<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/18/exclusive-ios-14-to-include-overhauled-podca
sts-app-with-for-you-bonus-content-more/> Exclusive: iOS 14 to include
overhauled Podcasts app with 'For You', bonus content, more
9to5Mac has already covered some of
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/06/ios-14-wwdc-2020-roundup-features/> Apple's
plans for iOS 14, which will be officially introduced on Monday. Now we've
heard from sources that Apple is also working on some major changes to the
Podcasts app, which is now expected to offer personally curated content just
like Apple Music.
If you're already an Apple Music subscriber, you're probably familiar with
the "For You" tab, which suggests new songs, artists, and playlists based on
what you've been listening to. With iOS 14, a similar feature will be
available within Apple's Podcasts app, according to people familiar with the
matter.
That means the Podcasts app will learn about your personal preferences to
suggest new podcasts available on the platform, making it more customized
for each user. A new user profile should let you follow your friends on
Apple Podcasts to see what they're listening to.
Another new feature expected to be included in the Podcasts app with iOS 14
is the option for podcast creators to offer bonus content to the audience,
similar to what you get when you buy a movie in the Apple TV app. These
bonus contents will be presented in the same feed as the podcast, but
separate from regular episodes.
It was reported last year that
<https://9to5mac.com/2019/11/13/spotify-grows-podcasts-surpasses-apple-some-
countries/> Spotify is surpassing Apple in more countries now that it offers
podcasts, as the company has been investing millions of dollars to acquire
original content. It's no surprise that Apple is trying to keep its Podcast
app attractive to users with these expected changes.
Apple will officially unveil iOS 14 at
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/11/apple-wwdc-2020-schedule-keynote/> WWDC 2020
on June 22nd. Stay tuned to 9to5Mac with our coverage of everything Apple
will announce at the event on Monday.
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/18/wwdc-2020-announcements-roundup/> What to
expect at WWDC 2020: iOS 14, macOS 10.16, an iMac redesign, & more
We're just a few days away from WWDC 2020 - Apple's annual Worldwide
Developers Conference. This year, Apple is expected to unveil the next major
releases of its operating systems, such as iOS 14 and macOS 10.16, as well
as new hardware.
Read on as we recap everything to expect at WWDC 2020 next week.
WWDC 2020 is all online
This year, WWDC kicks off on
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/11/apple-wwdc-2020-schedule-keynote/> Monday,
June 22. This is later than usual, but there is a reason: Apple has shifted
WWDC to be a completely online event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While
WWDC generally consists of thousands of developers congregating in San Jose,
California, that's not the case this year.
WWDC 2020 will kick off with a Special Event Keynote at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m.
ET. This event will stream "directly from Apple Park" and be available to
watch via Apple's website, the Apple Developer app, the Apple TV app, and
YouTube. Following the Special Event Keynote, Apple will hold its annual
Platforms State of the Union address. This will take place at 2 p.m. PT/5
p.m. ET and will be available on-demand via the Apple Developer app and
Apple Developer website.
Interestingly, it sounds like some of the WWDC Special Event Keynote will be
live - likely with more pre-recorded videos than usual - but the State of
the Union address will be released all at once on-demand. This is just one
of the many changes we expect at WWDC 2020 due to the new remote format.
Other than the Special Event Keynote and the State of the Union, WWDC this
year will include 1-on-1 developer labs, more than 100 engineering sessions,
and more. You can read more about how Apple plans to
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/15/apple-design-awards-2020/> implement the
1-on-1 developer labs here. Finally, the annual Apple Design Awards usually
take place during WWDC week, but this year Apple has pushed them to June 29.
iOS 14
The flagship announcement at WWDC this year will be iOS 14. Apple unveils
the latest version of iOS during its developer conference every year to give
developers ample time to adopt new features and optimize their apps before
it's released to the public in the fall.
This year, Apple has
<https://9to5mac.com/2019/11/21/bloomberg-ios-14-ios-13/> reportedly changed
the way it tests software so that features can easily be enabled and
disabled based on their stability. Essentially, features that are not ready
to ship can be more easily removed while testing continues. iOS 13 was
widely criticized for its instability, which resulted in iOS 13.1 entering
beta testing before iOS 13 was even released.
