Don’t get your heart set on new Macs launching at WWDC24 next week. A generally reliable tipster predicts that that’ll be none unveiled at Apple’s developer conference.
And not just Macs. Supposedly the agenda includes no new hardware at all.
Don’t expect new Macs at WWDC24
Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is supposed to be about software — it’s the traditional venue to introduce major upgrades to macOS, iOS, watchOS, etc.
But sometimes hardware slips in, too. There’s no better example than WWDC23, which was packed with it. Mac Pro and Mac Studio with the M2 Ultra processor, the 15-inch MacBook Air and Vision Pro all came to light at the conference.
Don’t expect the 2024 event to be a repeat. Not at all.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said in the paywalled section of his Power On newsletter, “There’s no hardware slated to be announced at WWDC, unless Apple unexpectedly previews a new device launching later (to be clear: I don’t expect that).”
Gurman’s sources inside Apple leak him information that enable him to make predictions that often turn out to be accurate.
A lack of hardware gives CEO Tim Cook and software boss Craig Federighi plenty of time during the WWDC24 keynote to reveal the new artificial intelligence features coming to macOS 15, iOS 18, etc. The big event kicks off Monday, June 10.
Be patient for M4 Mac
According to a previous report, there are plenty of Macs running the new Apple M4 processor in development, but these won’t be ready soon.
Developers were likely hoping for Mac Pro and Mac Studio updated with the M3 Ultra processor at WWDC24, but that version of the chip has allegedly been nixed. The next updates to these powerful macOS desktops won’t be out until the middle of 2025 — likely at WWDC25.
All future Macs are expected to run some iteration of the M4 processor that launched in May in the iPad Pro. Standard, Pro, Max and Ultra versions of the chip will supposedly eventually come to the entire macOS lineup. The upgrade process should start in autumn 2024 and early 2025 with the Mac mini, iMac and MacBook Pro.
No new Apple TV at WWDC24, either
In Sunday’s newsletter, Gurman also reported that an updated Apple TV will not launch at WWDC24, despite the most recent version debuting in 2022.
As for the rest of Apple’s products, iPhone 16 will almost certainly launch in September, as is traditional. Apple Watch Series X is expected at the same time. New versions of iPad Pro and iPad Air just reached customers, but iPad 11 and iPad mini 7 might be coming this autumn.
Vision Pro debuted in February with no replacement likely for years.
