Today Apple will hold its opening keynote for WWDC 2020, its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The company is expected to discuss iOS 14 for the iPhone and iPad, as well as new WatchOS and MacOS software to power its Apple Watch, MacBooks, iMacs and Mac Pros, too. But the biggest change may not be about the look of Apple’s Macs or a new feature for the iPhone. Apple is expected to announce that the chips powering its Mac computers will change, shifting from chips made by Intel to new Arm-based ones similar to those built for the iPhone.
The move has been rumored for years, most recently in a report by Bloomberg citing anonymous sources familiar with the company’s plans. Making such a change could allow Apple to make thinner laptops with better battery life and potentially quieter cooling fans. But the transition will likely take a year or more, meaning you’re in for a wait for new computers with those chips inside.
WWDC 2020 start time
Apple’s WWDC 2020 keynote, which will be headed by CEO Tim Cook, takes place Monday, June 22, at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. GMT / June 23 at 3 a.m. AEST.
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How to watch Apple’s WWDC keynote livestream
CNET will be hosting a livestream discussion of Apple’s event as it’s happening, and we’ll have a live blog with up-to-the-minute analysis during the event. Watch live on CNET in the video at the top of this article.
Apple will host a livestream of the event on its Apple Events page too. If you’re an Apple TV owner, you can also watch the livestream via the Apple Events app — there are also archives of older events, if you’re feeling nostalgic.
What to expect from WWDC 2020
Almost certainly we’ll get updates to iOS, MacOS and WatchOS. TVOS for the Apple TV may also get an update. Rumors point to a possible update for the iMac, in addition to Apple’s announcement of its plans to change the chips inside its computers.
Apple’s WWDC invitation mascots this year are a group of coders, whose faces mimic the company’s memoji animation technology.
Apple
While Apple’s WWDC 2020 keynote may include the biggest changes for the Mac computer in years, it’ll also be the first time Apple will be holding a keynote amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected nearly 9 million people and killed more than 468,000 around the globe.
In response to the crisis, Apple and other tech giants like Facebook and Google canceled their in-person conferences around Silicon Valley. Apple and Microsoft instead chose to hold virtual conferences, livestreaming presentations to developers around the world.
CNET’s global team will be covering Apple’s event, as well as other conferences that have shifted online. Our coverage will include the real-time updates, commentary and analysis you can only get here.
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