The annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will return this summer as if there were any doubts. The company announced the dates on Tuesday – June 6 to 10 – and confirmed that it will be an online business again.
Prior to the pandemic, Apple personally hosted WWDC at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose. But this is the third year in a row that Apple has opted for an online event, although it is asking employees to return to their offices this month.
However, few major technical conferences and events have fully returned to their original face-to-face formats. May’s Google I/O event will be a hybrid event, and last month’s Game Developers Conference (GDC) was also a hybrid event, albeit with a significant in-person presence.
In its announcement at WWDC22, Apple says it will, as usual, “showcase the latest innovations across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, giving developers access to Apple engineers and technologies to learn how to build innovative apps and interactive experiences. “
In addition to the June 6 keynote, which will detail Apple’s latest major software updates, Apple will offer developer classes on specific topics and APIs, learning labs, and digital halls. In addition, Apple promises “more localized content to make WWDC22 a truly global event.”
While some of the developers we spoke to lamented the loss of face-to-face opportunities, some say online events are preferable as they lower the barrier to entry, especially for developers outside the US.
Apple will also host another Swift Student Challenge as part of WWDC. This will be the third. Students will use Swift Playgrounds to create an app on a theme of their choice. The deadline for submission is 25 April.