Apple event – live: Biggest launch in years set to bring headset and updates for every product
Apple is about to hold one of its biggest events of the last decade – and launch the product that could decide what technology looks like in the years to come.
The company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will begin on Monday, at 6pm UK time or 10am local pacific time. It will start with a keynote from Apple Park, its California campus, with a live stream available on YouTube and this page.
Every year, Apple uses that keynote to introduce updates for all of its platforms. This year, that will mean the release of iOS 17 for iPhones, WatchOS 10 for Apple Watch, and new versions of the software for the Apple TV.
But this time Apple will also launch something entirely new. Apple is almost certain to reveal its mixed reality headset – which has been in the works for years – and the software that will run on it.
Apple is also widely expected to reveal new, more powerful Macs, alongside other surprises in a packed event.
You can follow along with all of it here.
Apple event live: How to watch WWDC 2023
10:10 , Anthony Cuthbertson
For many years, Apple made it impossible for people to watch their annual developer conference unless they had an Apple device to watch it on. Fortunately, this stance changed a few years ago and now anyone can watch it from any device.
The live stream of the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote will be broadcast on Apple’s website, as well as the company’s official YouTube channel. A holding page is already in place, ticking down to the moment Apple CEO Tim Cook takes to the stage in California.
You can tune in at 6pm UK time (10am local time), right here:
New Watch software likely to be biggest update
07:42 , Andrew Griffin
There’s a whole new platform that will be getting much of the focus, of course, in the form of the headset. But as ever Apple will be giving an update to every one of its operating systems.
The most significant is set to be WatchOS, according to seasoned Apple reporter Mark Gurman, who has said the new software will bring a range of very significant changes.
Of all the OS updates to be shown Monday, I still expect watchOS 10 to be the most significant. The focus is the new widgets across the system, revamped first-party apps (including Weather redesign to look like the iOS version), and refreshed app launcher. https://t.co/2UFGI17khP
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) June 3, 2023
07:03 , Andrew Griffin
One thing to note is that Meta and Mark Zuckerberg revealed their new headset just days before Apple’s event. They didn’t mention Apple’s headset, and there’s no proof that the timing is anything more than a coincidence, but it certainly feels pointed.
Meta’s upcoming Quest 3 has nevertheless set the bar for the headset, and it will now be at least one of the comparisons people make tomorrow.
You can read all about that competing headset here.
Ted Lasso merchandise arrives at one Apple Store
04:58 , Andrew Griffin
Apple has started selling Ted Lasso merchandise at the Apple Store that is across the road from its Apple Park campus. They’re laid out on tables just like Apple’s other products are.
Exclusive first look at new #TedLasso merch at Apple Park ahead of #WWDC23 ! pic.twitter.com/MobDpRvFtM
— Andrew O'Hara (@Andrew_OSU) June 4, 2023
The clothing – replica kits from the show, and more – have been available from Nike since earlier this year, when they were released to mark the third season of the show. But Apple has not been selling them until now.
(Reports had suggested that the merchandise would be available at Apple stores more generally. Now Mark German, who first reported that, says that those stores have been told to destroy their promotional materials.)
Tim Cook meets with students before WWDC starts
04:44 , Andrew Griffin
It’s the new features that get a lot of the focus during WWDC. But Apple has other things going on – including a programme that brings students from around the world to its California campus.
Tim Cook has been tweeting about meeting some of those who were part of that programme.
As we get ready to kick off #WWDC23 tomorrow, I met with students from all over the world who are creating apps that turn iPhone into musical instruments and bring the experience of reading braille to iPad through haptic feedback. Excited for what's to come! pic.twitter.com/LpOTFmPmvP
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 5, 2023
Headset for launch
01:59 , Andrew Griffin
The headset is likely to be the big star of tomorrow. Here’s everything we know about what it might actually look like.
Everything you need to know about WWDC 23
01:55 , Andrew Griffin
It’s going to be a very packed launch. It would be full even without a headset. Here’s everything we expect to be unveiled.
What problems does the headset face?
01:43 , Andrew Griffin
It’s been a decade in the making. But there are still a whole host of issues facing Apple’s headset, and they’ve only just begun.
Here’s a deep dive into the issues Apple will have to overcome to really make this work.
Hello and welcome..
01:42 , Andrew Griffin
.. to The Independent’s live coverage of WWDC 2023 – the event that could decide the future of Apple, technology, and what we have strapped to our faces.
