Skip to main content

WWDC 2014 Roundup: Enhanced iOS 8, redesigned OS X 10.10, new hardware (plus fresh details)

1401455765.077158.29

Despite Apple CEO Tim Cook teasing that Apple would introduce new products “across 2014,” so far this year the company has simply released a cheaper version of the iPhone 5c in select markets, marginally faster MacBook Airs, and the 2012 fourth-generation iPad at a lower price.

But on Monday, June 2nd, Apple will make major announcements that will indicate the immediate future of its two major platforms: iOS and OS X. The Cupertino company will share details behind the changes in iOS 8, a redesigned Mac operating system, and perhaps even new hardware.

Over the past several months, we have exclusively reported the majority of the news to expect next week and you can find our extensive roundup (along with new details) below:

Bo5_MDwCMAA-IBL.jpg-large

iOS 8 “Okemo”

Succeeding the major revamp that was iOS 7, iOS 8, which is internally codenamed Okemo, will focus on feature and design enhancements across the system. Many of the design choices made in iOS 7 will see subtle tweaks and apps such as Maps will see major feature improvements. Apple is also focusing on integrating health data into iOS 8 with a new Healthbook app, and will focus on improving the system overall with dramatic performance boosts. Unfortunately, while Apple has been working on several new features for iOS 8, several sources say that some of the new enhancements are running behind and may not be introduced at WWDC or shipped until next year. Sources also say that Apple is only finalizing which features make the cut for the first iOS 8 beta tomorrow (just two days before the keynote).

Healthbook

Healthbook Book

The most significant new application that Apple is planning to add in iOS 8 is Healthbook. Healthbook is an application that aggregates health and fitness data from various applications and hardware accessories. The application is akin to Passbook in terms of user-interface design, and users will be able to customize their Healthbook to give visual priority to health statistics that are most important to them. Healthbook is capable of tracking data for various bloodwork details, heart rate, blood pressure, nutrition, blood sugar, sleep, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, weight, and activity.

Healthbook Cards

The Activity section can track steps taken, calories burned, and miles walked. The Weight tab can track a person’s weight, BMI, and body fat percentage. The current health accessory marketplace includes wireless weight scales, so it is likely that Healthbook will receive its data from those types of products. Both of those aforementioned tabs will have an interface with graphs and charts so that users can track their fitness progress over daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly views. Our earlier reporting on Healthbook goes into further detail about why the application is critical and how it could interact with future Apple wearable devices.

Healthbook Emergency

Another important element of Healthbook is the Emergency Card function. The Emergency Card is a single place for users to store information about themselves. The Emergency Card can keep a person’s name, photograph, birthdate, blood type, organ donor status, emergency contact information, weight, and a list of medication prescriptions. This Emergency Card function could save lives and provide emergency technicians, nurses, hospitals, and doctors with vital information about patients in emergency situations.

We broke the news about Healthbook in January, and then we shared the first screenshots of the software in March.

Maps

Maps Transit

For iOS 8, Apple is planning to overhaul its previously bug-riddled in-house mapping software. The updated application will retain the same user interface introduced last year with iOS 7, but it will be updated with improved mapping data, better clarity, and important new features.

In addition to more reliable and plentiful data, the updated app is said to include tweaked cartography, clearer labeling, and improved notation of bus stops, train stations, and airports.

The improved data also makes way for a major new feature: public transit directions. Apple won’t be the first to this feature (Google has had it for several years), but the addition is a change in direction from when former iOS chief Scott Forstall said in 2012 that Apple would leave transit to third-party developers.

Thanks to several acquisitions of transit specialist companies, iOS 8’s Maps app will have transit functionality deeply embedded for several cities around the world. Transit will allow people to navigate using buses, trains, and subways, and will include improved navigation to nearby airports.

The transit feature will be integrated as both a new view (in addition to Standard, Hybrid, and Satellite), and as a new option alongside walking and driving for directions. While transit will be integrated, Apple will still be able to point users to third-party transit apps like it has done since iOS 6’s launch. Transit directions will work for both future trip planning and immediate navigation.

Unfortunately, it does not appear that transit will be ready to ship alongside some of the other iOS 8.0 features. It is highly likely, sources say, that transit could be pushed back to next year. However, an announcement at WWDC is still possible, but unconfirmed.

iTunes Radio

iTunesRadio

For iOS 8, Apple is considering breaking out the Music app’s iTunes Radio functionality into its own standalone application. As a tab in the existing Music app, iTunes Radio has not received a promoted presence on iOS, and this has likely deterred growth for the service in terms of advertising revenue and usage.

