June has arrived, and with it comes WWDC 2013 — Apple’s annual developer conference. Apple usually has some big announcement in store for the event, and it’s one of the most talked-about tech events of the summer. Here’s what you need to know about WWDC 2013.
1. Tickets Sold Out In Only a Few Minutes
Tickets for WWDC went on sale at 10 AM PST, 1 PM EST, and sold out pretty quickly…2 minutes. In 120 seconds, all the tickets sold out, beating the times in previous years: 2 hours in 2012, 12 hours in 2011, and 8 days in 2010. This just goes to show how popular and important the Apple developer conference is in the tech world — especially since tickets cost $1,599.
2. We May See iOS 7
Obviously it’s hard to confirm rumors, but an iOS 7 unveiling at WWDC is probably a certainty at this point. There’s too much evidence and historical precedence that indicate that iOS 7 will be revealed at WWDC 2013. What can you expect? Well, iOS 7 should be a lot “flatter” and it will be radically redesigned. We’ve written extensively about iOS 7 rumors, and Heavy.com actually saw a boost in traffic from devices running iOS 7. That means that Apple developers have been internally testing iOS 7 to make sure there aren’t any kinks, which means that Apple is gearing up to present the new operating system.
3. We Could See the New iRadio Streaming Music Service Too
iRadio is the much-rumored Apple streaming music service, one that will rival Spotify, Pandora, and Google Play All Access. We wrote about it earlier, here’s what we said:
Allegedly called “iRadio”, the service is supposed to arrive next week after dozens of reports that the company is working on streaming development sometime this year. Next week’s event would be a perfect platform them to announce this since it could help overshadow their rivals. Adding more support to this rumor is that the company usually uses these as a ways to announce new additions to product lines like iTunes in the cloud at WWDC 2011.
4. We’ve Seen Images of iOS 7 Already
9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman somehow managed to get some screenshots of iOS 7, and the redesign, while gorgeous, is a radical change. The design is flat — similar to Windows Mobile — and is so different that there’s a little learning curve, which could alienate some long time iOS users, who’ve grown accustomed to the easy-to-use operating system. But, an iOS 7 redesign is something that’s necessary, to be quite honest. iOS looks outdated and just plain old at this point; Apple hasn’t had a major iOS redesign since they introduced the iPhone so many years ago, but the time has come since competitors are putting out operating systems that are just as good as iOS.
5. We Should See Some New Macbooks
9to5Mac also says that there will be an update to the Macbook Pro and Air lines, two of Apple’s most popular personal computers. While the PC market is struggling, due to the success of tablets and smartphones, Macbook sales remain strong, and with rumored features and specs, they should be amazing. We can expect an even faster wi-fi, slimmer design, better battery life, an Intel Haswell processor — which has a 24 battery life on some computers — and a dual-microphone. The dual-microphone is definitely the most interesting feature — does this mean Apple is ready to introduce Siri to Macbook desktops and laptops? We’ll find out next week at WWDC 2013.
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