What you need to know
- Apple has just announced WWDC 2021.
- It will take place on June 7 through 11.
- It will be an all-online event.
Apple has just announced that WWDC 2021 will take place on June 7-11 in an all-online format.
In a press release the company stated:
Apple today announced it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 7 through 11, in an all-online format. Free for all developers, WWDC21 will offer unique insight into the future of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Building on the record-breaking participation and learnings from last year's online conference, WWDC21 is an opportunity for developers to learn about the new technologies, tools, and frameworks they rely on to build innovative and platform-differentiating apps and games. Apple also announced that this year's Swift Student Challenge, an opportunity for young developers to demonstrate their coding skills by creating a Swift playground, is now accepting submissions.
Apple is likely to announce a new version of iOS 15 to replace the current iOS 14, as well as new software for iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. There was no new hardware at WWDC last year, and it's unclear if that trend will continue.
Apple says that its Swift Student Challenge will again take place during the event and that students can sign up starting today through April 18. WWDC21 is being hosted as part of Apple's $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative:
To support the local economy, even while WWDC21 is hosted online and as part of its $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, Apple is also committing $1 million to SJ Aspires, an education and equity initiative launched by the City of San José. Focused on enabling youth in underserved neighborhoods to set goals and chart a path toward receiving a college education, SJ Aspires offers a performance-based scholarship program that educates students about their college and career choices, and provides individual mentorship and advising as well as online tools to help reduce the barriers Black and Brown students face in accessing academic opportunities. This builds on Apple's multiyear partnership with the City of San José and the San José Public Library Foundation in support of technology programming.
Apple plans to share more programming information in advance of the event through the Apple Developer app and on its Apple Developer website.
