Skip to main content

Apple’s Mac lineup reportedly set for big changes, announcements expected at WWDC

If the latest reports are to be believed, it looks like Apple’s pulling out all the stops to make next week’s Worldwide Developers Conference one to remember.

9to5Mac is suggesting the tech giant is gearing up to unveil some big changes to its Mac lineup as well as launch a range of new accessories.

Describing the expected hardware announcements as “incredible,” the report says this year’s WWDC in San Francisco could well be “the biggest simultaneous launch of new Macs in Apple’s history.”

The Cupertino company is set to update at least four out of its five Mac lines, 9to5Mac’s sources said. Here’s a breakdown of what we might expect to see:

  • A refreshed MacBook Pro sporting a thinner design, faster processor and high-resolution Retina display.
  • An updated MacBook Air with a Retina display.
  • A new look iMac. While the iMac’s specifications were boosted last year with a better processor, improved graphics system, Thunderbolt ports and a FaceTime HD camera, the physical look of the machine has remained unchanged for the last few years — so we could be seeing a redesigned machine. While there’s been talk of the iMacs being updated with a Retina display, it’s not certain if it’s ready to be announced just yet.
  • As for the fourth machine set for a makeover, 9to5Mac isn’t sure if it’s going to be the Mac mini or the Mac Pro. The Mac Pro hasn’t been updated for a while now, while the Mac mini was given an under-the-hood refresh in the middle of last year.

macbook-air-13-3-display-angle-screenThe report also says a number of new accessories are likely to be unveiled, “from new cases or cables, all the way to refreshed keyboards, mice, trackpads, AirPorts, or something else altogether.”

Earlier on Monday, the pre-conference chatter centered around the company’s mobile devices, with details of iOS 6 expected to be announced, as well as updates to iCloud and OS X Mountain Lion.

Some industry watchers are also suggesting Apple could use its conference to make an iPhone 5 announcement, and perhaps throw some light on the possibility of an iPad Mini.

Apple’s WWDC begins on Monday and runs for five days.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
How macOS Sonoma could fix widgets — or make them even worse
Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air on a desk, with macOS Sonoma running on its display.

At its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this year, Apple revealed that interactive widgets would be coming to macOS Sonoma. That probably sounds like a tiny new feature, and sure, it’s not as earth-shattering as the Vision Pro announcement. But it could turn out to be one of the most divisive new features in the Mac operating system.

In macOS Sonoma, you’ll be able to plant widgets on your desktop instead of hiding them in the Notification Center. Many widgets will be interactive, letting you tick off to-do list items without opening the widget’s app, for example. And you’ll be able to run iOS widgets right on your desktop, even if that app isn’t installed on your Mac. It’s a pretty comprehensive overhaul. Depending on how well these interactive widgets work, though, we could be left with a bunch of annoying distractions or a set of super-helpful timesavers. The way Apple handles them is going to be vital.
We've been here before

Read more
Apple just gave Mac gamers a big reason to be excited
Craig Ferguson introducing Mac Gaming at WWDC.

When Apple announced it would revolutionize the world of Mac gaming at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, many people were skeptical. But the latest update to the company’s Game Porting Toolkit has made some important changes to how games run on the Mac -- and the results are impressive.

The toolkit allows developers to move their Windows games across to macOS Sonoma. Games makers can test out how well their products run on Apple’s hardware and find out what they need to do to make the jump, something that Apple says ends up “significantly reducing the total development time.”

Read more
Intel chips held back the 15-inch MacBook Air, Apple says
Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air placed on a desk.

Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air is a surprisingly good laptop, and its positive reception might make you wonder why Apple didn’t launch it sooner. Well, we just got the answer from Apple itself, and it turns out the fault apparently lies with Intel.

That interesting tidbit was revealed by Laura Metz, Director of Product Marketing at Apple, and Thomas Tan from Apple’s enterprise product marketing team. Speaking to Inc, the pair explained that Apple silicon was the driving force in creating the 15-inch MacBook Air.

Read more