Apple has chosen not to cancel its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) this year. Instead, it is going online, a couple of weeks later than normal, with the keynote address being streamed on a range of popular channels at which Apple have a range of announcements. In its publicity for WWDC, Apple says…
"Discover exciting new innovations and updates coming to all Apple platforms later this year… the keynote address will stream directly from Apple Park."
In this article, we will be taking a look at what they may be going to announce…
What We Already Know
A week before WWDC starts Apple has announced two products.
New 16-inch MacBookPro GPU Configuration
The Radeon 5600M upgrade to Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro was made available on Monday morning. It comes at a premium, however — the enhanced chipset sells for $700 more than the base model. Apple says that the upgrade will provide up to 75% better performance over the 5500M configuration.
User-Installable SSD Upgrades For The 2019 Mac Pro
The Mac Pro SSD user-installation upgrade kits come in pairs in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB sizes. You can find them in the Mac Components section of its online store with four SSD Kits for Mac Pro.
The prices start at $600 for the 1TB kit, which compares to the build-to-order price of an extra $400 to go for 1TB instead of the stock 256GB SSD and climb on up to $2800 for the 8TB kit, which compares to the build-to-order price for 8TB of an extra $2600. All of which suggests that Apple values the Stock 256GB SSD kit at $200.
Although these kits are sold as user-installable products, because the SSDs are controlled by the Apple T2 Security Chip, installing these kits is not a simple plug and play process. Apple explains that users will need access to a second Mac running the Apple Configurator 2 software as well as a USB-C cable to complete the upgrade.
Although the SSD Kits are now available to order, we understand that they are not likely to ship until the end of June 2020.
Software Conference = Software Announcements
As WWDC is a software conference where developers come together, Apple tends to focus on software-related announcements. Just look at Apple’s track record. At the 2019 conference, Apple announced iOS 13 and macOS Catalina. In 2018 it was iOS 12 and macOS Mojave and in 2017 iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra.
So what is expected to be announced at WWDC 2020? Not unsurprisingly, it is being predicted that Apple will announce macOS 10.16, iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.
macOS 10.16 Or Maybe Even macOS 11.0?
In this article, we are going to sidestep the iOS software and focus on macOS 10.16. Firstly what will it be called? Even though Apple doesn’t give names to their iOS software, historically they have assigned a name to each version of the macOS. Since 2013 it has been named after a Californian landmark. Some suggestions include Marin, Monterey, Sacramento, Sequoia, Sonoma, Tahoe, or Ventura with a somewhat left-field suggestion, because we are all housebound, thanks to the COVID-19 Pandemic, could be Alcatraz.
If, as expected, Apple does announce the next version of the macOS at WWDC, it is likely to be later September or early October before it will be released based on Apple’s track record.
Could This Be The Time For Apple To Announce The Move From Intel To ARM?
It is being predicted that the next version of the macOS will be built to support ARM processors as well as Intel chips, at least for the portable power-conscious devices. This, of course, is nothing new. We wrote about it back in January 2019 in our article The Apple Switch From Intel To Arm Processors - How Will The Pro Audio Industry Prepare?
Coming back to this month’s WWDC, a number of outlets are quoting a report from Bloomberg that claims Apple is planning to announce the transition from Intel processors to ARM chips in the Mac lineup this month at WWDC 2020.
Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, who has had a generally good track record on reporting the internal workings of Apple and cites "people familiar with the plans”, say that Apple has three Mac processors in development as part of its Kalamata project, which are all based on the A14 chip that’s due to be used in this year’s new iPhone lineup with one of these Mac processors including a 12-core CPU with eight high-performance “Firestorm” cores and at least four energy-efficient “Icestorm” cores. We understand that these Mac Arm processors would be manufactured by Apple partner TSMC “using a 5-nanometer production technique.”
If Mark’s sources are correct, then this provides a very powerful solution for Apple’s laptop solutions, taking the Apple Arm processors beyond their tablets and smartphones. Just check out these Geekbench Results and compare the numbers for the 2018 iPad pro with the 2018 15” MacBook Pro. They are not a million miles apart.
