WWDC Starts Tomorrow. Here's What I'm Expecting

Tomorrow is WWDC.

Apple’s annual developer conference kicks off with the keynote at 6pm UK time on Monday 8 June, and I always get excited when this week comes around.

Of course, there is the obvious side of it. The software announcements, the developer sessions, the new features, the speculation, the betas and the first proper look at where Apple is taking its platforms next.

But for me, WWDC has always been about more than that.

It is the photos of people arriving in Cupertino. It is seeing Apple Park and the Visitor Centre come to life. It is the new merch appearing, including that water bottle I definitely do not need but absolutely want. It is the buzz across X, the last-minute rumours, the wish lists, the predictions and that shared feeling that something interesting is about to happen.

There is something comforting about it.

Every year, WWDC brings a familiar routine, but it still manages to feel exciting. It brings together developers, Apple fans, creators, journalists and people all over the world who simply enjoy seeing thoughtful ideas brought to life. I love that side of it. I love seeing developers recognised for their work, bright ideas executed well and a small slice of Apple’s future being revealed before it eventually lands on our own devices.

This year feels especially significant too.

It is the first WWDC since Tim Cook announced he is stepping down, with John Ternus set to take over as CEO in September. Even if Ternus is not on stage in that role yet, this event should give us the first proper sense of where Apple is heading next and what the tone of this new era might be.

And there is a lot to watch for.

iOS 27, macOS 27 and everything 27

Every platform should get its next major update, including iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27 and visionOS 27.

That continues last year’s unified numbering, which still feels like the early stages of something bigger. Apple rarely makes those kinds of changes without a longer-term reason, so I am interested to see whether this year gives us a clearer picture of what that wider platform strategy actually is.

Developer betas are expected straight after the keynote, with the full public releases likely arriving in September alongside the next iPhone.

Well, hey Siri

This is probably the one everyone is waiting for, and it is also the area where Apple has the most to prove.

Siri has been the weak link in Apple’s ecosystem for years. It is one of those things that should feel central to the experience, but too often it has felt behind the rest of the industry. With Apple Intelligence not landing quite the way Apple would have hoped, the pressure to get Siri right feels much greater this time.

Rumours suggest Apple could let users choose which AI model powers their Siri experience, with Google Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT all potentially available alongside Apple’s own models.

That would be a genuinely bold move. It would also change how Apple Intelligence feels to use almost overnight.

The Google partnership seems to be the strongest rumour, with Apple reportedly paying Google around $1 billion a year to use a custom Gemini model as the backbone for Siri.

Whether that means Siri finally feels intelligent tomorrow remains to be seen, but expectations are high. Apple knows it cannot afford another underwhelming year here.

Liquid Glass

I am also really interested to see how far Apple leans into Liquid Glass.

Last year felt like the start of a wider design shift, rather than just a visual refresh. If that is the case, this WWDC should help show whether Liquid Glass is becoming a proper platform direction.

Apple is at its best when hardware, software and design all feel connected. When it gets that balance right, even small changes can make the whole experience feel new. I am hoping we see more of that tomorrow.

The feature we did not know we needed

This is always one of my favourite parts of WWDC.

There is usually at least one feature that makes you think, “Of course, why did this not already exist?”

Sometimes it is a headline feature. Sometimes it is something small, buried inside iOS, macOS, watchOS or one of the developer sessions. But those thoughtful, practical ideas are often the ones that end up making the biggest difference day to day.

That is what I always look forward to.

Not just a list of new features, but the kind of idea that feels obvious once Apple has shown it.

A possible HomePad preview

If Siri 2.0 is ready, Apple could also preview the HomePad.

This would be Apple’s proper move into the smart home space, reportedly running a new OS built specifically for home devices.

I would not bank on this being announced tomorrow, but it would make sense. If Apple can show a much smarter Siri on stage, then a dedicated smart home device would be a very natural way to show what it can actually do.

Hardware

New M5 Mac models are expected at some point, including updates to the Mac mini, Mac Studio and iMac.

That said, RAM supply issues may push some of these back. WWDC is still mainly a software event, so I would not expect a full hardware lineup. But Apple has used the WWDC stage to preview products before, so it is worth keeping an eye on.

The bigger picture

There is a lot riding on this one.

Apple Intelligence has not had the impact Apple would have wanted. Siri is still a punchline in too many conversations. The pressure from Google, Samsung and OpenAI is real, and Apple needs to show that it has not just caught up, but still has a clear idea of what makes its approach different.

That is why this WWDC feels so interesting.

It is not just about version numbers or feature lists. It is about momentum. It is about Apple showing where it is going next, how it sees the future of its platforms and whether it can still deliver those moments that make people sit up and think, “I want to try that.”

For me, that is the magic of WWDC.

The routine, the anticipation, the community, the ideas and that small glimpse into what comes next.

I will be watching from 6pm and will share my thoughts shortly after.

If you want to watch it yourself, it will be streaming on Apple’s YouTube channel and through the Apple TV app.