Apple kicked off its annual three-day developer conference in San Jose with a dystopian look at the future. Really.
A new Apple ad showed what the world could look like without apps, triggered after a hapless Apple employee unplugged something in a server room. Hipsters panic trying to read paper maps, cars pile up in the roads. and a girl hands out printed selfies. An “app” black market sets up shop in a back alley, complete with a physical Tinder and booth for crushing real candy.
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is usually where Apple previews its software updates. Tim Cook took the stage on Monday and will be joined on stage by other Apple executives and possibly the disembodied voice of design chief Jony Ive, as is tradition.
“I’m dispensing with the updates other than to say Apple’s doing great,” said Cook.
After touting the work of Apple’s developers, Cook announced that Amazon is coming to Apple TV with its Prime Video app. Cook said Apple was pleased about the partnership, and mentioned some original Amazon content like Transparent.
Apple is also expected to announce an Amazon rival: Siri smart speaker.
Amazon’s Echo speaker has been a sleeper hit. The device, a black column with an always-listening microphone, is powered by a Siri-like assistant named Alexa. Part of its success has been due to Amazon’s willingness to let external developers create “skills” for the assistant. Apple, by contrast, has been stubborn about letting outsiders tap the power of Siri, and the company has fallen behind as a result.
Apple isn’t just going after Amazon. Google recently launched its own Echo imitation, the Google Home, powered by the still-nameless Google Assistant. Microsoft is partnering with third-party speaker manufacturers to bring its own assistant, Cortana, to homes.
A speaker may be the star of the event, but there’s much more on the agenda. Apple is expected to show off a new, larger iPad Pro, as well as updated MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with speedier processors. A preview of new iOS features could also give us a hint of what to expect with this fall’s iPhone announcement.
We’ll be reporting live from the event starting at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.