Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be held online this year. The event will run from June 7th to June 11th, although the official announcement had few other details to give.

The annual event is where Apple usually provides details on the planned changes that are coming to all of its devices and operating systems, although the occasional hardware announcement does surprise every now and then. The conference is typically targeted more towards tech enthusiasts, shareholders, and developers who work on their systems rather than being more consumer-focused. For example, last year Apple used the conference to announce the transition of its Mac lineup to using its own Apple Silicon processors.

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The move of the conference to online follows last year's conference also being held online due to the Coronavirus pandemic that has seen the majority of large events and conferences opt for an online presence. The announcement follows in the wake of similar events announcing a virtual format such as Facebook's F8 developer conference.

Although, some events have decided to maintain their in-person events, such as this year's San Diego Comic-Con, which is slated for this November. In Apple's official press release, Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations Susan Prescott said, "We are working to make WWDC21 our biggest and best yet, and are excited to offer Apple developers new tools to support them as they create apps that change the way we live, work, and play."

The opaque nature of Apple's official announcement has left the excited community to speculate what is going to be shown at the event. Many expect an update on the previously mentioned transition to Apple's Silicon processors, while many others are hoping that Apple's long-rumored VR headset or AR glasses may be announced. While hardware announcements are unlikely at WWDC, such an announcement would not be unprecedented. At WWDC 2019 Apple announced that year's new Mac Pro, while in 2017 it announced a range of new hardware products such as HomePod smart speaker and a new 10.5-inch iPad Pro.

Keeping with last year's online format makes a lot of sense with the pandemic making the more traditional formats of many events simply unsafe, although companies moving away from in-person events has brought the future of some popular in-person events, such as E3, into question. The event will take place while Apple is being investigated for anti-competitive behavior as a consequence of its recent lawsuit with Epic Games, but there is unlikely to be any news or comments on that at the event. WWDC always has plenty of exciting announcements for those interested, so fans should have plenty to talk about after the event this June.

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Source: The Verge