As a standalone application, users will be able to more quickly access iTunes Radio. Psychologically for users, iTunes Radio will be its own app competing with the likes of PandoraSpotify, and iHeartRadio. The benefit for Apple, however, is that iTunes Radio will be pre-installed.

The interface for the standalone iTunes Radio application is said to be nearly identical to the one found inside of the iOS Music app and its Home screen icon is a terrestrial radio graphic atop a red background.

The functionality of iTunes Radio will also be akin to its iOS 7 Music app counterpart. Users will be able to browse their history, purchase streamed tracks, locate Featured Stations, and create and manage stations based on songs, artists, and albums. Apple previously considered releasing iTunes Radio as a standalone application in iOS 6, but due to problems with striking record label deals, the company ultimately pushed the launch back to iOS 7.

Apple has previously removed functionality from the standard iOS Music (formerly called iPod) app and separated functionality into standalone apps. For example, Apple moved playback for movies, TV shows, and music videos from the iPod app into a separate Videos app with iOS 5. With iOS 6, Apple began promoting Podcasts as its own App Store app and removed playback from the Music app. In early 2012, Apple re-located playback of iTunes University content to its own app.

The considerations also make sense in light of Apple recently adding more functionality to iTunes Radio, such as news from NPR and ESPN. With iOS 8, it is also possible that Apple will introduce locally-targeted advertising to iTunes Radio, according to The Information.

Game Center

Screen Shot 2014-04-07 at 11.11.22 AM

Sources say that Apple is considering removing the Game Center application from iOS and OS X. Instead of centering around the (little-used) Game Center app, the functionality will be found solely inside in apps that have integrated the social gaming service. Just last year, Apple completely redesigned the Game Center app for iOS 7 to remove the green felt and casino theme from the Scott Forstall era. Recently leaked iOS 8 screenshots did, however, show the Game Center icon.

iCloud Apps

PreviewTextEdit

Apple is developing versions of the Mac operating system’s Preview and TextEdit applications that are optimized for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The applications are said to not be designed to actually edit PDFs, images, or text documents.

Instead, the apps are built to serve as tools to view Preview and TextEdit files stored in iCloud by OS X. Apple added iCloud synchronization for Preview and TextEdit with OS X Mountain Lion, but has not yet released iOS counterparts to actually view the synchronized content.

The applications are said to still be early in development, but they are being considered for release later in the year. It is currently uncertain if the new pieces of software will be ready to ship with the upcoming iOS 8, but it is a possibility.

Instead of using fully functional Preview and TextEdit applications on iOS, users will be encouraged to use the PDF management and editing functionality in the free iBooks application from the App Store and manage other documents via the iWork suite’s word processing application Pages. The apps will also bring improved feature parity between the two Apple operating systems.

iPad Multitasking

According to sources, Apple has planned for iOS 8 to include a new iPad multitasking feature, but the debut of the functionality could be delayed. These people say that the feature will allow iPad users to run and interact with two iPad applications at once. Up until now, each iPad application either developed by Apple or available on the App Store is only usable individually in a full-screen view. NYT‘s Brian X. Chen claims the feature won’t be unveiled at WWDC as it is not yet ready.

In addition to allowing for two iPad apps to be used at the same time, the feature is designed to allow for apps to more easily interact, according to the sources. For example, a user may be able to drag content, such as text, video, or images, from one app to another. Apple is said to be developing capabilities for developers to be able to design their apps to interact with each other. This functionality may mean that Apple is finally ready to enable “XPC” support in iOS (or improved inter-app communication), which means that developers could design App Store apps that could share content.

iPad as Mac Display

5315578577_0eb4e8cc90_o

Sources say that Apple has been testing a new feature for iOS that allows customers to connect an iPad to a Mac for use as an external monitor. Sources warn that the feature may not be ready for iOS 8, but it has definitely been in testing. This functionality is akin to offerings such as AirDisplay on the App Store (picture above by Matt Gemmel). The strategy is part of Apple’s work on iPad split-screen multitasking: differentiating the iPad’s feature-set from the iPhone and making the tablet more productive.

iOS in the Home

Apple is planning to integrate iOS devices with smart hardware in homes, as first reported by the Financial Times and corroborated by our sources. The program is an extension of Apple’s MFi Accessory program. Customers will be able to tell which devices can be controlled by iOS devices based on specific Apple-provided branding. For instance, Apple’s iOS update could unlock iPhones to more easily connect to and setup connected home devices like Nest thermostats and Hue lightbulbs. Overall, it appears this functionality is basic and that Apple has larger ambitions for the future connected home.

