WWDC 2023 live blog: Apple VR headset, MacBook Air 15, iOS 17 and more

Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference officially kicks off today at 10am PT in Cupertino, California, when its smiling CEO Tim Cook saunters on stage and says, “Welcome to WWDC 2023!” (That’s 6pm BST / 1pm ET and 3am ACT (on June 6) for those of you not in California.)

As for what else he might say, well, we think we know quite a lot. Cook will briefly touch on all of Apple’s major and critical platforms, including iOS 17, macOS 14, tvOS 17, iPadOS 17, and watchOS 10. This being a developers’ conference, he’ll also mention Swift and Xcode.

Granted, Cook’s job is not to dive deep into anything. He’ll leave that to, in large part, Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering, and a host of other development leads. By the way, if Apple follows the script from the last few years, even though this is an in-person event, much of the presentation may be pre-recorded.

No one is expecting sea changes across any of these platforms. watchOS with widgets is not a major deal. iOS 17 is about maintenance and spiffing up the entire iPhone OS without fundamentally altering it. macOS 14 might have even fewer changes.

Let’s be frank, the real excitement here will be around the likely reveal of the Apple VR headset and the new xrOS. Cook will almost certainly unveil both during the keynote and may even don the headgear during the event. Okay, maybe he won’t put on a vision-occluding VR headset and accidentally walk off stage (no one wants that). What’s more likely is we get a glimpse of the new VR product on stage and then there’ll be an opportunity for photos and maybe even hands-on in the ample space above Steve Jobs Theater.

WWDC has also been the launchpad for Apple Silicon and updates related to the company’s own CPUs. Some expect the introduction of an M3 chip, and if Apple does that, there will be hardware. Maybe a new Mac Pro (the last Mac still running on Intel silicon). Others are anticipating a new big-screen 15-inch MacBook Air (likely on M2) and a new iMac (also M2). 

Granted, until Cook starts speaking, this is all guesswork. Buckle in folks, I will share all I can from my seat in the audience. And don’t forget to check out our how to watch the WWDC 2023 keynote guide for full details of where you can see it all happen.

Good morning and welcome to our WWDC 2023 live blog. We’ll be sharing all the last-minute rumors and news around all things Apple ahead of the event, then bringing you every announcement as it happens from 10am PT today. 

What will Apple tell us?

Here’s a little secret: in the run-up to the big event, Apple will send invites to a series of post-keynote briefings. While Apple doesn’t reveal the subject matter for any of those meetings prior to the end of what is expected to be a 90-minute keynote, we do use the number of meetings to glean potential topics.

Rarely do we have one meeting. In fact, three-to-five briefings are typical, with one usually per platform. What I’ll be watching for are any extra meetings, ones that don’t seem to align with macOS, iOS, or iPadOS (typical briefing candidates).

I also pay attention to the length of these background briefings. Long ones are usually for the big platforms (iOS). Short ones are for the second-tier players (maybe tvOS). Will I have a meeting about xrOS? 

I have no idea. Sadly, even once I know, I can’t really tell you anything about them. But what I learn in those meetings will inform my reporting on all things WWDC 2023.

So, let’s talk about what Apple is expected to unveil today. 

The big story is likely to be around the company’s first proper foray into virtual reality. We don’t know for sure what the Apple VR headset will be called, but the name Apple Reality Pro has been widely shared. And we also have quite a bit of info about what it might be like. 

For instance, the rumors suggest it will be expensive – maybe as much as $3,000 (£2,200 / AU$4,400) – and that it will support both VR and mixed reality. We also think it may ship without controllers, that it could have super-high-res displays and that it could well run on an Apple M2 chip of some kind.

We’ve pulled together everything we know about it so far in our Apple VR headset hub. 

Of course any new Apple mixed-reality headset will need a new operating system too – and that’s also expected to launch at WWDC 2023. 

