Dalrymple: WWDC to Showcase Refreshed Mac Line, Modernized iOS 7 Feel

With Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote already confirmed — as expected — speculation is rife on such topics as a 12.9-inch iPad, double resolution Retina display, a June launch of the low-cost iPhone and even the iPhone 5S launch.

Jim Dalrymple, who has a long track record of predicting Apple’s moves, has posted his own expectations about this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

The important thing to remember about WWDC is that it is a developer conference. It’s not a place where Apple is going to show off the newest iPhone or iPad 1. These are Apple’s flagship products and they demand separate events. Entire industries watch these products because they shape what will happen in the mobile space. They are that important.

So, don’t expect an iPhone or iPad at WWDC.

His expectations are pretty clear, and if we look back in time we can see how his forecasts have been confirmed. Although he scraps the rumours of a new iPhone, he does expect the Mac line will be refreshed with a Mac OS X refresh along with the highly anticipated iOS 7 preview.

Although he didn’t provide information about which Mac product will be refreshed, the list of candidates for a new MacBook Pro, Mac Mini or Mac Pro is growing at an accelerated pace.

From his perspective, Apple won’t go as far as some expect in redesigning the iOS 7. We will instead see a modernization of what can be called the most advanced mobile operating system.

Personally, I don’t think that Apple will take it as far as what some might think. The way I envision iOS 7 is more of a modernization of the look and feel of the operating system. Kind of like what Apple did with OS X over the years.

Take a look back at the first version of OS X with the Aqua interface and compare that with what we have today. You can see a lot of the same types of elements in the OS design, but it’s more modern — it’s smoother and less dramatic in its effects.

As for Mac OS X 10.9, Dalrymple looks forward to the next move in the continued integration between iOS and the desktop operating system. We do too!