6 WWDC Predictions the Rumor Mill Got Right — And a Few It Didn’t 

There’s a lot of pent-up excitement and anticipation in the run-up to Apple’s annual WWDC keynote, where software developers and iOS aficionados from all around the world come together to learn more about all the company has been working on over the last year.  

WWDC 2018 was a thrilling and fast-paced exposition loaded to the brim with new software updates from all of Apple’s leading operating systems including macOS 10.14 Mojave, iOS 12, tvOS 12 and watchOS 5. And while Cupertino seized on last year’s WWDC keynote as a venue to showcase new products like the HomePod Siri speaker, new iPad Pros and refreshed Mac computers, this year unfortunately saw no new hardware and focused exclusively on software advancements.

As we have before, iDrop News went ahead and took a look back on the last year’s worth of Apple rumors to see where the rumor mill was right, and where it was wrong, about WWDC 2018. Continue reading for 6 WWDC surprises the rumor mill got right and a handful it missed.

? Organized, Stress-Reducing Notifications

Image via Apple

As part of iDrop News exclusive pre-WWDC predictions, yours truly speculated that if Apple really wanted to make a splash with iOS 12, it would pay close attention to (or even fully revamp) some core system features like the iOS Control and Notification Centers.

And while the former basically went untouched in Apple’s latest update, the company did, quite surprisingly, introduce Grouped Notifications which promises to reduce stress and anxiety when scrolling through notifications in iOS 12.

As the name implies, Group Notifications is a long-overdue feature that groups iOS notifications into folders according to app and time it arrived. Simply pull down the menu from the top of the screen and, if there’s more than one notification waiting for each app listed, you’ll notice the cards appear stacked on top of one-another — just tap and hold briefly to reveal a drop-down menu of additional notification previews directly from the iOS 12 Notification Center.

? FaceTime Group Calling

Image via Apple

Another long overdue but nonetheless appreciated feature Apple introduced this year is FaceTime Group Calling, which essentially means Apple has released the framework enabling FaceTime video calls between multiple iMessage users (32, to be exact!) allowing those present to engage in the conversation intuitively.

While it’ll certainly be interesting to see how FaceTime Group Calling works in real-world usage, just considering Apple’s on-stage demonstration at WWDC, it’s clear this feature is one the company may have postponed intentionally so it could work out the systemic and UI kinks before going live with it.

Apple’s feature looked incredibly smooth and efficient with six members in the chat — though how 32 at once will fare in real life remains to be seen!

? Smartphone Addiction Management

Image via Apple

Apple, in the months leading up to WWDC 2018, had been receiving a wealth of flak from critics and random advocacy groups who accused the company of "failing to do more to curb the epidemic that is smartphone addiction" — particularly among the teenage population.

Interestingly, Apple acknowledged these claims earlier this year with a public statement indicating it’s assembled a team of iOS engineers to work on features designed to help curb smartphone usage, as well as give parents more insight into their kid’s device usage patterns.

And at WWDC 2018, Apple delivered, introducing multiple new tools built to address these issues head-on:

• Up first we have Screen Time, a new iOS tool that monitors device usage and can be configured to issue notifications when the screen has been on and active for specified amount of time. The utility also displays a graphic chart of daily and weekly usage patterns, and is designed primarily to give parents insight into (and the option to modify) their kid’s smartphone or tablet usage.
• Additionally, Apple released a feature dubbed Do Not Disturb at Bedtime. Similar to its in-car While Driving counterpart, Do Not Disturb at Bedtime is an iOS feature designed to briefly hide unread notifications in a separate screen where they cannot be viewed until such time you specify. Apple says the goal of the feature is to reduce iOS user’s stress and anxiety before bed by hiding their unread notifications until they are ready for them in the morning.

? Dark Mode (for Mac)

Image via Appleosophy

Whether it’s been rumored for the next installment of macOS or iOS, a true and genuine ‘Dark Mode’ has been a feature request in the pipeline for what seems like years now.

Apple has for whatever reason elected by default to apply a bright, white background to its macOS and iOS core system menus and apps — but for a very long time, users have griped that the company should introduce the option to apply a darker mode, rendering the menus and apps easier on the eyes.

Luckily, while iOS could definitely use the feature, too, Apple finally decided to introduce a formal dark mode theme in the upcoming macOS 10.14 Mojave.

Notably, the feature was predicted several weeks ahead of the event when macOS code revealed its imminence.

Sadly, we still don’t know when this feature will arrive on iOS, but given it’s coming to macOS soon, and that Apple is readying more new OLED iPhones for the fall of this year, it’s not unreasonable to think we’re that far off.

? Smarter Siri

Image via Apple

Apple’s voice-driven personal assistant, Siri, is another area where Apple had been dogged in the months running-up to WWDC 2018. In fact, the company has been dogged for Siri’s lackluster performance for years now, though it wasn’t until earlier this year when the company announced it would be assembling a team of top-shelf engineers to bolster Siri with future software updates.

At WWDC 2018, Apple unveiled the first-fruits of its new Siri ambitions, which takes the form of a new iOS app and AI-based framework dubbed Siri Shortcuts.

Meant to simplify your daily workflow and streamline the process of scheduling and carrying-out tasks, Siri Shortcuts is a powerful new tool that enables you to handle many things, instantly and efficiently, using just a single voice command.

Users can, for instance, create a shortcut for “heading home” (from work, class, etc.) When initiated by being spoken into the device, this single, spoken command can perform a wide-range of pre-determined tasks simultaneously, such as pulling up the route home in Maps, turning on your favorite Apple Music playlist, sending a text to your family back at the house, or even ordering food for pick-up on your way.

It’s not entirely clear if Siri, herself, has gotten smarter from a language comprehension standpoint as pursuant with these updates — but Siri Suggestions is a clear step in the right direction for now..

? Vastly Improved Performance 

Image via iAppleBytes

Apple faced a whirlwind of backlash earlier this year when it was revealed that the company intentionally hindered the CPU performance of older devices like the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 in a bid to improve battery performance. The debacle set-off a firestorm of lawsuits against the company, who, as a direct result, ultimately came out with new battery health and management tools as part of the recent iOS 11.3 software update.

Now, sticking true to its promises, Apple has released iOS 12 with a specific focus on performance enhancements for older devices, and new devices alike. And, unsurprisingly, some of the early speed test results are actually quite impressive, revealing considerable performance gains on older devices like iPhone 5s, and even brand-new devices like the iPhone 8.

? No New Hardware 

Image via M-TECH PRO

While a barrage of rumors leading up to the once-annual event had predicted 2018 could be another year full of WWDC product launches, sadly Apple failed to deliver anything new or refreshed, tangibly speaking.

• Notably, there was the 13-inch MacBook/MacBook Air refresh initially speculated by the former KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, which failed to make a showing either before or during WWDC.
• There’s also the smaller, cheaper HomePod initially hyped up by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
• And the iPhone SE 2 that was rumored in some earlier reports to make its debut at WWDC.

Well, we did get iOS 12, macOS 10.14, tvOS 12 and watchOS 5 — all of which will officially be launching to the public later on this fall..

Fortunately, for those who were really hoping for new Apple products this week, we should be seeing a ton of them, including an iPhone X-inspired iPad Pro with a new design and Face ID, at that time.