WWDC 2012 Expectations: From Retina Macs To iOS 6 (and Everything in Between)

By Johnny Wills | Jun 11, 2012 10:11 AM EDT

Previous image Enlarge Close Next image

Share This Story

There has been plenty of excitement among developers to witness the annual Worldwide Developer Conference 2012. The event, which will take place in San Francisco from June 11-15, is just a few hours away. Here is the complete list of what we could expect from the tech giant at this year's show.

Retina Macs

For the past few months, rumors have been high that Apple is about to update its MacBook-lineup of laptops with high resolution Retina display. Not a long time ago, 9To5Mac posted a leaked spec sheet indicating a display resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels in the 15-inch model of MacBook Pro. Prior to the release of MacBooks with Retina display, app developers have reportedly started updating their apps with support for the high resolution displays.

iOS 6

Like it did last year, the next generation Apple mobile operating system - iOS 6 - is coming to WWDC. Apple is expected to hand iOS 6 to developers so that they can begin development of apps while the iOS 6 is expected to go public later this year along with the debut of iPhone 5. Apple has reportedly developed its own mapping solution for iOS 6.

OS X Mountain Lion

Apple unveiled OS X Mountain Lion back in February this year. However, the tech giant never announced the official release date. So it is a good time to do that now. In the new OS X, Apple had borrowed some features from iOS including Notification Center, Airplay mirroring, Contacts app, Calendar app and Game Center. Apple is also expected to bring Voice Dictation support to Safari web browser with OS X Mountain Lion.

iPhone 5

WWDC has been a launch pad for Apple to debut new iPhones till last year. Four of the five generations of iPhones have been released at the June event, while iPhone 4S was released in October last year. Some reports claim that iPhone 4S release date was only delayed last year and Apple will continue to launch iPhones again at its Worldwide Developer Conference. However, most of the reports point to September/October release date for next generation Apple smartphone. It will be a real surprise, if Apple shows off the new iPhone next week.

Apple TV SDK

If Apple wants to make Apple TV a big hit, the tech giant really needs to open up the device for more apps. Apple is expected to do the same next week by releasing Apple TV developer kit for app makers. The rumors about a standalone HDTV from Apple are also high.

Siri SDK

Apple Siri is one of the most endearing features of iPhone 4S. However, it has got a rival in the market - S Voice from Samsung. Siri now needs new features to blow the competition away. Apple may release Siri SDK for developers so that they can integrate their respective apps with the voice controlled application.

iCloud Updates

Apple is expected to update iCloud service with new features like video streaming, photo sharing, and Reminder and Notes web applications.

T-Mobile's iPhone Compatible Network

T-Mobile can also announce an iPhone compatible HSPA+ network at WWDC 2012. The carrier said last week that it will have iPhone compatible 4G network ready for attendees at this week's event.