In a nutshell: The final developer conference of the Tim Cook era kicks off on June 8 with a keynote and the platforms state of the union address, Apple has revealed. The annual Worldwide Developers Conference will run through June 12, featuring more than 100 video sessions regarding design, tools, and technologies. Attendees are also invited to take part in group labs and discuss innovations with others on the Apple developer forums.
Both the keynote and state of the platform address will be available to stream on YouTube or directly on Apple's website, with on-demand playbacks for viewing at the conclusion of the stream.
In addition to the latest on Apple's various operating system platforms, AI is expected to be a central talking point during the keynote. Most expect Apple to introduce an improved version of Siri with cutting-edge chatbot-style functionality and enhanced capabilities.
Apple also recently previewed a new suite of accessibility features powered by Apple Intelligence, including voice control, on-device subtitle generation for uncaptioned videos, and a feature to control compatible power wheelchairs using Apple Vision Pro. The company will host a Today at Apple session on May 20 to delve further into the topic, and it's likely that we'll also see some of these new products featured during WWDC.
Back in April, Tim Cook announced plans to step down as CEO in September after roughly 14 years at the helm. Cook took over for Steve Jobs in mid-2011, just a few months before his passing from ongoing health issues. Cook, now 65, helped oversee the launch of some of Apple's leading hardware platforms including the Apple Watch and the AirPods.
Taking his place will be John Ternus, current senior vice president of hardware engineering. Ternus joined Apple in 2001 as part of the product design team, eventually working his way up to VP of hardware engineering. Those in inner circles viewed him as a potential successor to Cook, and that indeed proved to be the case. Cook isn't leaving Apple, but will instead become executive chairman of the board of directors.