Shazam in Siri

Apple is also working on a song identification feature for Siri in partnership with Shazam, according to several sources. The feature would allow Siri to leverage Shazam’s database to pull up the title and metadata of a song playing from an external speaker. Siri would then be able to present the user with the ability to download the song via the iTunes Store. The mockup above by Michael Steeber is a great representation of how the feature could look. It is intriguing that Apple has chosen to partner with Shazam for the functionality since Apple already utilizes an in-house song recognition database to power iTunes Match. Bloomberg previously reported on the Song ID feature.

Voice Memos

screen-shot-2013-06-24-at-10-24-07-am

As part of the iOS 7 design revamp, the iPhone’s Voice Memos application was completely redesigned. Gone was the fake microphone graphic, replaced by an interactive waveform. Unfortunately, some users have complained that the redesigned Voice Memos app is difficult to navigate and that editing controls are unclear. With iOS 8, Apple will rectify this problem by improving button placement within the app.

Notifications

Notification Center

Notification Center, the translucent drop-down menu for managing alerts may be simplified. In iOS 7, Notification Center includes a “Today” view, “All” Notifications view, and a “Missed” Notifications view. In iOS 8, Apple is considering reducing the panel to solely include the “Today” and “Notifications” views. The new “Notifications” view would combine all notifications with missed notifications, making the overall experience simpler. After acquiring the team behind the app Cue last year, Apple has likely been working on adding additional pertinent information to Notification Center, but it is uncertain if those enhancements will be ready this year for iOS 8.

VoLTE Support

Another significant addition being considered for iOS 8 and the next-generation iPhone is voice-over-LTE support (VoLTE), according to carrier sources. Currently, when an LTE-capable iPhone needs to make a phone call, the actual call is placed over last-generation networks such as 3G. With VoLTE, calls will be transmitted over the same type of network that LTE data is processed through, which can allow for benefits such as improved call quality.

Of course, carrier support is needed for this functionality. Some carriers worldwide have already rolled out support for VoLTE support. For those in the United States, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless have all announced upcoming VoLTE support. T-Mobile and AT&T have begun debuting the functionality in select markets, while Verizon Wireless is promising a larger rollout later this year.

Messages

Messages

Apple is said to be considering adding the ability for Messages threads in iOS 8 to automatically be deleted. The option for auto-deleting threads on a user’s local device will reportedly allow for deletions every month or every year. The functionality is being integrated so that the device’s storage space will not be clogged up by old Messages threads, which is a common problem among iOS users with old backups or outdated hardware. The auto-deletion will be optional, so users who never want their threads disappearing have nothing to worry about.

OS X 10.10 “Syrah”

photo 4 copy

Since focusing on releasing new versions of OS X year-after-year beginning with OS X Lion, Apple’s last few OS X updates have been fairly minor. Mountain Lion brought OS X more inline with iOS’s Scott Forstall-era design with linen and OS X Mavericks brought new power-user enhancements and performance boosts.

OS X 10.10’s changes, however, will mostly revolve around user-interface design. Apple is taking the iOS 7 design direction full-steam to OS X, as we detail below. The system is internally codenamed Syrah, but it appears that the official marketing name will either be OS X Yosemite or OS X El Cap, as indicated by the banner image shared above.

Complete Redesign

os-x-11-mockup-nachrichten-kalender

With a completely new design akin to the changes brought to iOS last year, sources say that Apple will heavily promote OS X 10.10 at this year’s developer conference. The new look will have similar toggle designs to iOS 7, sharper window corners, more defined icons across the system, and more white space than the current version. However, OS X characteristics like the Finder, multi-window multitasking, and Mission Control will not disappear in favor of a more iOS-like experience.

Apple is keeping iOS as iOS and OS X as OS X. The convergence will solely surround aesthetics and sensible feature parity. Some sources describe the new system as “extremely flat,” but just like with iOS 7, customers will become used to the new look. Some of the more surprising user interface elements, source say, are the use of line-art for some standard system icons like Finder and trash in the dock. The above image is a mockup, but it happens to somewhat match some of the OS X 10.10 descriptions provided by sources.

New Features

p0rLPJu

While the focus of OS X 10.10 is the new design, Apple will obviously include a slew of new features and enhancements. It is likely that Apple will begin porting over some of the new features found in iOS 7 but not in OS X Mavericks. For instance, it would make sense for Apple to include a new Control Center-like panel for quickly accessing options across OS X. Other possibilities include Apple finally releasing Siri for the Mac and a version of AirDrop that is compatible with iOS’s AirDrop functionality.

An improved Maps app to bring feature parity with iOS, the removal or revamp of Game Center, and improvements to the App Store app are all likely. We’re also hoping Apple brings some bug fixes and even (fingers crossed) functional Mail and iPhoto applications. It’s unclear if Apple will debut OS X 10.10 versions of its App Store apps, but updates for the iLife and iWork suites are likely in the works with the new flatter design aesthetic. We’re also curious how the operating system will handle non-redesigned applications.

