Digital WWDC 2021 Event Expected as Comic Con, E3 and Anime Expo Cancel In-Person Plans

With the world largely shut down in June 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic, Apple held its 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference digitally for the first time, allowing developers from all over the world to attend for free.

wwdc 2020 full stream ahead
Apple's digital WWDC was a success, with the company offering online labs, developer sessions, and more, and the digital format continued for the rest of Apple's 2020 events.

Prior to when Apple cancelled the in-person component of WWDC 2020 and opted for a digital event, other major events were forced to cancel ahead of time, including E3, NAB, and others, giving us insight into Apple's plans at the time.

While there's now a vaccine, it does not appear that there will be a path to a large in-person event by the time June 2021 rolls around. As The Verge points out, San Diego Comic Con, Anime Expo, and E3 have all decided not to host physical events this year. Comic Con and Anime Expo are July events and often take place after WWDC, while E3 is a June event.

For those who were hoping that things might be back to normal enough to allow for a traditional WWDC event, 2021 will not be the year that happens, and Apple is likely to once again go with the same digital format that it used last year.

In many ways, Apple's digital format is more accessible because no one has to pay $1,599 for a ticket or travel to San Jose, California for the event itself, so it's quite possible that the digital format will continue on in some way even when physical gatherings are once again possible in the future.

It will probably be some time yet before we hear about Apple's official WWDC plans. Apple last year in March announced that WWDC would be a digital-only event, but it's not clear if we'll get the same early heads up this year. WWDC info last year went out on May 5, so we could see a similar timeline this year.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Air Colors Thumb 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air Rumored to Come in These 9 Colors

Friday July 11, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia. The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...

Top Rated Comments

alpi123 Avatar
57 months ago
I definitely miss the in-person events. The digital keynotes are awesome, especially the first ones, but they're too perfect and can get boring. Seeing/hearing the audience's reaction is more fun.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Isengardtom Avatar
57 months ago
Personally I like this digital format.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jefhai Avatar
57 months ago

I miss the WWDC events from 20-some years ago before it became iOS-WWDC. I still have my Inside Macintosh books from the 1980s.
I miss the Steve Jobs WWDCs when they talked Mac OS X... and here is how we’re are making Mac OS X even better... Grand Central Dispatch boom!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
57 months ago
they are better
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Corsig Avatar
57 months ago
Personally I was a big fan of the online one. Gave them more time to show all the features without any fluff
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsareveryinteresting Avatar
57 months ago
I kind of liked Digital WWDC but in my opinion, I think in person WWDC is better.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)