WWDC 2024 live blog: get ready for iOS 18, macOS 15 and a lot of AI

So here’s an interesting thing: the iPhone 16 could be a bottleneck on Apple’s new AI features. 

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 16 is expected to have 8GB of  RAM, which may not be enough to help power the large language models that’ll reportedly support Apple’s AI tools. 

“On-device LLMs are unlikely to exceed market expectations due to the iPhone 16’s 8GB DRAM limitation,” Kuo argued in a Medium post. So maybe one should temper expectations when it comes to how much of an ‘AI phone’ the next iPhone could be. 

The analyst also noted that, “it is unlikely that Apple will announce development progress that significantly exceeds market expectations at WWDC 2024,” explaining that’s because “cloud-based LLMs require more time to train, and the development of on-device LLMs is currently limited by the iPhone 16’s 8GB of DRAM.” 

Going by that, I suspect the iPhone 16 will bridge the gap between onboard and cloud-based AI features, meaning you’ll probably need an internet connection to get the best out of any new smart features. 

Speaking of privacy, expect Apple to champion the secure and private use of data with the so-called Apple Intelligence. 

Apple has long pushed how privacy-centric its iPhones are and I don’t expect that to change with iOS 18, even if it means limiting the reach and spread of new AI tools. 

From that I can casually posit that iOS 18 won’t be leaden with very demanding AI features, unless Apple does a lot of cloud-powered offloading, which I’m sure it will do initially, with users able to tweak what data they’ll be happy with sharing outside of their iPhone’s secure enclave. 

So if MacRumor’s information is on the money, then we’re looking at a decent suite of iPhones with access to the upcoming version of iOS. 

News just in: MacRumors has a claimed list of all the iPhones that’ll work with iOS 18. 

They are as follows: 

• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS
• iPhone XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone SE (2nd generation)
• iPhone SE (3rd generation)

I’d be curious to see what Apple could do with AI on the Apple Watch, especially as it could use a connected iPhone to do a lot of the data processing heavy-lifting. But then again, the Apple Watch is rather feature-rich. 

So I’m rattling my head as to what Apple could bring to the table to really excite and delight its users. 

Ok, so let’s talk watchOS 11. From the rumors so far, we’re expecting new fitness-centric features and likely some more customization options. 

But if the predictions come to fruition, we’d be confident that some form of AI tech will be popped into watchOS. This’ll likely come in the form of custom workouts and generative AI-made plans for individuals to follow in order to meet their fitness goals. 

AI could make the Vision Pro an easier headset to use with smarter gestures and voice recognition helping users do more in a seamless fashion. That’s not to say the mixed reality headset isn’t intuitive as it is right now but a dose of smarts could smooth over some of its rough edges. 

I’d be curious to see if the Apple Vision Pro makes an appearance at WWDC. It’s a heck of a product but not a popular one; hardly surprising given its first-gen tech. 

There’s not been a barrage of murmurs over visionOS updates, but then Apple made a big deal about the Vision Pro last WWDC so surely it can’t just ignore it. 

As for AI integration across Apple’s audio and TV suite, I’m expecting smart playlists features in Apple Music and well-curated recommendations and series summaries in Apple TV Plus. 

And maybe some clever smart light syncing of what you’re listening to or watching, changing a rooms mood based on what’s playing. Hardly a super-advanced take on AI use, but one that could be fun and handy at the same time. 

And that’s pretty much my take on AI in general: I keep an open mind to it. 

Apple stands a chance of convincing me it’s the true future, if it’s well integrated into software and devices. But as much as I feel humans are fallible and often useless, there’s still something right about the human touch, be it for art or simply having someone make you a coffee. 

Audio Editor Becky Scarrott is emphatic that she doesn’t want AI-centric adaptive sound in AirPods Pro 2 and instead wants real control. 

As a fellow audio fan, I tend to agree as I don’t like how machine-learning algorithms try to tweak sound to preferences that aren’t quite yours. I feel the enjoyment of a particularly balanced audio is very much a super-personal thing that I’d not be keen leaving to an AI. Equally, I’m open-minded enough to give it a go…

Now for something a little different… well not quite as I’m still talking AI, but let’s take a look at Apple’s audio stuff. 

Speaking of AI, yet again, our Managing Editor of News Jacob Krol has a breakdown of what to expect from Apple Intelligence in iOS 18. 

From my own perspective, I’m mildly hyped about what Apple could do with AI, in what’s tipped to be called Apple Intelligence. Apple does things a little differently to other tech brands so I’d be keen to see how it approaches and embraces generative AI. 

