WWDC 2020 changes its protagonist again, but it’s not iOS 14 anyway

The COVID-19 pandemic has already brought enough trouble to the tech industry. Supply chain shutdowns, R&D delays, event cancellations... countless new products have been forced to postpone their launches. The global pandemic has brought unprecedented impacts to the tech and digital industries.

But at least we have heard some good news, such as the epidemic in China has been basically under control, social production is back on track, product development and release rhythms have returned to normal, and smartphone sales have basically returned to pre-epidemic levels. Most importantly, the annual event WWDC will not be cancelled and will be held as scheduled on June 22.

As one of the two most important events of Apple in a year, WWDC is not only an "exclusive" launch event for iOS 14, but also an important indicator of Apple's strategy. For example, last year's WWDC did not release any hardware products at all. This move is also seen as one of the key signs that Apple is balancing the proportion of software and hardware businesses and reducing its dependence on hardware.

But this year's WWDC 2020 seems to have some new tricks. For example, Apple will use some iPhones to broadcast WWDC 2020, probably to take the opportunity to promote the iPhone's excellent camera capabilities. Secondly, this year's event is likely to release new hardware products for the first time in a long time, and as for what this new product is, no one can guess.

All in all, WWDC will never lack excitement, at least this year's WWDC 2020 will not.

iOS 14 is mysterious yet surprising

Everyone knows that Apple’s confidentiality work is getting worse and worse, but this is the first time that a new version of iOS has been exposed so quickly. As early as February this year, clues about iOS 14 had already appeared on the Internet.

However, these are just the tip of the iceberg. Looking at the information we know so far, iOS 14 will have many changes. In addition to changes in animations, the entire interaction logic and UI performance will undergo certain adjustments. Compared with previous versions of iOS, iOS 14 can definitely be called a "big innovation."

The first is the change at the desktop level. According to the news, iOS 14 will abandon the previous completely tiled arrangement of icons and introduce "Widgets" similar to Android system plug-ins. Since the underlying code of the system has confirmed the existence of this change, it should not be a problem to apply it to the official version of iOS 14.

In my opinion, "Widgets" are actually eliminated by the industry, and the reason for their elimination is that they are neither beautiful nor practical. Imagine if desktop widgets and App icons are mixed together irregularly, this is not only a disaster for efficiency, but also a disaster for aesthetics.

The second new feature of iOS 14 that was exposed is the system-level "card-style caller ID", which is already very common on Android phones. Simply put, when a call comes in, the display interface will appear in the form of a small card and float at the top of the phone, instead of completely occupying the screen like it does now.

If this feature can be successfully launched, we will definitely applaud it. However, the source of the information about this feature is not very clear, so there is a possibility of "fraud".

MacRumors has compiled other leaked information about iOS 14. Generally speaking, iOS 14 will also add support for Apple Pencil, pre-installed AR Apps and third-party applications, support for third-party wallpaper packages, etc., but compared with the previous revelations, these small functional points did not bring too many surprises.

Rumors such as "adding support for Apple Pencil" have been around for some time, and it is not known whether it will eventually be realized.

Breaking the tradition of “not releasing hardware”?

We all know that the 2019 WWDC was a "pure software" conference, where a series of new systems and services were released, but no hardware was on display. This move caused a lot of controversy at the time, and the outside world believed that this was a sign that Apple began to pay attention to software and services. In fact, Xiao Lei also had almost the same view at the time.

However, this view does not seem to last long, because this year's WWDC 2020 may release new hardware. However, this new hardware is not the iPad or iPhone product line we are familiar with, but belongs to the "new star" AirPods series.

Perhaps everyone has guessed that this new "AirPods" is the previously rumored head-mounted AirPods, or it can be called AirPods Studio. According to the latest information, this new headset has begun to be assembled in overseas foundries, and the most likely release node is WWDC 2020.

Let's first introduce AirPods Studio. Although the name is related to AirPods, it is a product with a completely different positioning. AirPods Studio is a large headset, or you can associate it with some classic Beats headsets.

If AirPods Studio is released, it will be the highest-end and most expensive product in the AirPods product line, with an estimated price of more than 3,000 yuan. Although the price has increased, we are not sure what unique features of AirPods Studio can make it sell at a high price. If only the headband and earmuffs can be replaced, then a price of nearly 3,000 yuan is obviously unreasonable.

In addition, it is reported that another product in the AirPods product line, AirPods X, is also expected to be officially launched at WWDC. Unlike AirPods Studio, the design of AirPods X is more similar to Beats X, in other words, it is a shoulder-hanging wireless sports headset.

Compared to the head-mounted AirPods Studio, there is much less information about AirPods X, but considering that its reference product is Beats X, the price should be similar (no more than 1,000 yuan).

It is not difficult to see that the main purpose of these two new AirPods products is not to replace the existing AirPods series products, but to further complete the product line. In terms of commercial value, the AirPods series has become the product line second only to the iPhone and iPad in recent years, bringing in billions of dollars in revenue every quarter, and this figure is constantly increasing.

Therefore, Apple's pursuit of victory is completely predictable, and releasing new products at WWDC is enough to prove that Apple attaches great importance to the AirPods product line. Of course, this is just speculation so far, but as long as the new AirPods have not been released, we have reason to look forward to WWDC 2020.

What wind is blowing this time?

As we said, WWDC has never been a simple press conference event. Although it was originally intended to be a grand event for developers, it actually contains richer meanings behind it.

Are developers far from consumers? At first glance, our lives seem to have nothing to do with developers, but in fact they are closely related. After all, developers not only serve Apple, but also consumers. They need to develop products based on consumers' preferences and habits. In a sense, Apple is only in charge of the general direction. When it comes to details such as how to improve user experience, it needs the assistance of developers.

Therefore, one of the important roles of WWDC is to tell developers where Apple is headed in the future, so that developers can develop software and features specifically for consumers. Putting iOS 14 aside, if Apple really releases AirPods at WWDC, it is enough to show that AirPods has become a key part of Apple's future strategy.

Judging from the current data, although the iPhone is still Apple's core business, it is an indisputable fact that its proportion is declining. The rise of software services and even accessories such as AirPods has allowed Apple to see the dawn of business transformation in the post-iPhone era. For Cook, only by seizing this rare opportunity can he have the opportunity to lead Apple to continue to lead the industry in the new decade.

From a general perspective, the ceiling of smartphones is getting closer and closer. For Apple and even other manufacturers, their limits may already be in sight. Instead of continuing to bet on smartphones, it is better to turn to related accessories around smartphones and tap into the potential value of smartphones.

Whether it is software services or AirPods, everything Apple does has the same purpose, which is to find a new pillar in the post-iPhone era.