CultCast #286 - WWDC Product Predictions! đź•şđź•şđź•ş

The CultCast - A podcast by America's favorite Apple Podcast - Fridays

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Technology

This week: new evidence points to one of the most hardware-packed WWDCs in years!  Add in four new OS reveals and, by golly, you have one heckuva exciting show.  We’ll tell you all we know, and share all the products we predict will hit the stage.
 
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We also want to give Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com a  thanks for the great music you hear on today's show.
 
On the show this week
@erfon / @bst3r / @lkahney
 
Steve Jobs closes down Apple!
 
Everything we expect to see at WWDC2017
 
MacBook Pro
Macbook Pro with Touch Bar was announced 7 months ago!  But a new one looks to be on the way.  Expect:
  • More powerful Kaby Lake processors
  • 32GB of desktop-class RAM for 15-inch MacBook Pro
  • Price slash for 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar which hasn’t been selling well per Ming Chi Kuo
 
MacBook Pro shipping estimates hint at WWDC refresh
  • Shipping times for the 15-inch model have slipped on the Apple online store
  • It seems strange that shipping times would suddenly slip for a product that’s been on sale since October.
  • “A spot check shows 15-inch MacBook Pro delivery estimates are similarly as long in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, and several other countries,” reports MacRumors.
 
12-inch MacBook
  • It’s been over a year since Apple has updated its the portable 12-inch MacBook.  Now would be a good time.
 
MacBook Air
  • Bloomberg reported earlier in May that Apple is “considering” updating the MacBook Pro with a newer processor because sales of the machine have continued to be “surprisingly strong.” Who knows what processor it’ll get or what (if any ) other upgrades (like as USB-C or a new display) might be included.
 
iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini
  • Apple announced earlier this year that they are hard at work on new pro-level desktop machines, but don’t expect to see anything at WWDC. The company made it clear that the new Mac Pro is in the works, but they also gave a spec bump to the current line.
  • It is possible we may see an announcement about the pro-level iMacs they talked about, especially considering it hasn’t been updated since Oct. 2015!  Maybe we’ll get some Kaby lake chips.
 
10.5-inch iPad Pro
  • KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks there’s a good chance Apple will debut its 10.5-inch iPad Pro at this year’s event.
  • But if it will be using a new design language similar to the iPhone 8, it probably won’t be revealed until after the new iPhones.
 
Apple is already manufacturing its Siri-powered speaker
  • Apple’s grand unveiling of its Siri-powered home speaker could come as soon as next week, according to a new report that claims production on the new device is already underway.
  • “The device will differ from Amazon.com Inc.’s Echo and Alphabet Inc.’s Google Home speakers by offering virtual surround sound technology and deep integration with Apple’s product lineup,” reports Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter.
  • If Apple does announce the speaker at WWDC don’t expect it to be available immediately. The report claims that units won’t ship until later this year, giving devs plenty of time to integrate their applications with it.
 
Apple registers new Macs, iPads, Magic Keyboard ahead of WWDC
  • Apple has registered a bunch of new products with the Eurasian Economic Commission ahead of WWDC next week.
  • Its filings hint at the imminent arrival of new Macs, iPads, and a refreshed Magic Keyboard.
  • The company has registered five new Macs with the EEC
  • Another four model numbers are associated with iOS 10, which likely ties them to new iPad Pros. Possibly also the 10.5-inch model
  • Finally, there’s a model number that points to a wireless keyboard. It’s been well over 19 months since Apple introduced the original Magic Keyboard, so we could well see a refreshed model with some minor improvements under the hood.
 
Get drawing tips as we cover WWDC with sketchnotes