What can we expect in iOS 14? This year, 9to5Mac had access to an early iOS
14 build that revealed some of what's on the docket for WWDC
2020. One of the major changes that we expect this year is a more
customizable home screen. This could come to fruition in two different ways.
First, the iOS 14 home screen is expected to
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/10/ios-14-home-screen-list-view/> add a new
list view option. This new page will include a list of all application
icons, making it easier for users to see all of their installed apps at
once. There will be sorting options, Siri suggestions, and more. The goal is
seemingly to make it easier for users to find apps without having to search
through their entire home screen grid.
Secondly, early iOS 14 builds indicated that Apple is working on
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/04/04/leaked-ios-14-screenshot-shows-new-wallpaper
-settings-beta-code-reveals-widgets-for-the-home-screen/> home screen
widgets. Whether or not this feature makes its way into the final version of
iOS 14 remains to be seen, but the widgets would be customizable and support
being moved around the screen similar to app icons.
Moving on from the home screen, iOS 14 is also rumored to bring a major new
focus on augmented reality. 9to5Mac has reported that Apple iOS developing a
new augmented reality application internally referred to as "Gobi." Apple is
believed to be testing this new AR platform Apple Stores and Starbucks, so
people would be able to use the iPhone or iPad camera to learn more about a
product or to see a menu.
As we wrote earlier, iOS 14 comes following the buggy release of iOS 13 last
year. A <https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/09/apple-arm-mac-starts-wwdc/> recent
Bloomberg report indicated that Apple's focus with iOS 14 this year will be
on performance and stability. This means there might not be as many new
features this year as there were last year, but things should be more stable
and more reliable across the board.
Apple is also said to be
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/02/20/bloomberg-apple-discussing-allowing-iphone-u
sers-to-set-third-party-web-browsers-and-email-apps-as-defaults-native-spoti
fy-on-homepod/> considering the ability to set third-party web browsers and
email apps as natives. If this comes to fruition for iOS 14, users could set
something like Chrome or Gmail as their default applications instead of
Safari and Mail.
Last but not least, a major flagship feature of iOS 14 - or maybe even iOS
13.6 - is expected <https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/23/ios-14-bmw-carkey/> to
be CarKey. This feature will allow users to unlock and control their car
using iPhone and <https://amzn.to/2N7jYrL> Apple Watch. 9to5Mac expects
CarKey to work for
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/02/05/new-carkey-feature-in-ios-13-4-beta-brings-b
uilt-in-support-for-unlocking-driving-and-sharing-nfc-car-keys/> locking,
unlocking, and starting cars using the iPhone in place of a physical car key
or key fob.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the availability of these
rumored features could always change. If Apple feels a feature is not ready
for primetime this year, it could be delayed until a future version of iOS
14 or even until the next major release of iOS 15 in 2021.
There is so much more that has been rumored for iOS 14, and you can read our
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/06/ios-14-wwdc-2020-roundup-features/> full
breakdown of those rumors here.
iPadOS 14
Last year, Apple separated the iPad from iOS by introducing iPadOS 13. Since
the introduction of iPadOS last year, it gained a massive new feature with
iPadOS 13.4 recently, adding support for trackpad and mouse input. This
year, we expect Apple to continue its focus on making the iPad a more
powerful platform for productivity.
Many of the changes coming in iOS 14 will also come to iPadOS 14, such as
new augmented reality features, enhancements to the Keychain password
manager, and a revamped Podcasts app. We also expect a variety of new
features for power users, but details here remain unclear.
One rumored iPadOS 14 feature has been full Apple Pencil support on
websites. This means iPad owners could use the Apple Pencil not only to
scroll and touch but also to draw and markup with all its capabilities in
Safari and other browsers.
Other details on iPadOS 14 are unclear as of right now, but we expect to
learn quite a bit more at WWDC starting next week.
watchOS 7
This is expected to be a big year <https://amzn.to/2N7jYrL> for the Apple
Watch as well. watchOS 7 will bring a variety of improvements to the
platform, including new health features, a new Kids mode, and more.