Developer Tools

Screen Shot 2014-05-30 at 3.39.10 PM

To go along with major updates to the consumer side of OS X and iOS, Apple is preparing some new tools for developers to make better App Store applications.

Xcode 6

Xcode 6 is said to be a significant update, and sources indicate that the new suite of tools will include a much improved iOS Simulator application. iOS Simulator is the application developers use to test their apps on their Macs. The new simulator is said to include improvements to handling resolutions and scaling. These changes come ahead of the next iPhone with a larger display and sharper pixel density.

Other improvements are coming to the rapid prototyping and testing of applications, and the integration of frameworks. There will also be improvements to Interface Builder that revolve around the creation of new custom user interface elements.

iCloud

In addition to working on new iCloud applications, Apple is said to be researching new iCloud storage tools to make the development of cloud-integrated App Store applications for iOS simpler. Developers have long complained that building App Store apps that rely on iCloud is a complex and unreliable process. This potential future initiative would be designed to resolve those issues.

The future developer tools, which have been tabled by Apple engineers in the past, may never ship. However, Apple’s research in the Parse/Facebook and Amazon-dominated space is nonetheless intriguing. If launched, Apple’s new iCloud development tools would allow developers to further take advantage of Apple’s vision of the future of software file systems.

New Hardware?

Screen Shot 2014-05-30 at 10.04.00 AM

Sources say that Apple has been planning to unveil new hardware of some sort at WWDC, but what that hardware exactly is remains a question.

Screen Shot 2014-05-30 at 4.21.49 PM

Mac

On the Mac side, Apple has several new pieces of Mac hardware in development as well as several products in need of a refresh. Here’s which Macs have been rumored or are in the works, according to sources:

Of course, it is completely uncertain of Apple is planning to debut any of the above at WWDC. Apple has said that major hardware introductions are in store for the end of the year.

iWatch-Concept-fture-09

iOS

As for iOS devices, it is unlikely that Apple would update the iPhone, iPad mini, or iPad Air at WWDC, but there are a few potential iOS devices that Apple could choose to introduce during the keynote:

It is also uncertain which or if any of the above devices will be introduced at WWDC. Perhaps these are in store for later this year or next year.

Coverage

photo 1

Apple’s keynote address begins at 10 AM Pacific/1 PM Eastern on June 2nd, and Apple says that the keynote will run approximately two hours. We will be live in San Francisco providing full coverage during, before, and after the keynote presentation. Apple will also be providing a live stream via Safari, Quicktime, Apple TV, and iOS of the keynote presentation. If you are at WWDC this year, feel free to hit us up at tips@9to5mac.com if you want to meet up.

Portions of the roundup were taken from our earlier iOS 8 and 10.10 roundups.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. Taste_of_Apple - 10 years ago

    Typically great coverage by Mr. Gurman. Looking forward to much of what’s to come on Monday.

  2. rogifan - 10 years ago

    I love that so much is unknown this year. Even this Roundup doesn’t have anything definitive in it. Most of it is just guesses. Way to double down Apple.

  3. Tim Kretschmann - 10 years ago

    healthbook: there’s a what it can do, but how it will be do it? bloodpresure? heartrate (loke SG5) ?? the rest
    ???

  4. world webcams - 10 years ago

    Technology will always play a huge part in new innovations and development for years to come, and with cheaper and newer products being created by top brand companies

  5. Alex (@Metascover) - 10 years ago

    iOS 8 will be ‘under the surface’ changes. See banner.

  6. Dan Eaton - 10 years ago

    How can Apple sell healthbook to us without products on the market to demonstrate its functionality. Presumably they’re going to have some form of certification program for different accessories but how long will it be before these are in the hands of consumers… or will we get a One More Thing… iWatch announcement?

  7. Dan Eaton - 10 years ago

    One more thing… (no pun intended), It bugs me that Apple acknowledge that their maps product is shit but they’re not prepared to fix that unless it comes with a new version of OS a year later – just so they can show off their hard work. Why isn’t distributed as soon as it becomes available to prevent complaints and make journeys safer?

    • o0smoothies0o - 10 years ago

      I’m 99% sure they have people working on it and updating it constantly. Improvements steadily come without you knowing it (unless there were a problem for your particular area which you noticed had been fixed). These updates are more generalized updates and new features, they aren’t fixing road locations in these major updates, those are happening constantly, quietly.

      • clyde47 - 10 years ago

        wellsaid😊

      • Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 10 years ago

        I’ve been watching the map app for over a year and it hasn’t changed a single thing or added any information at all for where I live. NOT. ONE. THING.

