10 Questions We’d Like Answered at Apple’s WWDC 2015

by Don Reisinger

Apple has been conspicuously unwilling to talk about Apple Watch units sold. The company has said that sales are outpacing its expectations and supply is tight, but it hasn’t actually said how many units have been sold. It would be nice to hear Apple finally put a number on smartwatch sales at WWDC.

There’s a very good chance that iOS 9 will be announced at WWDC, but the question on many users’ minds is whether the operating system will come with multi-user support. Android already has it, and in a world where families are sharing iPads, it would be nice to see Apple allow all family members to log into iOS and have their own unique desktops.

The prevailing rumor surrounding WWDC suggests that Apple will announce a new streaming-music service designed to take on Spotify and Pandora. The big question, however, is whether Beats Music will be that platform or whether that platform will never again see the light of day. Several reports have suggested that Apple bought Beats for its streaming music service, and at WWDC, hopefully, we’ll find out what the fate of that offering is.

It may only be a couple of months since Apple Watch hit store shelves, but users have already reported some odd quirks in its software that Apple may want to address as part of a broader OS update. WWDC is about developers and software, after all, so it would be nice to see the company announce a significant upgrade to Apple Watch’s operating system that will be available later this year.

Although several rumors have suggested that Apple will announce a television streaming service at WWDC, now some say the idea has been shelved. But if Apple has concrete plans to launch a television-streaming service, it would be great if Tim Cook tells us what we can expect. Apple doesn’t need to launch it now, but a launch at some point in the near future would be welcome.

This has been a question for years, and so far, Apple has been unwilling to give customers what they’re seeking. However, anyone who has taken an interest in this product wants to know if a new Apple TV set-top box will launch this year. WWDC seems like the perfect place to announce a new Apple TV, considering an update could include some new apps and a video service.

One of the biggest issues with WWDC over the years has been that it drags on with demo after demo of all of the new features built into Apple’s operating systems. What’s worse, Apple then welcomes third-party developers to show off their wares. Apple needs to cut back on all the demos and just stick to the key details. The breakout sessions as part of WWDC will be sufficient for developers to learn more about its operating systems.

The first slate of Apple HomeKit devices has shipped, which has, of course, led people to wonder when more products will be available. Given the timing of the recent release, it’s possible that Apple will make some big announcements around its Internet of things and home automation services this year. It’d be great to see some big names announce support for HomeKit and launch products sooner rather than later.

If Google I/O and the Android M update tell us anything, it’s that lately Apple operating systems are small updates and not major, revolutionary changes to the way we interact with devices and application software. Most of Apple’s OS launches in recent years have followed the same pattern. Apple is expected to offer more iterative updates with Mac OS X and iOS 9—which, of course, begs the question of when (or perhaps even if) we will ever see another major OS update from Apple.

This may be a long shot, since Apple has gone silent on the topic, but it’s always possible that a new iPad will debut at WWDC. We haven’t seen a new iPad in more than a year and sales are starting to tumble in that part of Apple’s business. The timing seems right for a new iPad and perhaps even the long-rumored iPad Pro. But will it happen?