On Monday, Apple will hold its opening keynote for WWDC 2020, its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. At WWDC, the company is expected to discuss its new iOS 14 iPhone and iPad software, as well as new WatchOS and MacOS software to power its Apple Watch, MacBooks, iMacs and Mac Pros, too.
Apple’s Macs are about to change, big time.
Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET
But the biggest change may not be about the look of Apple’s Macs or a new feature for the iPhone. Apple is expected to announce that the chips powering its Mac computers will change, shifting from chips made by Intel to new ones similar to those built for the iPhone instead.
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The next big iOS, WatchOS and MacOS updates coming soon
7:59
The move has been rumored for years, most recently in a report by Bloomberg citing anonymous sources familiar with the company’s plans. The move may allow Apple to make thinner laptops with better battery life and potentially quieter cooling fans. But the transition will likely take a year or more, and new computers with the chips inside likely won’t arrive immediately.
While Apple’s WWDC 2020 keynote may include the biggest changes for the Mac computer in years, it’ll also be the first time Apple will be holding a keynote amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected nearly 8 million people and killed more than 434,000 around the globe.
Apple’s WWDC invitation mascots this year are a group of coders, whose faces mimic the company’s memoji animation technology.
Apple
In response to the crisis, Apple and other tech giants like Facebook and Google canceled their in-person conferences around Silicon Valley. Apple and Microsoft instead chose to hold virtual conferences, livestreaming presentations to developers around the world.
The WWDC 2020 keynote, which will be headed by CEO Tim Cook, takes place on Monday, June 22, at 10 a.m. PT. Apple will host a livestream of the event on its Apple Events page.
If you are an Apple TV owner, you can also watch the livestream via the Apple Events app — and there are archives of older events if you’re feeling nostalgic.
CNET’s global team will cover Apple’s event, as well as other conferences that have shifted online. And our coverage will include the real-time updates, commentary and analysis you can only get here.
WWDC 2020 start time
Apple’s WWDC 2020 keynote takes place Monday, June 22 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. GMT / June 23 at 3 a.m. AEST.
Livestream
CNET will be hosting a livestream discussion of Apple’s event as it’s happening, and we’ll have a live blog with up-to-the-minute analysis during the event. Watch LIVE on CNET here.
Apple will host a livestream of the event on its Apple Events page too. If you are an Apple TV owner, you can also watch the livestream via the Apple Events app — there are also archives of older events if you’re feeling nostalgic.
What to expect from WWDC 2020
Almost certainly we’ll get updates to iOS, MacOS and WatchOS. TVOS for the Apple TV may also get an update. Rumors point to a possible update for the iMac, in addition to Apple’s announcement of its plans to change the chips inside its computers.