        I (and some of my friends) have reported literally hundreds of serious bugs in the map of the city (parks in wrong locations, streets mislabelled, walking directions dangerously incorrect, etc.), and NOT ONE SINGLE error, has been “fixed” on the map. Not for the whole time it’s been out.

        This is in a very, very large city in North America, where most of the errors would affect thousands of people every day.

        I believe that Apple believes it’s doing well with maps, but until I actually see some work being done, I choose to believe they are wrong about that.

    • WaveMedia (@WaveMedia) - 10 years ago

      99% of Maps “fixes” are done outside of the app. The problems with it is the data, which is constantly updated and improved. It’s all held on servers, not the users device like the old days of sat navs that had a set of maps that were never updated because they sat on the device itself as a static bit of data.

  8. I’d rather they improve Message searching.

    Anyone happen to know if the “auto-deletion” means those messages are still stored on their server so I can search a history?

  9. Peter - 10 years ago

    Good work reporting/speculation Mark. If most of the above is right, then you made the most of your access/contacts.

    • herb02135go - 10 years ago

      Good work reporting rumors? Gee, the bar for journalism is quite low.

      The multitasking on Samsung devices is great. It’s about time Apple copied it. What’s next, larger screens? Longer battery life?

      YAWN

      • clyde47 - 10 years ago

        i bet having a larger screen and longer battery life has no patent to be infringed with. 😊

  10. pculv - 10 years ago

    I feel like I’m standing on the edge of the iOS grand canyon, and I’m about to fall in. Forgive me fellow android lovers.

  11. coinaphrase - 10 years ago

    There are two technology pieces that I don’t see mentioned but are ripe and useful for Apple to include. Both can be in software, so appropriate for WWDC:
    1. HEVC. Although this makes 4K streaming feasible, it’s main usefulness now is in reducing bandwidth requirements for 1080p. Enough to make HDTV streaming more stable and higher quality. The a7 should have enough headroom to handle decode, and recent Macs. Apple has the gravity in its ecosystem to jump start this and differentiate. The drawbacks are some uncertainty remaining in patent licensing, and whether to wait for an upcoming v2 of the standard.
    2. Bluetooth 4.1. Being able to act as both host and client opens up interesting possibilities in home automation and gaming. Such as a new apple tv as the hub for both of those .

    • Lagax (@Lagax_) - 10 years ago

      1. Is to small to be mentioned during Keynote, 2. is not major, but I’m sure apple will hold some Bluetooth related presentations at WWDC.

      • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

        Apple has announced far less important things than H.265 encoding before.

  12. j0hnf23 - 10 years ago

    i would love to see a iDisk feature for iCloud. dropbox is indeed fine but the service from apple is sure finer :D

    • WaveMedia (@WaveMedia) - 10 years ago

      iCloud and Dropbox are two very different concepts. iCloud is an intermediary where data is saved and shared. Dropbox is literally a disc volume connected to a server and works as such. I used to love iDisk back in the day, but there’s more than enough alternatives now that do the same and better so I don’t see what they have to gain from doing something like this again.

  13. “8” font isn’t Helvetica Neue, it’s a Ultralight version of Myriad Pro.

  14. clyde47 - 10 years ago

    i hope ‘quick reply’ feature will be included at ios8. messaging will be more convenient because you dont have to get out of the app you are runnin juz to reply an imessage/sms.

    • Lagax (@Lagax_) - 10 years ago

      This is indeed a great thing, but unfortunately not to expect due to restrictions apple gives to its own apps.

      • clyde47 - 10 years ago

        yeah right. but somehow, i hope that, that feature will soon be realized since they have tweaked a bit there imesage/sms app the begining of ios7.

    • André Hedegaard Petersen - 10 years ago

      I hope Apple improves its spelling corrections and possibly adds grammar check too, because if your spelling&grammar is any indication of America’s level of education, its surely needed!

      • freshpressedguest - 10 years ago

        “Its surely-needed” what? The suspense is killing us out here!

      • Jesse Supaman Nichols - 10 years ago

        My name is André! I correct peoples’ grammar on the internet, despite the poor grammar and spelling in my own post.

        ^^^ That’s what you sound like. Don’t worry André! I won’t view your poor grammar as any indication of the quality of the Danish education system. However, I’ve outlined some tips below for your next anti-American post.