According to the likes of Bloomberg’s well-connected Mark Gurman, Apple has settled on the name xrOS, rather than Reality OS as it was originally known. Gurman has also stated that it “will have many of the same features as an iPhone and iPad but in a 3D environment”, and that it will include mixed-reality versions of stock Apple apps such as Safari, Photos, Mail, Messages and Calendar.

Whether or not xrOS does arrive at WWDC 2023 today, we can certainly expect updates to all of Apple’s other operating systems. 

For instance, watchOS 10 is almost certain to be announced at the event. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman – yes, him again – has tipped the software found in all of the best Apple Watches to be one of the stars of the show at WWDC 2023, and with good reason. 

Ahead of the event, we’ve pulled together a list of the four features watchOS 10 needs (and one it needs to ditch). Let’s see how many of them Apple gives us, eh?

One software update we’re definitely expecting from Apple today concerns Siri, its occasionally helpful digital assistant. 

Siri has been tipped to get a major update at WWDC, with AI enhancements to Apple’s assistant among the improvements rumored over the past few weeks. The most recent leak suggests that it could also get a more minor change concerning its wake word, with users able to say simply “Siri” rather than “Hey Siri”. 

With rivals such as Microsoft and Google now firmly invested in AI, it may need to make bigger changes than that to impress us, though. SiriGPT, anyone?

Look, we’re all hyped for what Apple has planned for its WWDC keynote later today, but if you’re planning on getting really excited, you can get Apple Music’s Power Up 2023 playlist which has a special WWDC 2023 angle, including Dua Lipa’s Dance the Night and Diplo and Lily Rose’s Sad in the Summer. 

As it’s on Apple Music, many of the tracks are in Dolby Atmos as well. I have to admit, Apple’s music choices for its events don’t always align with my own musical tastes, but our audio expert Becky Scarrott has cast her critical eye over the playlist and gives it the thumbs up, and she knows a good tune when she hears it.

Speaking of music, it’s not just Macs, iPhones and so on that we’re hoping will get a software upgrade today: it’s AirPods too. New versions of iOS tend to be the delivery method for upgrades to what AirPods can do – in 2022, iOS 16 brought Personalized Spatial Audio to Apple’s buds, for example.

There haven’t been any rumors of new features coming to AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Max and the rest… but that doesn’t mean Apple’s been resting on its laurels. We’re hoping that there could be a handful of new features coming, because there are certainly things that the best wireless earbuds from other manufacturers do better than AirPods.

So we’ve made a little list of 6 things we hope Apple adds to AirPods in iOS 17 – they’re all realistic technologically, so we’ll see if we get lucky.

One piece of hardware to keep your eyes open for at WWDC is a 15-inch MacBook Air (2023). There have been lots of rumors about this over the last couple of years, but recently there’s been enough to smoke to feel like something’s got to be burning in the Cupertino factories.

Different members of the TechRadar team have different feelings about the idea of a 15-inch MacBook Air, but judging by how good the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) and MacBook Air (M1, 2020) were, it could be the best laptop ever made.

Supposedly, this model has been spotted in testing software results, using an Apple M2 chip, which suggests that we won’t see a total refresh of the MacBook Air line-up, since the 13-inch model already uses that chip.

Outside of the VR headset that may or may not exist (but probably does), the star of the WWDC show will be iOS 17. It’s the heart of Apple’s most popular product, and the changes made there will also bleed into iPadOS 17, so it’s doubly important – and apparently is set to be a bigger update than expected.

A major area for updates seems to be the Lock screen, which is set for more customization options, and apparently will also enable the phone to function like a smart display (which we’re sure is a feature made with the iPad’s larger screen in mind too).

There have also been leaks of supposed new looks for apps, and also a rumor that not all iPhones that support iOS 16 will get it, so some older phones could be left behind – though Apple usually supplies security updates for these devices, so they don’t become obsolete right away.

One of the interesting questions for today’s keynote is whether it’ll be all pre-recorded, as recent events have been, or whether there’ll be some kind of live element. You might think there’s no reason not to just have it all recorded – but depending on exactly what Apple’s mixed-reality headset can do, it might be more impressive to have someone on-stage demoing it, with a screen behind showing what they’re seeing in real time.

