What to expect from Apple’s WWDC 2023: VR headset, 16-inch MacBook Air, iOS 17 and more

This year’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference is expected to be a big one.

Along with the usual operating system updates, including iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 and more, countess rumours point to the reveal of the tech giant’s long-awaited virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) headset.

Here’s everything we expect to see at Apple’s WWDC 2023 keynote on June 5th at 1pm ET/10am PT:

Mixed reality headset

Apple’s often-rumoured mixed reality headset, rumoured to be called the Reality Pro, is finally expected to be revealed at this year’s WWDC.

According to a recent tweet from display analyst Ross Young, each of the AR/VR headset’s displays measures 1.41-inches diagonally, features 5,000 nits of brightness and offers a resolution of 4K per eye. More rumoured features include dual 4K OLED displays, a 120-degree field-of-view, an external battery pack and an M-series Apple chip.

Other reports indicate the headset will run on a new operating system called xrOS and will cost roughly $3,000 USD (roughly $4,035 CAD). Apple is reportedly focusing on bringing optimized versions of iPad apps to the headset, including Safari, FaceTime, Maps and more, according to Bloomberg’s often-reliable Mark Gurman. On the gaming side of things, we’ve seen rumours that the headset could feature ports of Beat Saber, No Man’s Sky (which just came to Mac), and in an interesting twist, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima could take to the stage to talk about Apple’s VR headset during WWDC’s keynote.

Design-wise, Apple is reportedly going for a sleek, fabric-covered look to ensure the mixed-reality headset remains slim and light. It’s also believed Apple’s AR/VR headset won’t feature controls and will instead rely on hand gestures and Siri voice commands. The device is expected to ship later this year.

15-inch MacBook Air

A big boi MacBook Air could be on the way if recent rumours are accurate.

This larger 15-inch version of Apple’s popular lightweight laptop will reportedly feature a bigger screen and overall build, alongside Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and the same M2 chip offered in the 13-inch MacBook Air (2022). Some rumours also point to the bigger laptop featuring a higher resolution display that doesn’t offer 120Hz like Apple’s MacBook Pro laptops.

iOS 17/iPadOS 17

While there’s a lot we don’t know about this year’s WWDC, one thing is almost certainly going to happen: Apple will reveal a new version of its smartphone and tablet operating systems.

First off, some rumours indicate third-party app stores are coming to the iPhone in an effort to get ahead of impending European Union regulations. If this turns out to be true, it will result in a massive shift across Apple’s ecosystem of iPhone apps. Some rumours point to Apple’s walled garden of apps only coming down in Europe and not other regions worldwide, including Canada.

MacRumors reports that iOS 17 could revamp the OS’ well-known Control Center, though it’s unclear how it might specifically change. There are also reports regarding a new journaling app, courtesy of Bloomberg, and additional functionality coming to the still very cool but underutilized iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island.

On the iPadOS 17 side, we’ll likely see several iOS 16 features make their way to Apple’s tablet operating system, namely lock screen customization.

watchOS 10

As you may have noticed, most of the rumours surrounding this year’s WWDC stem from Mark Gurman, and the reports surrounding Apple’s wearable OS are no exception.

According to Gurman, watchOS 10 could be the most significant revamp to the Apple Watch’s operating system since its release back in 2015. There’s also a possibility widgets could be making their way to the smartwatch.

We don’t know much about the refresh beyond the fact that Glances could be making a comeback, but the shift will reportedly be notable and could take some users time to get used to.

macOS 14

Uncharacteristically, there have been almost zero rumours about the next version of Apple’s desktop OS, macOS 14. We know it will likely appear for the first time at WWDC 2023, but it’s unclear what new functionality it’ll offer.

Everything else: M3 and M-series Mac Pro

There’s a possibility we might see the introduction of Apple’s M3 chip at this year’s WWDC. However, this is unlikely given the rumoured 15-inch MacBook Air will reportedly be powered by the M2 processor, and we still haven’t seen the M2 Ultra chip.

If the M3 chip does appear, this means Apple could have plans to reveal a refreshed Mac Studio and an M-series chip-powered Mac Pro. Backing up this rumour, Gurman recently reported there’s a possibility the Mac Studio could skip the M2 generation entirely and move right to the M3 Ultra.

Keep it locked on MobileSyrup during WWDC because Brad Bennett and I will be bringing you all the news directly from the keynote.

Source: @DSCCRoss, Bloomberg, (2), (3), (4) MacRumors, (2)