        1) The phrase “spelling&grammar” should have spaces between the words (“spelling & grammar”).
        2) One shouldn’t use the ampersand (“&”) when writing, unless it is being used in a title, citation, abbreviation, or a sentence where one is not criticizing someone’s grammar. (“spelling and grammar”)
        3) One should include an apostrophe when writing the contraction for “it is” (“it’s surely needed”)

      • André Hedegaard Petersen - 10 years ago

        Thanks Jesse for your corrections. I appreciate your effort and the tips. (I mean that sincerely, not being sarcastic)
        My post was not anti-American. I’m actually pro-America (despite numerous people in Europe being against America)
        My motto has always been “What happens in America slowly creeps over into Europe” and so it concerns me when an American writes atrociously bad English (which is his primary language at that).
        No-one is perfect, but his post was downright confusing to say the least.
        If that level of education creeps into Europe, we’re in for dark times.

        Thanks for correcting my English, when you skip the two native English posters in this thread and their posts are full of errors more severe than mine.
        I suppose that is American patriotism at its best/worst?

    • Jesse Supaman Nichols - 10 years ago

      However, you can quick-reply to notifications on the Mac. It’s possible they could integrate this just to bring feature parity with OS X.

  15. clyde47 - 10 years ago

    at WWDC, apple likely reveals 4.7-5″ screen iphone as iphone Air, iphone 6 for 4″ screen. and for the WWDC 2015, apple would release a 5.5″ screen iphone so-called iphone Pro. 😊

    • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

      What’s professional about a device that is too big for anyone to use?

      • clyde47 - 10 years ago

        those are for the kids happend to have a rich parents 😊

      • try telling that to the millions and billions of android users across the world, it may be difficult for you because your so use to holding a tiny device but trust me once you get use to a 5 inch screen which honestly isn’t that big and its really hard to go back to tiny devices.

      • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

        >billions of Android users
        Could you maybe put some effort into your trolling and lies, please? It gets tedious otherwise. Fewer than half of Android users do anything but make calls on their devices.

        And no, I’m not used to holding a small device. I’m used to holding a device that isn’t too large to be used in the sole manner for which it is designed. Because I’m not a complete idiot.

  16. Looks like they took Mavericks and beat it to death with an ugly stick. It’s just a mockup, fair enough, but I hope they don’t go down that design ‘route’. Oh God please no…

    • Lance Newcomb - 10 years ago

      Thank you, finally another person with a working brain and eyes.

      • Thanks, I like to think so Lance! I ditched my iPad 3 a while back, not long after iOS7 was released, and went with the Nook HD+ tablet instead (couldn’t bare to gaze upon the new iOS any longer). The Nook has been a near-flawless champ so far and has surpassed my expectations.

        For the next OS X release: well, if Apple persists in fobbing us off with designs any third grader would be ashamed of putting their name to, I’ll be looking to make a switch to the Windows platform. I don’t say that lightly, as I (and many others) have invested a lot of $$$ in Mac-specific hardware. Very weird times we’re living in for Apple UI design. Very weird indeed I think.

        You can almost see what they might have been trying to do with iOS7, but when they got ‘one tenth’-of-the-way through the design process they just gave up and said “f**k it, this’ll do”. Just sad.

  17. Tom Kienle - 10 years ago

    i am sure that they will do some smart-home accessories like in blue-home.ch (pw=joy)

  18. Please… PLEASE… Do not put any more applications on iOS 8 or dreadfully on OSX that have red text on a white background. You’d think Johnny Ive would know better. Just an unbelievably bad design decision. Older people have difficulty seeing this in either direct sunlight or in a darkened background.

  19. I am truly horrified by the OS X mockup. That looks worse than Windows 8, its hard, cold, hard to read, visually confusing and feels like it hates you looking at it. Ugh… NO!

  20. katy sei (@KatySei) - 10 years ago

    Can’t understand MBA retina delays in an era when phones and all other pc laptops are getting FHD(at least)
    Hopefully WWDC will correct this.

    • clyde47 - 10 years ago

      apple’s retina displays are much more powerful than FHD of others. the crisp of RD is very much obvious. it is juz like comparing apple’s dual core to others quad/octa core yet apple beats them all 😊

  21. Max (@Zizou10max) - 10 years ago

    After reading this article, I got a feeling that Apple is not ready to release the majority of the projects that it had planned on. Or Mr. Gurman does not know all the details about what’s actually coming. After a whole year I really hope that they have more than just a Healthbook app that is not even that practical unless you have a device (iWatch) paired with it.
    I do hope that they at least show off iWatch with Healthbook app on Monday to give everyone a clue in what direction they are working. But if they don’t, the only possibility of a bonus announcement I see is an SDK for Apple TV.

  22. Get iOS 8 (@useios8) - 10 years ago

    OK… I’m excited. I love that so much is unknown this year, it’s either going to be brilliant or slightly disappointing. I just registered my UDID with http://www.getios8.co/.