As usual, watchOS 7 will add new watch faces. Perhaps most notably, Apple
appears to be
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/09/apple-watch-series-6-watchos-7-features/>
planning a new Infograph Pro watch face with a built-in tachymeter. This
continues Apple's trend of bringing analog watch characteristics to the
digital Apple Watch. There is also expected to be support for creating
personalized watch faces based on
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/09/apple-watch-series-6-watchos-7-features/>
shared albums from the Photos app, as well as a new
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/11/watchos-7-watch-face/> digital watch face
called International.
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/09/apple-watch-series-6-watchos-7-features/>
Kids Mode in watchOS 7 will include a variety of features designed to make
it easier for parents to manage Apple Watches used by children. This will
include the ability to set up and manage Apple Watches for kids using a
parent's iPhone, as well as managing which applications kids can use during
certain hours of the day.
The Apple Watch has become a fitness and health-focused device over the last
several years, and that's expected to continue with watchOS 7. Apple is
developing a new Apple Watch feature for
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/08/apple-watch-blood-oxygen-saturation/>
detecting blood oxygen levels for the first time, a feature that would be
able to monitor your information and send you a push notification if the
number falls below a certain threshold.
The first-party Sleep app on Apple Watch leaked in a
<https://9to5mac.com/2019/10/07/apple-watch-alarms-leaked/> screenshot last
October, and
<https://9to5mac.com/2019/09/02/apple-watch-sleep-tracking-revealed-sleep-qu
ality-battery-management-more/> 9to5Mac has exclusively reported many of its
features. The Sleep app will monitor your sleep using different sensors and
metrics, including heart rate, noises, and movement. It will also help users
remember to charge their Apple Watch before bed.
One thing to keep in mind is that it's unclear which watchOS 7 features
might also require new Apple Watch hardware. History suggests that some of
these features are likely to be hardware-tied, and if that's the case, we
don't expect Apple to even announce them until this fall - not at WWDC.
You can read our full roundup of what to expect in
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/14/watchos-7-features-wwdc/> watchOS 7 at WWDC
right here.
macOS 10.16
For the Mac, Apple will introduce macOS 10.16 at WWDC this year, serving as
the follow up to macOS Catalina 10.15. One of the features of macOS 10.16 is
expected to be a new Messages app. 9to5Mac has found evidence in iOS 14 that
Apple is working to completely replace the Messages app on macOS with a
Catalyst version. In other words, this means Apple will bring the same
Messages app from iOS and iPadOS to the Mac.
The Catalyst technology allows developers to port their apps from iOS to
macOS. While Apple has already introduced several Catalyst apps, such as
Voice Memos, Podcasts, and Home, none of the native macOS apps have been
replaced by the iOS version yet.
iMessage has gained several new features since 2011, including extensions,
stickers, and message effects. But most of this is not available to Mac
users, as macOS still has a basic version of the Messages app that only
works to send and receive messages. Bringing the iPad version of Messages to
the Mac will allow Mac users to access those newer features.
It's possible that Apple has other new apps for the Mac planned this year as
well, or perhaps improvements to the existing Catalyst apps such as Podcasts
or Apple News. Other than this, however, there is little evidence of what to
expect with this year's macOS 10.16 update. We'll have to wait until WWDC
next week to learn more.
What will this year's version of macOS 10.16 be called? It's anyone's guess
at this point.
tvOS 14
Rounding out Apple's major platforms is tvOS 14 - which powers the Apple TV
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/04/13/homepod-now-runs-on-tvos-heres-what-that-cou
ld-mean/> as well as the HomePod. Much like Apple Watch, one rumor
circulating is that
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/23/apple-tv-6-storage-tvos/> tvOS 14 will add a
dedicated Kids Mode for the first time. Kids Mode would allow Apple TV
owners to set up a separate account for their kids, with control over which
applications can be used.
