WWDC 2022 officially kicks off today with Apple’s opening keynote at 10 a.m. PT. During this keynote, Apple will officially unveil updates, including iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13. Ahead of WWDC kicking off, we’re seeing some last-minute rumors about what to expect, including the possibility of a new MacBook Air, big updates to iPadOS 16 multitasking features, and more.
Head below as we round up some of the last-minute rumors about what’s coming at WWDC 2022…
WWDC 2022 details
As a quick refresher, WWDC is a weeklong event that consists of Apple’s opening keynote, the State of the Union with more technical details, the Apple Design Awards, and hundreds of developer sessions, labs, one-on-one meetings, and more.
- WWDC Keynote: June 6, 10 a.m. PDT
- Platforms State of the Union: June 6, 2 p.m. PDT
- Apple Design Awards: June 6, 5 p.m. PDT
This year, WWDC 2022 also includes a small in-person component in addition to the online options. A small group of developers and press has been invited to Apple Park for the keynote as well associated labs, interviews, and much more. We will, of course, have full coverage of everything that happens throughout the entire week right here on 9to5Mac.
AR/VR Headset not expected
While the announcement or tease of Apple’s long-rumored AR/VR headset once seemed like a guarantee for WWDC 2022, that no longer seems to be the case. Due to ongoing development issues, supply chain problems, and tricky integration between hardware and software, the Apple Headset is now likely set for a debut in 2023.
Bloomberg reported back in January that the Apple Headset has faced multiple development issues, including problems with overheating. Apple has also reportedly struggled with proper integration between hardware and software as well as issues with the camera hardware.
Last month, The Information corroborated many of these details and added some additional context. According to that report, Jony Ive’s decision that the Apple Headset should be a fully stand-alone device has proven to be an issue.
Apple’s early plans were for the first version of the headset to work with a base station, allowing the headset itself to be smaller and rely on that base station for things like performance and battery. Jony Ive, however, didn’t think such a product would be a compelling option for consumers.
That decision by Ive has reportedly led to a slew of development issues, including the ones reported by Bloomberg. The team working on Apple Headset has struggled to balance “battery life and performance while minimizing the heat generated so people don’t get singed while wearing the device.”
With all of that having been said, it’s clear that Apple is not quite ready to announce its AR/VR headset at WWDC this year. While it’s possible we get some sort of teaser, the more likely scenario is that any sort of Apple Headset isn’t announced or released until 2023.
MacBook Air possible, but not as colorful as rumored
In terms of new hardware at WWDC, rumors are a bit mixed. The most likely candidate, however, appears to be a new MacBook Air. A redesigned MacBook Air has been rumored for almost a year, but Apple has been battling ongoing supply chain issues across the board.
Rumors indicate that the new MacBook Air will feature a new flat-edged design that takes cues from the 24-inch iMac. While earlier reports suggested the new MacBook Air would be available in similar, if not the same, colors as the iMac, that may not turn out to be the case.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman took to Twitter on Friday evening to share some last-minute tidbits about this MacBook Air. According to Gurman, reports of the MacBook Air coming in “several colors” are “probably exaggerated.”
According to Gurman, we should expect the new MacBook Air to come in the same colors as the current model. This would include space gray, silver, and gold. Gurman does note that the gold will be “more champagne like” than the current color. Gurman also says the new MacBook Air could be available in a blue color similar to the 24-inch iMac.
As for a release date, Gurman says the new MacBook Air “has been planned to launch at WWDC.” The only thing that would prevent this is if the supply chain issues in China “created such a supply and release gap that it wouldn’t make sense to announce it on Monday.”
New MacBook Pro? Mac mini?
In addition to a new MacBook Air, there is also speculation that Apple could release a new entry-level MacBook Pro with the M2 chip inside at WWDC. Reports suggest this machine is ready to ship, but that supply chain issues could delay a launch until later this year. Depending on the impact of those supply chain shutdowns, however, it’s still possible that a new M2 MacBook Pro is announced today.
There have also been rumors of a new Mac mini with an M2 chip coming at WWDC, as well as a teaser for the first Mac Pro with Apple Silicon inside. Apple promised at WWDC 2020 that the transition to Apple Silicon would be complete within two years. As it stands today, the only Mac without an Apple Silicon model available is the Mac Pro.
Additionally, the Apple Store Online is currently down, which is oftentimes a good indicator of new hardware coming.
iPadOS 16 multitasking upgrades
Finally, a Bloomberg report this week indicated that iPadOS 16 is expected to be one of the biggest announcements at WWDC on Monday. According to the report, iPadOS will bring a “redesigned multitasking interface that makes it easier to see what apps are open and switch between tasks.”
The update will also bring new ways to resize app windows alongside “new ways to handle multiple apps at once.” Apple’s goal is to turn iPadOS into a more of a “laptop experience” in terms of multitasking and windowing support.
What exactly this means remains to be seen, but there does indeed seem to be mounting evidence that this could be the year Apple finally brings a major overhaul to iPadOS multitasking.
Expect buggy betas
Apple will release the first betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, tvOS 16, and macOS 13 immediately following today’s keynote. The betas will initially be available to developers, with a public beta program launching sometime in July.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has said a few times now that the builds of iOS 16 and macOS 13 being tested inside Apple are still buggier than usual. Because of Apple’s timeline and development process, it’s likely that the betas of iOS 16 and macOS 13 released today were actually finalized several weeks ago.
We always advise caution before jumping right into new betas, and it appears like that will be especially important this year.
Wrap up
What are you most excited to see at WWDC 2022 this year? Let us know down in the comments!
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