WWDC 2016: iOS 10, Mac OS X Updates Expected

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Apple is planning to hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in mid-June, where the first day of the event will be held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, according to an Apple announcement.

WWDC, which will be held June 13 to 17, will kick off at the Bill Graham auditorium in San Francisco and then continue at the usual conference site Moscone West, which is within walking distance to the auditorium.

Although Apple did not cite a reason for the first-day venue change, the Graham auditorium is larger, with a seating capacity of 7,000 compared to Moscone West, which can handle 6,000 attendees on its keynote floor.

With the larger floor space at the Graham auditorium, Apple could theoretically be better positioned to roll out any mockups of its much discussed and anticipated Apple car, which the company is reportedly aiming to put into production by 2020. Granted it would be a four-year advanced sneak peek at the car, but the company might benefit by input from thousands of third-party developers early in the process.

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The Graham auditorium is also known as a concert venue. Given that Apple introduced its new Apple Music streaming service at last year’s WWDC event, it would not be surprising to see it take advantage of the auditorium's acoustics to showcase more Apple Music-related changes.

What is known for certain at the event is Apple will provide an update on the future of its iOS, Mac OS X, watchOS, and tvOS, according to its WWDC announcement.

"With four innovative operating systems and a new, intuitive programming language powering over 1 billion devices worldwide, there has never been a more exciting time to bring our developer community together," Philip Schiller, Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said in a statement. "WWDC 2016 is going to be a landmark event for developers who are coding in Swift, and building apps and products for iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS."

Apple may also be introducing a Web version of the company's MapKit framework, according to a report in 9to5Mac. Apple hinted that it may be offering up a Web version of the framework to allow third party developers to take a public API and embed an Apple Map onto their website, based on a review of the Apple Maps coding the company used on its WWDC site, noted 9to5Mac.

iOS 10 is expected to be unveiled at WWDC, along with possibly a rebranded Mac OS X to MacOS that features a new version of the software, according to a 9to5Mac report.

A refresh on MacBooks, possibly ultra-thin versions, may make its way to WWDC, 9to5Mac notes.

Meanwhile, a second-generation Apple Watch may also be introduced at the event and, like the anticipated ultra-thin MacBooks, the watch may also sport a sleek thin appearance, according to MacRumors.

WWDC registration will begin on April 22, and a random selection process will be held. Those selected to attend will be notified on April 25. Tickets cost $1,599, however, the company will offer up to 350 scholarships to students and members of STEM organizations. Apple is also offering up to 125 scholarship recipients travel assistance.