Screen Time has also been rumored for tvOS 14, following its expansion to
the Mac last year. Screen Time on tvOS would presumably allow users to track
where they spent the most time watching content, as well as how much overall
time they spent watching TV per week and per day.
Finally, <https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/10/ios-14-homekit/> 9to5Mac expects
tvOS 14 to include a new permanent audio output option for Apple TV
streaming boxes. For example, a user could permanently select HomePod stereo
pairs as the default audio output without manually choosing the AirPlay 2
target each time.
There are clearly other areas of tvOS that need improvements, including the
TV app itself. Whether or not Apple has any other improvements planned for
this year remains to be seen, but we will learn more at WWDC next week.
When will these updates be released?
In general, Apple releases the first developer betas of its new software
versions immediately following the WWDC keynote. Public betas generally
follow sometime later in the summer. This year, we would expect Apple to
follow that same precedent, but given the online nature of WWDC, things
could be different.
This means it's likely we will get the first developer betas of iOS 14,
iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, macOS 10.16, and tvOS 14 on Monday, June 22 - but it's
not guaranteed.
Other software updates
Aside from the major platform updates this year, Apple is also still making
improvements to iOS 13. Currently, iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6 are both in beta
testing with developers and public beta users. iOS 13.6
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/09/ios-13-6-automatically-download-updates/>
makes a few minor tweaks, including a new setting for automatic software
updates. There's also a new Health app feature for tracking health symptoms,
such as headaches, runny nose, wheezing, and more.
More notably, iOS 13.6 includes the groundwork for Apple News Audio Stories
as well as additional
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/15/iphone-car-key-ios-13-6/> evidence of
CarKey. The Apple News Audio Stories feature has been rumored for a while
now and would allow users to listen to audio versions of stories from major
news publications.
In iOS 13.6, Audio Stories is not enabled for everyone, but 9to5Mac has been
able to access the feature. This could indicate that Apple plans to release
Apple News Audio Stories with iOS 13.6 as opposed to iOS 14.
Once you choose an audio story to play, the app shows a media player, just
like the one in the Podcast app, that lets you rewind 15 seconds, skip to
the next story, or even adjust playback speed. While the Audio tab shows up
for all users, only Apple News+ subscribers will have access to full
stories. If you are not a subscriber, you will only be able to listen to
previews of the stories.
On iOS 13.6, if you go to the Privacy information for Apple Wallet, Apple
details several paragraphs about adding a car key to the Wallet app. This
information is not shown in prior releases of iOS, so it could be that Apple
plans to launch CarKey with iOS 13.6 instead of waiting for iOS 14.
When will Apple release iOS 13.6 to the public? It's unclear at this point,
but if it officially announces features like Apple News Audio and CarKey at
WWDC, it's not out of the question that iOS 13.6 is released to the public
relatively soon after the Special Event Keynote.
Redesigned iMac
Moving on from the software releases, rumors have also indicated that Apple
will introduce a redesigned iMac at WWDC this year.
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/04/21/23-inch-imac-rumor/> There are also rumors
that we could get a new 23-inch iMac at some point this year, but it's
unclear if that will happen at WWDC or later.
The <https://amzn.to/2zJVf9H> new iMac will
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/09/new-imac-wwdc-bezels/> reportedly feature
much slimmer bezels as well as an all-SSD lineup, ditching the Fusion Drive.
It will also include Apple's T2 security chip for the first time in an iMac,
as well as new Navi GPUs from AMD.
In terms of a physical redesign, this will mark the first change to the iMac
since 2012 and the first front-facing change in a decade. In 2012, the iMac
was given a new casing that tapers down on the sides, but this design
feature can only be seen from the side. Looking head-on, the iMac has not
changed in a decade.
The current rumors suggest that the iMac will feature "iPad Pro design
language" with display bezels similar to the Pro Display XDR. It appears
that Apple is looking to <https://amzn.to/2AzOiZi> extend the iPad Pro
design language across more of its product lineups,
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/14/iphone-12-designed-leaked-molds/> including
the iPhone 12 coming this fall.