  23. Rip Ragged - 10 years ago

    This is the best looking guess I’ve seen so far. The interwebs are totally FOS leading up to this year’s WWDC. I think Tim Cook and company have done a fabulous job of keeping everything under wraps. We’re still guessing what the name of OS X is. It’s like shaking packages on Christmas Eve.

  24. Cameron Mitchell - 10 years ago

    If the top picture showing the “8” below the water means anything, I think iOS 8 will have a lot of “under the hood” improvements for the most part. Not to say there will be new features added, but I think they are focusing on making iOS more efficient as an OS.

  25. I am an android user who happens to use apple computers as my preferred desktop, I appreciate the pros and cons of both ios and android and I’m not some rabid fanatic fanboy, I often defend both sides against cult like android and ios users.

    That being said, I really hope mac osx doesn’t turn into ios 7 don’t get me wrong I actually like the look and design of ios 7 compared to ios 6 (this coming from a graphic designer and aspiring ios and android developer) I don’t have an issue with them updating the look or design but i think making it look more like ios is a mistake, yes you want a unified experience and I would like a more modern UI but not at the cost of better functionality.

    Besides that I am also interested to see what ios 8 and the iphone 6 bring, maybe it will make me finally switch to all apple products I don’t know we will wait and see.

    • annazzanna - 10 years ago

      i am a iOS/mac user but I am disappointed by lack of innovations too
      Apple could do more than bring minor improvements

      • clyde47 - 10 years ago

        am not a fanboy and not a tech expert too, but base on my opinion, apple is innovating juz right, i mean, they innovate upto what you can use upto date. juz like, apple is preparing a food for you not more than you could probably eat.

      • Xavier Poirot (@dalaen) - 10 years ago

        How can you be disappointed in something that didn’t even get unveiled yet?
        That truly mystifies me.

  26. Cooper Black (@cprblak) - 10 years ago

    How about adding something simple like saving (printing like OSX?) documents etc. as PDF files?

  27. André Hedegaard Petersen - 10 years ago

    I really hope that OSX WON’T look like the dreaded kindergarten iOS 7 icons and difficult to read buttons, stupid flat design e.t.c.

    I remember the days when skeumorphism was around, when Forstall and Steve were both at Apple…..

    • rahhbriley - 10 years ago

      Ya well Steve is dead and Forstall is an unapologetic dick. Move on.

      • André Hedegaard Petersen - 10 years ago

        I have moved on. I use iOS7 every day. But that dosen’t mean that one can hope for changes. Room for improvement.

      • rahhbriley - 10 years ago

        Touché

  28. annazzanna - 10 years ago

    thank you
    Apple goes to nowhere.
    nothing new and exciting.

    • Tallest Skil - 10 years ago

      Take your trolling and shove it so hard in your ear that you have to visit an otolaryngologist and leave our website forever.

  29. Jim Phong - 10 years ago

    So will all current Mac running OSX 10.9 be able to run OSX 10.10 too ? Or will they force to trash “old” hardware for a dumb flat UI ?

    • Xavier Poirot (@dalaen) - 10 years ago

      Depends on the features brought by the new version.
      You can believe if there are UI changes, it won’t be solely that coming up. There’ll be other features.

  30. Pierre Calixte - 10 years ago

    I have a problem with implementing the auto deletion in messages. I think it’s a bad idea to delete the messages all together because personally, I want the oldest stuff off my phone but not necessarily gone forever.

    the better solution for managing storage is to treated like email or music in itunes. by that I mean to have only selected or the most recent messages, info etc. reside on the phone and to have all the older information stored and search-able on the computer.

    one of things that never made sense to me is that your text messages go back to the very beginning but your phone call log only goes back a week. and you have no way to adjust or manage them. who came up with these rules?

  31. DrewAPicture - 10 years ago

    Reblogged this on Drew A Picture and commented:

    This is a reblog with a comment.

  32. Sancho (@modulationf) - 10 years ago

    MY INTERPRETATION for iOS 8 banner: “iWatch” will be circular and waterproof….plus, it will unlock one of iOS 8 biggest apps “Health” – Will also come in two sizes (clue in the two circles circles that make up the 8)

    • Sancho (@modulationf) - 10 years ago

      I also think the “iWatch” won’t run iOS. It will basically play the role of the modern watch but it will measure much more than just time. It will look like jewelry and will push all the data to iCloud so it can be presented properly via iOS and Mac software

      • Sancho (@modulationf) - 10 years ago

        Other than that, I think OS X will be “over the top” and the biggest change to the operating system since Steve returned to Apple in 1997. They will announce new Mac Mini that takes design cues from Mac Pro and second Mac to be assembled in USA.