Bloomberg‘s sources are also saying that the push to move to Arm has been triggered by Intel’s slowing improvements in performance and that Apple’s internal tests of Macs with ARM-based chips are showing significant improvement compared to the Intel-powered alternatives. It is understood that the power efficiency benefits of Arm-based processors could result in even thinner and lighter MacBooks in the future. However, the view of Bloomberg’s sources is that these Arm Macs will continue to run macOS, not a branch of the iOS or iPadOS software used in Arm-based iPhones and iPads.
T2 Chips May No Longer Be Needed
This move may mean that Apple may no longer need to depend on secondary chips like the T2 security chip; it could put much or all of what they need on the system-on-chip, including transplanting their proprietary machine learning and AI processors from the iPhone and iPad.
Maybe Apple Will Go Fully ARM?
The general view, until now, has been that Apple would run a dual system, with ARM chips in their portable machines like the MacBook Air, but retain Intel processors for the top end machines like the iMac Pro and Mac Pro because of the need to support pro software from the likes of Avid, Adobe and Autodesk being considered essential for those machines' use cases.
However, Mark Gurman’s report for Bloomberg suggests that his sources are now saying that Apple plans to move its entire computer product range, from MacBooks to the Mac Pro across from Intel to Arm, albeit not all at once. That said, the report doesn’t indicate which machines will hit the market first, only that Apple plans to bring this change to all Macs at some point in the future.
The First ArmBook Could Be A 12” Apple Laptop
The Apple Arm Macbook future is coming, maybe sooner than people expect
— Fudge (@choco_bit) May 29, 2020
It is being suggested that Apple’s first ARM-based computer will be a very slim and light MacBook, according to a leaker ‘Leaker Fudge’ (@choco_bit ), who has been the source of a number of high-profile leaks in recent months, including an image supposedly showing widgets in iOS 14, is now claiming inside information and sources in Apple’s supply chain. He suggests in a Reddit article that Apple will start the move away from Intel chips will begin with a 12-inch MacBook that supposedly will include the controversial butterfly keyboard.
Fudge suggests that Apple will put an A14X processor in its new Arm powered MacBook, which he is nicknaming an ArmBook to set it apart from the Intel-powered MacBooks. This would be an interesting move as the MacBook range is format at the moment with no current MacBook models.
There may be other reasons to pick up this brand again. Moving from Intel to ARM processors will mean that all the software will have to be recompiled for the new chips, which is going to limit the availability of third-party applications for the first ARMbook. Fudge’s view is that this ARMBook will be aimed at people who want a basic computer for the same tasks that they already use an iPad for, like email, accessing the web, etc. won’t care that professional applications haven’t been ported to Arm yet.
Controversially, Fudge’s sources are suggesting that Apple is planning to resurrect the ill-fated butterfly keyboard for the ArmBook as it makes the keyboard so much thinner.
“It makes sense that this model could see the return of the Butterfly keyboard, considering how thin and light it is intended to be.”
Fudge is not the first to predict the return of the butterfly. Back in May, another leaker L0vetodream claims that Apple is still trying to iron out the problems so it can be brought back.
Fudge also claims that his sources have told him that with the ArmBook, Apple may abandon Boot Camp, at least until Windows becomes more friendly to the ARM architecture.
WWDC - Not Just Software But Hardware Too?
Only last year Apple announced the Mac Pro and showed off the Mac Pro running Pro Tools with 6 HDX cards in it. They also announced changes to the MacBook Pro range a speed bump with 8th and 9th-generation Intel Core processors as well.
What, if any, hardware announcements might be made at this year’s WWDC is a hot topic right now, with another commentator on all things Apple, John Gruber, otherwise known as ‘Daring Fireball’ pointing out the fact that although Apple may reveal its plans to bring ARM chips to the Mac at this WWDC, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the company will release any new ARM-based hardware this year.
This does make sense as Apple needs 3rd party developers to get ready for ARM Macs with a new version of Xcode, because if they don’t, the new ARM Macs wouldn’t have any compatible applications at launch. He goes on to compare this to the end of 32-bit support on macOS, which was first announced by Apple back in 2018 and only discontinued last year with macOS Catalina, but with some software still not transitioned over.
John Gruber continues…
“Given the virtual nature of the event, the need to prepare developers for ARM, and the recent updates to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the chances of new Mac hardware at WWDC are very slim.”
With all of that in mind, what, if any, hardware announcements are being predicted for the WWDC Keynote address?
