Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, has officially kicked off and will run up till June 8, 2018, at the McEnery Convention Center in San José, California.
The highly anticipated event will host thousands of developers journalists and industry analysts as the giant shows off new versions of its operating systems and give a glimpse of where the company is headed in the future.
A few days ahead of the famous event, the only thing known for sure is that Apple will outline the main updates coming to its various operating systems (macOS, iOS, watchOS, tvOS). It's not yet known whether the firm will unveil any new hardware.
Apple's key executives including CEO Tim Cook will deliver a keynote speech, focusing on iOS and perhaps privacy, in light of the wake of recent scandals plaguing the tech industry, including Facebook's Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Various new features and functions for macOS 10.14, iOS 12, watchOS 5 and tvOS 12 are expected to be announced at WWDC, so that developers can tailor their upcoming creations to future versions of Apple's operating systems.
The new features are unlikely to roll out to users before fall, which is when Apple usually releases its major updates. Reports by Bloomberg suggest a new Digital Health tool for iOS 12 could be showcased, while new features that use AR may also be in the spotlight.
Developers and students attending the event will have access to more than 1,000 Apple engineers, giving them the latest details about the various APIs available to them, whether for SiriKit, HomeKit or HealthKit, etc.
Apple could also spill the beans on its new, more powerful MacBook and iPad devices. The firm could, for example, use WWDC to announce the imminent release of new computers featuring the latest generation of Intel Core i7 (Coffee Lake) processors.
The conference will be streamed live on the WWDC website and mobile app.
By Neo Sesinye
Follow Neo Sesinye on Twitter
Follow IT News Africa on Twitter