Apple's WWDC event might be over but there's still plenty to get excited about
There might just be gold at the end of that rainbow.
Every year the world gets ready for WWDC and what it will bring. 2023 was no different, and Apple didn't disappoint. But the post-WWDC hangover is real and I'm here to say that there's plenty still to get excited about before the next one rolls around.
This year's WWDC was bigger than most thanks to the sheer number of announcements that Apple got through. There was of course a slew of software updates to preview, with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17 all getting some stage time — and with some big new features, they all look pretty great. But that just doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of Apple's WWDC announcements.
There was of course the world's first 15-inch MacBook Air and the updated M2 flavor Mac Studio. Then we finally saw the first Apple silicon Mac Pro arrive, powered by the M2 Ultra. And yet somehow we still weren't done. Somehow, there was something even bigger. That something was the Vision Pro headset, and it was glorious.
And then it was over
With all of that announced, (rough) release timescales installed, and betas released, it's easy to have that sense that something's missing. Something that was there before but no longer is. It's a feeling that rolls around after every WWDC because it's easy to feel like the fun is done. There's nothing new on the horizon.
Except, that's far from the case because Apple's 2023 is barely really even started. Its product announcements are weighted towards the end of the year, and there are some big ones still to come.
New iPhones
Apple hasn't even gotten around to announcing its best iPhones yet. They'll very likely be shown off for the first time in September, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max set to be the pick of the bunch thanks to a new periscope camera, Action button, and more.
We can expect the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro to debut alongside it of course, but it's the big Pro one that will capture the most attention. It'll also be the most expensive, so those looking for a bargain ahead of time should check out our list of the best Prime Day Apple deals to get ahead on those savings.
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But the iPhone isn't the only thing we can expect to debut in September.
New Apple Watches
It now looks increasingly likely there will be a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra announced later this year, while the Apple Watch Series 9 is a given at this point. The Apple Watch SE might even make it a trio of wearable releases.
Little is known about this year's Apple Watch refreshes and the Apple Watch Ultra in particular will be an interesting one. Will Apple refresh the design just one year in, or can buyers expect more of a spec bump this time around? Time will tell.
To Christmas, and beyond!
And yet we still aren't done, are we?
There's always the chance of new iPads, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that new M2 iMacs could even break cover before the end of 2023.
What else? Well, all of that software that Apple just announced has to ship eventually and September or October is the smart bet there. And that's just what we know about — Apple could have yet more products and refreshes lined up.
Looking beyond 2023? The first half of 2024 will no doubt bring with it more Macs and then there's the release of the Vision Pro headset. That could happen at any point in the first six months of 2024, so perhaps don't start holding your breath just yet. At least the longer the way, the longer we have to save those 3,499 United States Dollars needed to get one.
And after that? It'll be WWDC 2024. And the fun can start all over again.
Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.