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WWDC 2023 on 5 June: Apple could unveil these products

30.3.2023

Translation: machine translated

In just over two months, developers will meet at Apple's WWDC event. The conference will focus on software and new versions of operating systems. According to leakers, there is also a chance of new hardware this year.

The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will take place from 5 to 9 June, mainly online. As usual, there will be a keynote presentation on site in Cupertino on the first day. Apple announced this on Wednesday.

Although WWDC is mainly about software, Apple has also unveiled new devices from time to time in the past. This year it smells of hardware, as the Californians have not (yet) organised a spring event. The following products could await you in June. These are rumours, there is no official information yet.

Mixed reality headset

There has long been speculation as to when Apple will enter the virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) market. Leaks and rumours have intensified in recent months. According to these, Apple is planning a high-end MR headset that will cost 3,000 dollars. WWDC would be a good opportunity to launch the headset. Because for it to be successful, it first needs an app ecosystem. With a launch in June, Apple could try to get developers excited about it.

This is what Apple's MR headset could look like
Source: Ian Zelbo

According to the latest rumours, the headset will be called "Reality Pro" and will have the following features:

VR and MR function
Facial expression and eye tracking
4K micro OLED displays
Optional corrective lenses for spectacle wearers
Apple Silicon Chip
xrOS operating system
External battery

According to "Bloomberg" journalist Mark Gurman, Apple recently presented the headset to its top managers. The announcement at WWDC is by no means certain. As the "New York Times" reports, citing eight insider sources [, there is disagreement at Apple as to whether the MR headset is actually fully developed. Apparently, there are concerns about the lack of an ecosystem and the unclear area of application. The expected very high price is also causing doubts. The "Reality Pro" therefore has the makings of a flop - something that hasn't happened at Apple for a long time.

The artwork of the WWDC invitation could provide clues to an upcoming MR headset.
Source: Apple

Despite the doubts, the WWDC 2023 artwork seems to point to a launch in June. Various Twitter users have noticed that the coloured lines look suspiciously like a so-called pancake lens. These are used in high-end headsets, such as the Meta Quest Pro. Other users point out that it could also simply be a stylised version of the rainbow in the Apple Campus.

15-inch MacBook Air

The next device that Apple could unveil in June would certainly not be a flop: a MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen diagonal. The 13-inch version is one of the most popular laptops in the Californian company's line-up. The M2 chip installed there is more than sufficient for office applications and the small MacBook Air is a good combination of manageability, performance and a relatively low price for many people.
However, if you want a larger screen, you still have to go straight for the 16-inch MacBook Pro - and have to pay for the expensive M2 Pro or M2 Max chips, which would not be necessary for most users. A 15-inch MacBook Air would therefore be a sensible addition to the range.

According to the rumours, the large MacBook Air looks the same as the small one. The leakers disagree on what kind of processor will be in the new laptop. Some believe it will still come with an M2 chip. This is supported by the fact that it would fit perfectly into the current line-up. However, the M2 is already a year old in the summer and will soon be replaced by the M3. The 13-inch MacBook Air will probably be one of the first devices to get the new chip. Apple would then have to upgrade the version with the large screen to M3 after a very short time - or have a brand new device with the old chip in its range. Neither makes sense.
It is therefore more likely that the new 15-inch MacBook Air will come with the M3 chip - and see the light of day at the same time as the updated version of the 13-inch model. Whether this will actually happen at WWDC is questionable. Apple could also launch the new Airs a little earlier or later via a press release. After all, CEO Tim Cook certainly wants to focus on the new MR headset at the keynote - if it arrives in June.

Mac Pro

The Mac Pro is the last Mac that Apple has not yet updated with its own M chips. This changeover is overdue and has already been teased several times. The event in June is focussed on professional developers, so a new Mac Pro would fit in well. At the same time, it is not important enough to steal the show from a possible MR headset.
According to renowned leakers, Apple had originally planned to install an M2 Extreme chip in the new Mac Pro. This was to consist of two M2 Ultra chips stacked on top of each other. However, there were apparently technical problems with the implementation. It is now unclear which system on a chip (SoC) the new Mac Pro will have. An M2 Ultra is conceivable, although the question then arises as to how the new device will differentiate itself from the Mac Studio. Another possibility is that Apple introduces its new chip generation with the Mac Pro and gives it an M3 Ultra straight away.

Until now, the Mac Pro was a modular system in which components such as RAM or graphics cards could be replaced and expanded. This will no longer be possible with an SoC, as the CPU, GPU and RAM are soldered onto one chip. Nevertheless, there are rumours that at least give hope for a different kind of upgrade: In February the portal 9to5mac.com reported on a "compute module" that had surfaced in a developer version of iOS 16.4. This could be part of the future Mac Pro and be interchangeable. This would at least make it possible to keep things like the housing, power supply or SSD and replace the "brain" of the computer.

Cover image: YouTube screenshot of Apple keynote

]

(https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/26/technology/apple-augmented-reality-dissent.html)

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Samuel Buchmann

Senior Editor

Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.ch

My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.

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