  33. The “problem” that nobody at Apple understood yet is that people are getting used to the iOS 7 look, but they don’t “love it” anymore.

  34. Jim Phong - 10 years ago

    An iWatch without iOS and not open to developers would be a failure.
    A Mac Mini in a trash can case like the Mac Pro and maybe even more expensive and maybe with HDU and RAM that can’t be replaced at all would be another failure.

    • rahhbriley - 10 years ago

      This is a rare day, Jim Phong, I completely agree with your comment!

    • Sancho (@modulationf) - 10 years ago

      I think the iWatch will be all about sensors, measuring data, and fashion. Running iOS on such a small screen would devalue the iOS experience. And just because it doesn’t run iOS, it doesn’t mean the sensor data wont be open to developers. You could for example use the heart rate data API to create an app that designs playlists that match your hear-rate by playing songs with a synchronized tempo.

      However, I could see the watch potentially running Siri and using sapphire glass so the whole face of the watch acts as a touch id sensor

  35. rettun1 - 10 years ago

    If the iPad was allowed to be a Mac display, would they also let it have input through touch? I’m not sure if they’d do that quite yet, but I think it would be nice to have in.

    I’d be okay with a second wave of enhancements in iOS 8.1 as long as it was pushed out before the end of the year. Maybe give a sneak peak of 8.1 alongside the new iPhones when they are announced and released.

  36. Lance Newcomb - 10 years ago

    Am I the only one that thinks every single one of those screen shot mockups looks absolutely hideous? That Healthbook app is so poorly colored that its completely useless. iOS7 was terrible enough for me to stick with iOS6 but 8 is bordering on “Tastes Like Diabetes”.

    Apple is heading down a very dark road and I’m starting to be embarrassed to be associated with their products. Its the 90’s all over again. I’m glad I sold my shares before the split.

    • Xavier Poirot (@dalaen) - 10 years ago

      So you say mockups are ugly (why not?), and then you associate Apple’s design with these mockups.

      I’m glad you sold your shares too, because if you take such shortcuts in your way of thinking, you’d have surely lost your money in the end.

      • Lance Newcomb - 10 years ago

        They are based on Apple’s existing designs and known confirmed features of iOS8.
        There is no need for insults. Please grow up and stop trying to be like the troll “Tallest Skil”.

      • Xavier Poirot (@dalaen) - 10 years ago

        Again how can you know it’s genuine when it’s not been unveiled?! We’ll see tonight, after it’s unveiled your message’ll become legit…

        By the way, I’m not trolling around. About your previous stocks, I was just taking your line word by word. I took extra care writing my message not to offend you, but it seems you’re too much on the edge. Sorry.
        Let’s enjoy the conference tonight. :)

    • “Am I the only one that thinks every single one of those screen shot mockups looks absolutely hideous?”

      lol mate, you’re not the only one.
      I’m guessing you’re probably one of the growing majority, actually.

  37. Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 10 years ago

    Am I the only one who doesn’t see any kind of sense in the description of what’ happening with Preview and Textedit on iOS? This (and other leaks) describes them as “viewers only” but then says that you won’t be able to organise files with them, as the files they “view” are apparently going to be handled by Pages and iBooks?

    I mean WTF? What is the point? This makes no sense at all as described. It will be interesting to find out if it’s just the really bad description of what they are to be, or if Apple really is doing something as convoluted and stupid as this.

  38. David S. McCabe Sr. - 10 years ago

    I almost fall asleep every time i read a “what’s coming at WWDC 2014” article. And this is coming from a person on his 3rd straight iPhone (5S currently). I’m about 1 shitty Apple year to moving to Android. I just want to see some damn innovation. The Samsung Galaxy S5 commercial alone, splashing that beautiful big screen with water, is almost enough on its own. C’MON APPLE! WOW US!

    • Arnold Ziffel - 10 years ago

      You have access to Touch ID, and you’re fussing about innovation?!

      Moving to a blatant and willful copy of iOS is your idea of innovation? Then go ahead, so we don’t have to read any more of your posts.

  39. Apple Deaf News - 10 years ago

    Reblogged this on Apple Deaf News.

  40. Njharris (@njharris97) - 10 years ago

    Nice idea for Apple working on an iPad and Mac sharing displays. It’s the first i’ve heard about it, but i’m exited it Apple are giving it a go.

  41. “…we have exclusively reported the majority of the news to expect next week…”

    “Exclusively” doesn’t mean what you apparently think it means. You (9-To-5 Mac) have not reported ANYTHING exclusively. At all. Ever. Do you understand that “first” is not “exclusive?” I’m not saying this to bash you. I just don’t want to see this site turn into Cult of Morons.