WWDC 2024: What to expect and how to watch Apple's iOS 18 event

For fans of Apple products and services, there’s always anticipation leading up to the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference. This year, that suspense is at an all-time high, as the world awaits Apple’s response to the AI boom sweeping the tech industry.

The iPhone maker has been characteristically tight-lipped about what’s to come during the WWDC keynote, but there’s been plenty of speculation about what the company might show off. Here’s what we know so far, starting with how to watch the event.

Look at this: Apple’s AI at WWDC will take a different turn

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How to watch Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote

The WWDC keynote begins at 10:00 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on Monday, June 10. You can catch it on Apple’s events website, or on the company’s YouTube channel.

Apple has already shared the WWDC 2024 live stream link where you can also set a reminder to get notified before the event.

What to expect

WWDC is a software-focused event, which means we don’t usually see many hardware updates (you’ll have to wait for Apple’s anticipated fall event to learn about the next iPhone). Last year’s developer conference was a notable exception, with the unveiling of Vision Pro. But based on rumors and speculation, it’s likely that Apple this year will focus on promoting AI-powered software capabilities and updates.

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Amid a wave of AI releases from companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, Samsung and Google, Apple clearly has some catching up to do. That’s why AI will be a central part of this year’s WWDC.

We expect to see those new AI capabilities woven into iOS 18, albeit perhaps more subtly. A report from Bloomberg suggests that Apple will incorporate AI through features like voice memo transcriptions, faster search and a more conversational Siri. It could also introduce an AI feature that summarizes news, documents and notifications, essentially giving a “smart summary” of what you’ve been missing. Bloomberg also notes that Apple’s AI will “create custom emojis on the fly, based on what users are texting.”

Some of these updates will reportedly be powered by AI on devices that run offline, allowing the company to focus on privacy and security. AI capabilities will also appear in MacOS 15, according to Bloomberg, with the Apple Watch also getting an improved Siri.

Read more: From iOS 18 to Siri Improvements, New AI Features to Expect on iPhone

There are also reports that Apple is working with OpenAI to integrate the company’s technology into iOS 18. Previous reports indicated that Apple was holding similar talks with Google about including its Gemini AI system, but it appears that these discussions ultimately may not have led to a partnership.

Apple can provide more details about how the iPhone will support RCS messaging, which should improve messaging between iPhone and Android phones.

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Other software updates, from messaging to accessibility

In addition to iOS and MacOS, we expect updates to reach the company’s other operating systems, including iPadOS and VisionOS.

Some of these updates have already been announced and are scheduled for release later this year, such as eye tracking on iPad and iPhone and Live Captions on VisionOS. So we may hear more about those accessibility-related updates and an exact timeline of their availability.

Another feature we might get updates for is RCS messaging on the iPhone. Late last year, Apple said it would adopt RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging, a protocol that replaces SMS (Short Message Service) and is capable of many of the same features as iMessage, including indicators of printing, high resolution media sharing and finishing. -end-to-end encryption. Because RCS is already available on a variety of Android devices, this should make messaging between Android phones and iPhones smoother (though it’s unlikely those pesky green bubbles will ever go away).

Apple’s adoption of RCS would be a timely change to repeat, given the Justice Department’s ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Apple. The lawsuit accuses the iPhone maker of hindering competition and says the company “undermines cross-platform messaging” by not making its iMessage service available on Android. WWDC would be a good time for Apple to highlight its efforts to bridge this gap.

New chips packed with AI

It wouldn’t be WWDC without talking about chips. We’ll likely hear about the next iPhone processor, apparently called the A18. It’s expected to bring — surprise, surprise — better AI performance, according to Taiwanese news outlet Economic Daily News and analyst Jeff Pu. This will match Apple’s new M4 chips in its updated iPad Pro tablets, which the company says are more powerful, efficient and have improved machine learning for AI-based tasks. Now, it’s the iPhone’s turn to get an AI upgrade.