New iMac
New iMac incoming at WWDC. iPad Pro design language, with Pro Display like bezels. T2 chip, AMD Navi GPU, and no more fusion drive
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) June 9, 2020
Sifting through all the rumour sources it would seem that if there is going to be a hardware announcement at WWDC 2020 then it is going to be a new iMac.
Tech leaker Sonny Dickson has claimed that we will see an upgraded iMac at WWDC. We understand that it will have a new design similar to the Pro Display XDR display. In his tweet, Sonny suggests that the new iMac will adopt "iPad Pro like design language" and "Pro Display like bezels".
Sonny also says that the new iMac will include graphics processors from AMD's Navi family introduced last year.
This tweet from Sonny would appear to give credence to another somewhat cryptic tweet from previously-reliable leaker CoinX that said in March that the iMac and Mac mini next to a "soon" arrow emoji.
iMac/Mac mini 🔜
— CoinX (@coiiiiiiiin) March 4, 2020
CoinX has an accurate track record, having previously leaked the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR names before anyone else, the "Pro" branding for iPhone 11 models, the 10.2-inch iPad and 10.5-inch iPad Air, and many other minor details about unreleased Apple products.
As to the size, it has been suggested by The China Times that the new iMac will have a 23-inch screen, with mass production, having been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, projected to ramp up during the 3rd quarter of this year. However this won’t mean a new physical size for the iMac, it is expected that Apple will make the screen of the smaller iMac bigger by reducing the size of the bezels around the display, just as it did with the MacBook Pro and the iPad Pro.
When it comes to the larger model, although the China Times report makes no mention of the 27” iMac it would be logical to conclude that Apple will implement a similar increase in the viewable screen size to 28.5in or even 30in diagonally, without increasing the physical size of the computer.
The statement “No more Fusion Drive” will mean the new iMac will be SSD only, which of course means that Apple’s T2 chip will be in control. That said, we don’t think that anyone will mourn the passing of Apple’s Fusion Drives as they were a car crash especially when it came to using them with a DAW.
It’s not clear what processor chips Apple will use but Macworld is predicting it will be the tenth generation Intel Core (Comet Lake) processors.
It now appears that Apple may announce the new iMac at WWDC, but they may not be available until much later in the year, just as they did last year with the new Mac Pro 7,1. In a report in the DIgi Times suggesting that…
'“Backlit unit (BLU) supplier Radiant Opto-Electronics is said to be ready to ship BLUs for Apple's upcoming iPad and iMac products slated for launch in the second half of 2020, according to industry sources.”
… the vague statement “in the second half of 2020” is being interpreted as much later in 2020. We shall see what happens on Monday.
How To Watch The WWDC 2020 Keynote Address
As we mentioned at the start of this article, because of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Apple is running a virtual WWDC, which means that rather than the usual 6,000 or so attendees, any verified Apple developer will be able to join the sessions in which Apple discusses the ins and outs of the new operating systems and how the new features can be applied. For the rest of us, there is the main Keynote address, which is where all the big announcements get made.
WWDC 2020 will commence with Apple's keynote at 10 am local time (PDT) on Monday 22 June. That translates to 6 pm UK time and is expected to last between 1.5 and 2 hours.
Apple will be live streaming the keynote so that anyone can watch and has announced that it will be available to watch on Apple's own websites, its Apple TV app, and YouTube, as well as a range of Chinese platforms. It will also be available on-demand after it has happened.
To watch the WWDC keynote on a Mac you need to be running Safari on macOS Sierra 10.12 or later. You will find it on the Apple Event page.
Apple says other platforms may be able to access the stream using recent versions of Chrome or Firefox (MSE, H.264, and AAC required). Windows owners will need Microsoft Edge on Windows 10
Apple TV users will be able to watch the keynote as long as you have got a 2nd-gen or later model running the latest Apple TV software or tvOS. On a mobile device? Then on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you should use Safari on iOS 10 or later although it is being suggested that it will play on iOS 9 too.
Watch The WWDC Keynote For The First Time On YouTube
For the first time ever, WWDC will stream on YouTube, too, and you can set a reminder to check-in via Apple’s official YouTube page. Just hover over the video and click the “Set Reminder” button.
You should then get a notification on your device when the stream is about to start (as long as you have already enabled push notifications for YouTube).