However, there’s a lot of hype around AI that’s yet to deliver truly impressive solutions to problems. Sure AI art can look good but it’s often a mess, and AI-generated text can often be appalling. And smart photo editors are good, but then we already have some neat editing option build into camera apps, so AI takes will need to offer something truly special. 

Given everyone harps on about AI, you’d be forgiven for having a sense of ennui at the whole thing. The machines have yet to rebel, so why care about AI unless it’s having a direct effect on you? 

Well Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff reckons you should care about everything that happens at WWDC 2024 – and why it will change your Apple world.

Swinging back round to iOS for a moment and we’ve just published an article titled: Can’t wait for iOS 18? You still might want to skip the first beta release. 

That’s sage advice, as such betas are often buggy and unstable, which isn’t the sort of platform you want on your main iPhone. If you have an older yet still compatible device and are desperate to give iOS 18 a while, then I suggest using that as a beta machine. Keep your main phone for the full release only. 

Somewhat kicking against the AI trend, Fitness Editor Matt Evans isn’t stoked at the idea of having AI and large language models integrated into next-gen watchOS. 

Evans reckons there’s cause to be wary about needing to load health data into apps and features that have information-hungry AIs, and that could lead to increased commodification of data. Can’t say I disagree with his POV. 

Our software-centric computing writer Kristina Terech has some thoughts on what four ways Apple could steal Windows 11 fans’ hearts at WWDC 2024 with macOS 15. 

From gaming to granular control over any new AI tools. And I tend to agree with her wishlist. 

For iOS 18, we already have a wishlist of features. And they aren’t leaning super-heavy on AI. 

Rather some interface tweaks and the ability to do more without digging into settings will be appreciated. 

But let’s take a step back and focus on something a little more tangible for a moment. Here’s what we can expect in terms of new software from Apple: 

• iOS 18 with a beta release closely after.
• iPadOS 18 also with a beta, but perhaps limited compatibility across older iPads. 
• macOS 15 with a suitably mountain range-related name. 
• watchOS 11 with a host of new fitness-focused features. 

I think the biggest AI change Apple will bring to the table will be a smarter Siri. 

For some time, Siri has been the slower and dumbler of the virtual assistants, at least in my opinion, lagging behind Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant, An injection of new smarts and better natural language comprehension could really give Siri a kick up its virtual butt and make it a lot more usable. 

Gurman’s take is an interesting one and sort of aligns with my prediction of how Apple could go big on AI at WWDC 2024. 

My thoughts are the Cupertino crew will try to integrate AI holistically across its platforms so that using generative AI tools becomes almost second-nature. Gurman reckons such stuff will be buggy to begin with, and I don’t doubt that. 

But what I’d be curious to see if if Apple will retrofits AI capabilities into the likes of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 14, or if it’ll requie people to adopt next-generation hardware. 

Apple tipster and Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman had some interesting insights into what Apple could do with AI over on Twitt… X. 

“Apple’s AI push isn’t so much about its current devices, but enabling its next wave of hardware from AR glasses to AirPods with cameras to potentially humanoid robots and more,” Gurman posted. 

I have a mild suspicion that the need for onboard AI processing will see a whole range of Apple devices get new custom chips. And that could change their overall design to incorporate new things like enhanced cooling systems for extended performance. 

I’m talking a bit of extra thickness for iPhones as an example; think evolution not revolution. 

While AI is very much the buzzword of the world of tech right now, I suspect that Apple will make its presentation all about the seamless integration of AI and generative AI features. 

What will be curious is to see if Apple champions its own AI efforts or leans towards work done by the likes of OpenAI and ChatGPT. Apple has long gone its own way, but with AI it could take a different route. 

Having said all of that, WWDC is likely to give us a taste of what we could see from next-generation hardware. 

My own series of predictions has AI-centric ship baked in at the heart of the iPhone 16, Apple Watch 10 and more. 

Speaking of a lack of hardware, I’ve dug into what not to expect at WWDC 2024, for more details on the things we don’t reckon we’ll see. 

So give that a look so you can avoid any disappointment. Of course, also be prepared for some sudden surprises. 

So what should you expect from WWDC this year? Well I’ve penned an article with 5 things to expect from WWDC 2024 for your reading pleasure. 

But in short: forget hardware and prepare for a whole lot of AI. 

So first thing first, for everything WWDC 2024, check out this section on TechRadar. For everything else, you’re in the right place. 

Good morning from the UK. Roland Moore-Colyer here to take you through the preamble ahead of WWDC 2024. Let’s do this.