Phone Numbers

By plugging tens of billions of phone numbers into WhatsApp’s contact discovery tool, researchers found “the most extensive exposure of phone numbers” ever—along with profile photos and more.

Give Your Back a Break With Our Favorite Office Chairs

Sitting at a desk for hours? Upgrade your WFH setup and work in style with these comfy WIRED-tested seats.

The Best Fitness Trackers and Watches for Everyone

Whether you’re skiing in the backcountry or trampolining in the backyard, we have an activity tracker for you.

33 Amazing STEM Toys for the Techie Kids in Your Life

We found lots of math-filled and science-rich toys for tiny nerds to assemble, bake, squish—or even tear apart and rebuild.

You Don’t Need a Home Cocktail Machine. You Might Want One Anyway

Automatic cocktail machines are silly, but also kind of fun. Here’s how to choose between the Bartesian and Barsys cocktail machines.

4 Clever Tricks That Make It Worth Switching to Proton Mail

Proton Mail is an appealing alternative to Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail. It also comes with advanced privacy and productivity features, including a way to manage newsletter overload.