Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference is typically a springboard for the company to announce new tech features for its software programs, and not as flashy as its yearly September event to trumpet its latest iPhone rollout. But this year, the WWDC could be a make-or-break moment for the tech giant.
That's because CEO Tim Cook is expected to announce Apple's strategy for integrating artificial intelligence into its tech, an area in which Wall Street analysts say the tech giant has so far lagged behind rivals such as Microsoft and Google.
The WWDC announcement could be "a pivotal moment in Apple's future," according to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, with the company expected to unveil exclusive AI features for the upcoming iPhone 16. The conference comes at a time when Apple needs to juice up its iPhone business, with sales of the devices plunging 10% in the first three months of 2024, the steepest quarterly decline since the start of the pandemic.
"[W]e believe [WWDC] will kick off an AI-driven accelerated growth cycle on the iPhone and services that will be the narrative of the Apple story for the coming years," Ives said in a Sunday research note.
Here's what to know about WWDC.
When is WWDC?
The Worldwide Developers Conference starts on June 10 and runs through June 14, with developers attending in person at Apple's Cupertino, California-based headquarters.
The event is geared toward developers, with Apple set to announce new iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS technology. Apple says the event is geared to helping developers create new apps and games for its devices.
When is the WWDC keynote?
The WWDC keynote will be delivered by Tim Cook at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern. The event can be streamed online here at Apple.com, or on Apple TV.
What is Tim Cook expected to announce at the WWDC?
According to Ives, Apple is expected to formally announce a partnership with OpenAI, which will include an OpenAI chatbot. Apple could also discuss running AI programs on its own chips, he added.
"We also believe Apple will lay the foundation for an AI App Store as developers build consumer apps on the AI stack that Cook & Co. will introduce at WWDC and will lead to additional services growth over the coming years," Ives noted.
The WWDC keynote may also include details about Apple's upcoming iOS 18, which could have additional AI features, he added.
"WWDC kicks off a new frontier for Apple," Ives said. "Introducing AI to its all-important developer community and laying the foundation for bringing generative AI to the consumer starts with Apple in our view."
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