WWDC 2019: Dates, What to Expect

2019 Worldwide Developers Conference

2019 Worldwide Developers Conference
What We Expect to See
Tickets
Past WWDCs
WWDC 2019 Timeline

Every year, Apple holds an annual Worldwide Developers Conference near its Cupertino campus in California to give thousands of developers from a round the world a chance to meet up with Apple engineers and attend valuable workshops and software development sessions.

For many years, Apple held WWDC at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, but starting with 2017, the company moved to the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, where this year's conference will also be held. WWDC 2019 will take place from Monday, June 3 to Friday, June 7.

Apple kicks off each conference with a keynote on the first day, where the company makes major announcements and sets the stage for the rest of the week. Keynote events typically offer a look upcoming products and provide the first details on new operating systems, though some years there are no hardware announcements.

In 2019, we're expecting to see new versions of iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS for sure, and as the date of the conference approaches, we'll likely hear more about what to expect at WWDC.

Apple has not yet officially announced dates for WWDC 2019, but we have discovered that the event will almost certainly place on June 3-7th, 2019. Last year, Apple officially announced WWDC in March.

What We Expect to See

iOS 13

At WWDC, Apple will introduce iOS 13, the next-generation version of iOS. We've already been hearing rumors about what to expect in iOS 13, and the update set to include some useful new features.

Dark mode, introduced on macOS in Mojave and a long-desired iOS feature is coming in iOS 13, and it could also bring some other design changes. We're expecting to see a redesigned Home screen for the iPhone and the iPad.

Live photos will be updated, the Files app is going to be revamped, and new Mail features are expected.

For the iPad specifically, Apple is planning to introduce a feature for displaying multiple windows in a single iPad app using a tab view, and a multitasking feature for using two windows of the same app side by side is in the works.

For full details on iOS 13, make sure to check out our iOS 13 roundup.

macOS 10.15

The next-generation version of macOS, macOS 10.15, will be unveiled at WWDC. We don't know a lot about the update as of yet, but Apple is working on a new universal apps feature, which first debuted in macOS Mojave and iOS 12, and will expand to developers in iOS 13 and macOS 10.15.

Apple's aim is to let developers design a single app that works with either a touchscreen or a mouse and trackpad based on whether it's running on iOS or macOS. This universal app feature would likely significantly increase the number of apps available on Macs while also cutting down on developer workload to create cross-platform apps.

Apple began issuing warnings about 32-bit apps in macOS Mojave, and has said that Mojave will be the last version of macOS to support them. Apple is expected to phase out support for 32-bit apps in macOS 10.15, which means some older apps that haven't been updated in awhile will cease to work.

For more on what's coming in macOS 10.15, check out our macOS 10.15 roundup.

Other Software Releases

Along with iOS 13 and macOS 10.15, Apple will unveil new versions of tvOS and watchOS. We don't know what we can expect from these updates as of yet, but we may hear more as the event date approaches.

Mac Pro

Rumors suggest Apple is considering previewing the redesigned Mac Pro that's in the works at WWDC. Since early 2017, Apple has been working on a high-end high-throughput Mac Pro aimed at Apple's pro user base. It will feature top-of-the-line components and a modular design that makes it easy to upgrade parts.

Apple has not made a firm decision about showing off the Mac Pro at WWDC, so it might not happen.

Tickets

Due to overwhelming demand and the sheer number of App Store developers, Apple offers tickets to WWDC via a lottery system. Prospective attendees enter a lottery and can only attend WWDC if they are awarded a ticket.For the past several years, tickets to WWDC have been priced at $1,599 each, and 2019 is no exception.

To enter the ticket lottery, developers must have been a member of the Apple Developer Program or the Apple Developer Enterprise Program as of March 14, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Registration will be open until March 20, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and developers who win a ticket will be notified by March 21 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time, offering plenty of time for them to make travel arrangements.

Apple is also offering up to 350 WWDC scholarships with free tickets and accommodations to students and STEM organizations around the world. Those who want to win a scholarship will need to create an interactive Swift Playground that can be experienced within three minutes. Apple is taking applications until Sunday, March 24, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. PDT, with scholarship winners to be notified by Monday, April 15.

Past WWDCs

WWDC 2018

At WWDC 2018, Apple made the following software and hardware announcements:

WWDC 2017

At WWDC 2017, Apple made the following software and hardware announcements:

WWDC 2016

At WWDC 2016, Apple made the following announcements:

WWDC 2015

At WWDC 2015, Apple unveiled the following services and software:

WWDC 2014

At WWDC 2014, Apple unveiled the following services and software:

WWDC 2013

At 2013's WWDC, Apple unveiled iOS 7, OS X Mavericks, iWork for iCloud, the Mac Pro, and new MacBook Airs.

WWDC 2012

2012's event saw the introduction of the MacBook Pro with Retina Display, iOS 6 and its standalone Maps app, OS X Mountain Lion, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air updates, and a redesigned AirPort Express.

WWDC 2019

Apple's 209 WWDC event is expected to take place from June 3 to June 7.

At a Glance

Expected Announcements