Apple has confirmed the final details of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, giving us a concrete date and time for when to catch this year’s opening keynote.
The opening keynote of WWDC 2024 is where we’ll see the five-day conference’s most important hardware and software announcements — including our first look at how Apple plans to bring AI to iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and potentially even Apple Watch devices. should be tightly integrated into the expected reveals of milestone operating system updates in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15.
So, with everything set in stone, let’s dive into when and how we can watch WWDC 2024’s opening keynote, and what we should expect from Apple this year.
WWDC 2024: When and how to watch Apple’s keynote
WWDC 2024 is set to take place from Monday, June 10, with the five-day event drawing to a close on Friday, Jun 14. The conference’s opening keynote (where we expect Apple’s juiciest reveals to take place) will kick start proceedings at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.
Not in the U.S. or outside of the ET/PT time zones? Don’t worry, here’s a further look at when Apple’s keynote will take place so you don’t miss out on the reveals as they happen:
- United States and Canada: 10 a.m. PDT, 12 p.m. CDT, 1 p.m. EDT
- Brazil: 2 p.m. BRT
- United Kingdom: 6 p.m. BST
- Europe: 7 p.m. CEST,
- Russia: 8 p.m. MSK
- India: 10:30 p.m. IST
- China: Tuesday, 11 June, 1 a.m. CST
- Australia: Tuesday, 11 June, 3 a.m. AEST, 1 a.m. AWST
- Japan: Tuesday, 11 June, 2 a.m. JST
- New Zealand: Tuesday, 11 Jun, 5 a.m. NZST
As for how to watch Apple’s WWDC, those unlucky enough to be at the event in person will be able to watch along live online through Apple’s WWDC event page, or on Apple’s YouTube channel.
Laptop Mag will also be live blogging the event, so if you can’t watch live but still want to be kept in the loop, you can follow along with all the reveals and post-keynote coverage in real time.
So, follow Laptop Mag on Twitter, Facebook, and Flipboard for updates on when we go live and for the latest word on all things Apple and WWDC 2024 as it arrives.
WWDC 2024: What to expect
Much of Apple’s annual WWDC event focuses on developers and introducing them to many new features, tricks, and tools when it comes to improving the experience of building apps and software for newly announced operating systems.
Thankfully Apple is swift and to the point when it comes to stuff that its wider audience want to see, with the conference’s opening keynote diving headfirst into hardware and software goodies and saving the more technical side of the conference for later.
This year will undoubtedly be no different. Here’s what we currently expect to see announced at WWDC, each of which featuring a healthy dose of AI talk along the way:
- New milestone OS announcements: From iPhone to Apple Watch, expect an all-new milestone showcase for each of Apple’s operating systems, including a reveal of the latest versions of Apple’s most popular platforms in macOS 15 and iOS 18.
- More on M4: While we aren’t expecting there to be many (if any) hardware announcements at this year’s WWDC, we may see and hear more about Apple’s latest M4 chipset, including official word on when we can expect them to appear in MacBooks going forward.
- Siri 2.0: Perhaps the biggest changes with Apple’s adoption of AI will be the ones that impact Siri. Apple’s long-time virtual assistant is set for an AI makeover which could see it upgraded with more ChatGPT-like chatbot features than could run on the newly announced GPT-4o.
See more: Are Siri and ChatGPT enough to make Microsoft Copilot crumble?
- One more thing…: There’s always a ‘One more thing’ moment to appreciate at Apple’s WWDC, and we’re hoping for something to bowl us over at this year’s showcase once again. What will it be? Nobody knows, these moments are typically kept completely under wraps, even from the press. So, presuming you’re watching the keynote live or following along with us on the Laptop Mag live blog, you’ll be finding out about it at the same time we do.
If you want to catch the latest word as it arrives, then by sure to also check out our WWDC 2024 rumor hub for the latest news and information surrounding Apple’s event.
WWDC 2024: A Swift reprisal?
Featuring the image of and the word “swift” in the tagline of this year’s WWDC could be a nod to the speed and performance of Apple’s M4 chipset, or the enhanced productivity to be enjoyed through new AI features. However, there’s also the possibility that this could be a subtle namedrop to the world’s most famous “Swift.”
It wouldn’t be the first time that pop sensation Taylor Swift was featured at one of Apple’s WWDC, after all. During a demo for iOS 10 during 2016’s WWDC, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, showcased how users could now interact with notifications without unlocking their iPhone by swiping away and dismissing (staged) notifications, including a Facebook friend request from Taylor Swift herself.
Are we likely to see her make an appearance at WWDC? While the opening keynote doesn’t typically lend itself to live performances, we may see the pop icon appear in one of Apple’s many vignettes — she is known for appearing in Apple Music ads, after all.
Still, fans of the pop star can hope, just as one Reddit user is when they picture Taylor taking over as the voice of Siri — which would no doubt add salt to the wounds of Apple’s reported AI partner, OpenAI, who is currently in hot water over its chatbot’s Scarlett Johansson-like voice. However, Apple isn’t entering WWDC without its own share of bad press recently.
Apple recently came under fire for its Apple iPad Pro M4 “Crush!” advert, which saw creatives offended by the company using the visuals of real-world instruments being compressed into the new iPad’s svelte frame. While many thought nothing of it, Apple was compelled to apologize after many saw this as Apple “missing the mark” when it comes to cultural reactions to all-digital music and the threat of generative AI to artists.
With Apple set to unveil a whole host of AI features during this year’s keynote, having the once wronged-by-AI-herself Taylor Swift onside to feature during the event could be the smartest possible option. If her appearance and trust in Apple’s AI vision doesn’t help to ease concerns, at least the “Swifties” will be there to police any negativity from the comments sections in their own unique ways.
