Back in early May, Apple confirmed that this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) would be joining so many other events in moving to a virtual-only experience on June 22.
Other than the starting date and the fact that the over 23 million Apple developers worldwide would be able to view the sessions for free, the company hadn't offered much in the way of details. However, with a week to go before the event Apple, finally unveiled the rest of the key details.
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The keynote, of course, kicks everything off on June 22 at 10 a.m. PDT / 1. p.m. EDT. It will be broadcast live from Apple Park and will be available for free via a number of streaming methods for anyone to view. While it's a developer event, this is where we typically see the most consumer-facing info. If we are going to actually see an overt announcement of an ARM-based MacBook, this would be the moment for that.
The rest of the conference is limited to members of the Apple Developer Program, or those who pay a $99 per-year fee to Apple, and it will include a Platforms State of the Union, over 100 engineering sessions, new developer forums to engage with Apple engineers, and appointment-only one-on-one developer labs to interact with Apple engineers on specific technical matters.
The latter two events will be of the greatest interest to some developers as they are typically willing to pay $1,599 plus travel and accommodations to attend the annual conference for direct access to Apple engineers. Depending on how well this virtual version is able to simulate an in-person experience, it's possible we see permanent changes for WWDC going forward.
For most consumers, the biggest news will be info regarding what we will see in the operating system updates this fall for iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS 10.16, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14. Of course, we'll bring you news of these updates as soon as they are announced.
Here's the full rundown of events for WWDC 2020 from Apple:
Special Event Keynote
June 22, 10 a.m. PDT
Discover exciting new innovations and updates coming to all Apple platforms later this year. The keynote address will stream directly from Apple Park via apple.com, the Apple Developer app, the Apple Developer website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube, and will also be available for on-demand playback after the conclusion of the stream. For viewers in China, the keynote will also stream on Tencent, iQIYI, Bilibili, and Youku.
Platforms State of the Union
June 22, 2 p.m. PDT
Hear directly from Apple engineering leaders as they dive deeper into the latest advances across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. State of the Union will be available on demand via the Apple Developer app and the Apple Developer website. It will also be available for playback on Tencent, iQIYI, Bilibili and YouKu for viewers in China.
100+ Engineering Sessions
June 23 to 26
Starting June 23, developers will have the ability to learn how to build the next generation of apps with more than 100 technical and design-focused sessions helmed by Apple engineers. Videos will be posted each day at 10 a.m. PDT and will be available in the Apple Developer app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, as well as on the Apple Developer website.
All-New Apple Developer Forums
Redesign coming June 18
The all-new Apple Developer Forums will connect the developer community with more than 1,000 Apple engineers to answer questions and engage in technical discussions. Starting the first day of WWDC, anyone can search and view the forum discussions to follow along, and Apple Developer Program members will be able to post their own questions and learn directly from Apple experts.
1-on-1 Developer Labs (by appointment)
June 23 to 26
Developers will be able to request an appointment with the Apple engineers who helped build the latest advances in Apple platforms, offering one-on-one technical guidance and in-depth details on how to implement new features. Developer Labs will be open to Apple Developer Program members as space is available.
