Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is coming. The yearly event will showcase the latest, and at times potentially paradigm-shifting, products.
This year’s WWDC event is due between June 10 through 14, 2024. Apple will host a widely published in-person keynote showcase during the event, followed by three days of virtual content to bring budding developers the latest updates.
Susan Prescott, Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations, added:
We’re so excited to connect with developers from around the world for an extraordinary week of technology and community at WWDC24. WWDC is all about sharing new ideas and providing our amazing developers with innovative tools and resources to help them make something even more wonderful.
At last year’s event, Apple made the world buzz with its Vision Pro showcase, highlighting Apple’s spatial computing ecosystem for the first time. It’s incredible to think a year has almost passed since that announcement, and the industry is still riding the wave of interest.
Apple states that WWDC24 will spotlight the latest iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS updates.
The In-person event will look to stun pundits. However, virtual attendees can also experience the WWDC event via the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website, and YouTube.
Moreover, the WWDC landing page will feature video sessions from Apple designers and engineers to inform the broader developer community.
Could WWDC 2024 be an XR Showcase?
It will be no surprise when Apple speaks about Vision Pro and its spatial computing ecosystem at WWDC 24. While the Vision Pro is early, Apple is working hard to promote the device as a leading XR product for consumer and enterprise usage.
Last year, the device stole headlines. But will the device’s latest updates again capture the audience’s imagination? That depends on what is announced.
Apple has not confirmed any Vision Pro-related WWDC news. However, due to the Vision Pro’s current limited regional availability, Apple could introduce the Vision Pro to new regional markets at the event.
Earlier this year, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, confirmed that the recently released Apple Vision Pro would land in China in 2024.
Apple is planning to increase its investment in its Chinese regional partners, who are already helping the company create device components and manage supply chains. This news comes from Tim Cook’s visit to China due to declining iPhone sales.
This trend is not unique to Apple, as Samsung has also reported decreased smartphone sales. In response, Samsung is increasing its investment in XR devices. According to reports, this is the third time Cook has visited China to address declining device sales.
Apple’s Vision Pro a “Tremendous Opportunity” for Businesses
Enterprise leaders and innovators should keep their eyes on Apple. The firm has a proven track record of introducing new technologies to a workplace via its trusted ecosystem.
Last week, Susan Prescott also noted that Vision Pro represents a tremendous opportunity for businesses to reimagine what’s possible at work – planting the firm’s sights squarely on productivity and workplace success above all else.
Prescott also added at the time:
We’re thrilled to see the innovative ways organizations are already using Apple Vision Pro, from planning fire response operations to iterating on the most intricate details of an engine design — and this is just the beginning. Combined with enterprise-grade capabilities like mobile device management built into visionOS, we believe spatial computing has the potential to revolutionize industries around the world.
Apple has recently released several improvements to Vision Pro’s core features, version 1.1, which enhances the device’s performance, application usage, and persona system.
Apple has made it easier for businesses to enrol in applications by introducing account-driven enrollment support. This means that workers can use new Vision Pro procedures to manage their Apple IDs and network and receive support for services such as Exchange and Google Workspace.
The updated Vision Pro offers greater control over the interaction with 3D assets, which is particularly important for small office/work-from-home setups and other mobile use cases. With the latest update, users can move volumetric scenes much closer than in the previous version, making directly interacting with the volumetric content easier.
Moreover, the Vision Pro has a persona feature that tracks a user’s facial movements and eyes to create a digital twin known as a Persona. However, this feature has faced criticism in its early stages due to its uncanny valley qualities.
Finally, the new SwiftUI frameworks allow for a coordinated spatial environment and placement of 360 immersive applications. The 1.1 update for Vision Pro also improves application placement and tracking of environmental changes.
The device is poised to achieve a lot, and success will rely on Apple scaling the Vision Pro to match expectations – will the firm achieve this in June?