That would really set it apart from Meta’s presentations about the Metaverse that tend to show just the ‘potential’ for what can be done – which is why people are so suspicious of the idea of these headsets taking off with the wider world. We need to see that mind-blowing stuff is a real possibility, and a live demo is the way to show that – it’s what worked for the original iPhone.

Of course, keep in mind that in practice, the iPhone’s software apparently completely fell apart if you did anything other than the exact things Steve Jobs did in the exact order he did them. So it’s not like a live demo means there’s no smoke and mirrors…

US Editor-in-Chief, Lance Ulanoff, will be attending WWDC in person, and has shared his thoughts on what we can expect:

The star of the show

Apple’s decision to launch a major new product category during WWDC threatens to completely overshadow anything else the iPhone giant launches today.

Remember, this is a developer event. Unlike an iPhone launch where press like me might get to sit dead center in the audience, Apple typically puts media off to the side, reserving prime seating for its developers.

The question is, how much will developers care about the Reality Pro headset and xrOS? Their investments are deep in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. They’ll want to learn about all the new ways they can leverage the platforms to enhance their apps and third-party products.

Virtual Reality, AR, and mixed reality are exciting and important, but still niche compared to iOS17. That update will impact at least 1 billion iPhone owners.

I’m still not certain if Apple will start off this keynote in typical fashion with data points about the state of the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and, especially app market, or will Apple CEO Tim Cook spend the first section on xrOS and the headset? I suspect, though, that the big reveal will be in the last 30 minutes of what should be a 2-hour keynote.

Doing so will at least give all of Apple’s crucial platforms their due and satisfy all the developers. Otherwise, Apple risks losing the WWDC plot.

Is Apple about to announce some new Macs at WWDC? Rumors suggest it is, and the latest rumor suggests that there will be a new Mac Studio, powered by the as-yet-unlaunched M2 Ultra chip.

These new rumors make it even more believable that we’re getting a new Mac Studio.

The Mac Studio, in case you don’t know, is like a super-sized Mac mini. It debuted last year with the ultra-powerful M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips, so if the rumors are true, it makes sense for a similar model to launch with the M2 Max and M2 Ultra.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has upped the hype levels by tweeting that this year’s WWDC will be one of Apple’s “best ever”.

With rumors suggesting the keynote could be an epic three hours-long, we may be in for an avalanche of new announcements from Apple. Not long until we find out…

One of the biggest questions regarding WWDC 2023 is whether or not Apple will show off a VR/AR headset. The rumors suggest it’s likely, but Apple is keeping tight-lipped.

However, one of the companies that will be its competitor if it gets into VR/AR (or XR, as it terms it, which means mixed reality), HTC, seems to think Apple will be joining it today, and Cher Wang, HTC Vive Co-founder and Chairwoman, has issued a statement welcoming Apple to the “XR community in the spirit of collaboration and support.”

“As a leader in the XR industry, we are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to Apple as they venture into the vibrant XR community. With our years of dedicated innovation and commitment to pushing the boundaries, we eagerly embrace the arrival of a company that shares our unwavering pursuit of technological excellence, user privacy, and human-centered design. Together, we have a unique opportunity to collaborate, inspire each other, and reshape the future of XR experiences, making a profound impact on the lives of businesses and consumers alike.” 

Does HTC know something we don’t? Or is it using all the uncertainty to brag about how it is ‘a leader’ in the industry? Not long until we find out…

Here’s the lovely Lance proudly showing off his press pass at Apple’s HQ!

Lance update: He’s got a seat! And it looks to be a good one as well, not too far from the screen.

This also suggests that the keynote will be pre-recorded, rather than live on stage. This was also the case last year.

Our computing staff writer, Muskaan, is writing up a thread about what she hopes to see at WWDC, especially what it has in store for her iPhone.

She also makes an excellent point about how Lance’s excellent hat is a good omen for WWDC 2023.

This is why we pay her the big bucks (it isn’t, and we don’t).