The new iMac has been rumored and
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/10/imac-redesign-supply-low-intel/> available
supply of the existing 27-inch iMac is running low. These are both strong
indications that a new model is on the way. Be sure to check out
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/17/back-to-the-mac-2020-imac-small-bezels-navi-
t2-no-fusion-drive-video/> Jeff Benjamin's "Back to the Mac" series for more
details.
Other hardware
Apple is rumored to have other product updates in the pipeline, but it's
unclear if these products will be announced at WWDC this year. In general,
Apple keeps product unveilings at WWDC limited to ones that relate to
developers, so it's likely that Apple is also saving these announcements for
the fall.
First, <https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/10/ios-14-iphone-9-ipad-pro-apple-tv/>
9to5Mac has reported that Apple is developing a new Apple TV with more power
and perhaps even a new remote. The upcoming Apple TV is likely to feature at
least Apple's A12 chip, which is a dramatic improvement from the current
A10X Fusion processor. We also heard the new Apple TV might get
<https://9to5mac.com/2019/09/03/is-a-new-apple-tv-coming-next-week/> HDMI
2.1 with Auto Low-Latency Mode and increased storage,
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/23/apple-tv-6-storage-tvos/> with 64GB and
128GB options.
Apple is expected to
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/04/27/apple-over-ear-headphones-roundup/> release
AirPods Studio at some point this year. These are over-ear headphones from
Apple with features such as
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/05/11/airpods-studio-features-exclusive/> head and
neck detection, custom equalizer settings, and noise cancellations. AirPods
Studio have been rumored and reports currently indicate that they are
scheduled for a
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/05/09/airpods-studio-over-ear-price/> release in
2020 for $349.
Apple is also believed to be developing a smaller HomePod that is around
half the size of the current product. The current HomePod is a great
sounding music player but is very expensive compared to the competition. If
the HomePod were smaller and more affordable, it might appeal to those who
would currently opt for <https://amzn.to/2Yf3LXL> Amazon Echo device.
Finally, we are also still awaiting the release of Apple's AirTag item
trackers. What this means is that you'll be able to attach Apple's physical
item tracker to any belonging, such as your wallet, backpack, keys, and
more, and then track those items via the Find My application on Mac and iOS.
Evidence within iOS suggests that these item
<https://9to5mac.com/2019/10/28/exclusive-apple-planning-airtag-name-for-til
e-like-tracker-accessory/> trackers will be called "AirTags" and integrate
with augmented reality features to help users easily find their lost items.
ARM Mac transition road map
Perhaps most importantly of all, Apple is expected to officially confirm its
plans to transition the Mac lineup to custom ARM processors. Apple has seen
incredible success in using custom ARM processors in the iPhone and iPad, so
it only makes sense for it to extend that to the Mac as well.
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/06/09/apple-arm-mac-starts-wwdc/> Bloomberg has
reported that Apple is preparing a 12-core custom ARM processor that would
be significantly more powerful than the current MacBook Air powered by
Intel. Apple is said to have seen notable gains in GPU and artificial
intelligence computational performance in MacBooks powered by ARM chips as
well.
Here's what this does not mean: We do not expect any consumer-ready Mac
hardware with an ARM chip to be announced at WWDC. Instead, we expect Apple
to unveil a road map for developers and perhaps offer some sort of developer
transition kit hardware.
Essentially, developers need time to optimize their applications to run on
an ARM-powered Mac. This is why Apple will likely announce the transition at
WWDC 2020, but not release an ARM Mac to the public until 2021 at the
earliest. Rumors have suggested that the first ARM
<https://9to5mac.com/2020/04/20/rumors-apple-designed-game-controller-ipad-w
ith-under-screen-touch-id-smaller-iphone-12-notch-pictured/> Mac will be a
revival of the 12-inch MacBook.
Apple almost always has tricks up its sleeve for WWDC, and we expect that to
be the case this year as well. This is especially true given the
unprecedented nature of a completely virtual WWDC. There is no precedent to
which Apple has to conform, and it's free to switch things up if it needs
to.
That being said, we expect the tentpoles of WWDC to remain the same this
year, including the introduction of iOS 14, macOS 10.16, and more.
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