With new Macs and OS X 10.12 on deck, WWDC 2016 could run June 13-17 [u]
The 2016 edition of Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference may be later than usual this year, as the company gears up for OS X 10.12 and a wide-ranging refresh of its Mac lineup.
Update: The dates have seemingly been confirmed by Apple's Siri.
Checks of the Moscone Center in San Francisco by AppleInsider show that Moscone West -- Apple's preferred site for WWDC -- will be in use on June 1 as well as June 6 through 9. Given Apple's standard five-day WWDC window, that makes an early June event effectively impossible.
The company's chosen target is likely June 13 through 17, the only option giving it a full week. In fact the rest of the month is cut off, with conferences on stem cell research and Red Hat Linux already booked.
Still unknown is what products Apple might show this year. The company will almost certainly tease new versions of iOS and OS X, the latter of which could be rebranded as MacOS.
It may also announce new MacBooks during the event, if not before. Rumors of Apple's upgrade plans have been inconsistent, for instance suggesting that the company could axe the Air line, or revamp it by replacing the 11-inch model with a 15-inch one. If it eliminates the Air, it might still try to thin down the MacBook Pro. As for the company's 12-inch MacBook, an update may have to wait for the second half of the year, but also might not, and could potentially gain a 14- to 15-inch sibling.
The company is additionally overdue on updating its Mac Pro and Mac mini desktops. The Mini was last updated in October 2014, while the Pro is even more outdated, having been refreshed in December 2013.
Update: The dates have seemingly been confirmed by Apple's Siri.
Checks of the Moscone Center in San Francisco by AppleInsider show that Moscone West -- Apple's preferred site for WWDC -- will be in use on June 1 as well as June 6 through 9. Given Apple's standard five-day WWDC window, that makes an early June event effectively impossible.
The company's chosen target is likely June 13 through 17, the only option giving it a full week. In fact the rest of the month is cut off, with conferences on stem cell research and Red Hat Linux already booked.
Still unknown is what products Apple might show this year. The company will almost certainly tease new versions of iOS and OS X, the latter of which could be rebranded as MacOS.
It may also announce new MacBooks during the event, if not before. Rumors of Apple's upgrade plans have been inconsistent, for instance suggesting that the company could axe the Air line, or revamp it by replacing the 11-inch model with a 15-inch one. If it eliminates the Air, it might still try to thin down the MacBook Pro. As for the company's 12-inch MacBook, an update may have to wait for the second half of the year, but also might not, and could potentially gain a 14- to 15-inch sibling.
The company is additionally overdue on updating its Mac Pro and Mac mini desktops. The Mini was last updated in October 2014, while the Pro is even more outdated, having been refreshed in December 2013.
Comments
They wouldn't wait until WWDC to release updates to the MacBook line, unless they have some dramatically new products that require some dramatic introduction.
Apple has been lavishing upgrades on its mainstream devices, for example: 5k iMac (and HiColor upgrade), new(ish) MacBook and I'd even throw in the iPad Pros and their various technological innovations.
Apple seems to be pausing before unleashing a full raft of new Pro Mac features. My guess is they are waiting until they can offer a Thunderbolt 3-based graphics connector shared across its MBP and MacPro lines which will allow the quoted poster's predicted 5K Thunderbolt 3 display.
The Pro end of the Mac lineup feels like the couple moments of reloading before the grand finale of a July 4 fireworks display (sorry for the US-specific metaphor, international readers
Aluminum G4: 2003
Intel MBP (effectively identical chassis): 2006
Unibody: 2008
Retina: 2012
… so these designs tend to last 4-5 years (depending on how you count), making a new Retina model this year not totally unlikely…
It's all about WWDC 2017, right? Right...? Ok, maybe 2018? 2019?
I have the last core I7 mac mini server they made with two drives. it's still cruising along but i'm constrained for ports.
would love one with 3 thunderbolt ports.
I can dream....
Apple should thin-out the bezels and move to 14" and 16" form-factors to differentiate from MacBook and clarify the lineup. 12", 14" and 16" makes much more sense than 12", 13" and 15". I also think they should keep around the MBA branding and keep the MBP branding exclusively for the 16" model and beef the crap out of that one. A thin 16", lightweight powerhouse MBP is what professionally really want (programmers, videographers, photographers, designers) I believe.
Lower the existing MacBook to ~$999 and introduce the other thinned-out family members. This would be cohesive and customer friendly.
MacBook = entry model.
MacBook Air = something more.
MacBook Pro = for professionals.
So they would hardly wait to introduce new MB Airs or MacMinis at a non-consumer oriented event,
...particularly when they really should be moving to iOS X and an adaptive UI that can change from windowed, to full-screen, to touch, to TV and eventually VR
(do things get posted twice and then can't be deleted with the iOS app?)