Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is back and iGeeks everywhere are trying their very best to contain squeals only similar to those generated at a Justin Bieber concert. As usual, we’ve heard rumours of what to expect from a company more under the microscope than ever before…

The last revolutionary product released by Apple was the iPad – which despite being launched in 2010 – still has had no true competitor in terms of sales. Not even the power of Samsung, which dominates the smartphone industry, has come close in terms of Tablets.

Incremental updates have come and gone across their device line but Apple has seemingly gone stale on the innovation front and it’s got some investors worried. “The biggest worry is that Apple is losing its mojo,” said Apple shareholder Michael Obuchowski, the chief investment officer at Merlin Asset Management and a portfolio manager at Concert Wealth Management.

Love or hate, competitors have been innovating. Google was first to announce a wearables platform, Android Wear, and devices are already heading our way. Microsoft has been attempting to bring in a new era of ‘hybrid’ devices which are both fully-fledged Intel PCs capable of true productivity, combined with the portability of a Tablet, and with the recently-announced Surface Pro 3 initial impressions are good.

Wearables

Apple is said to have been working on an ‘iWatch’ or similar for quite some time. We would be more shocked if Apple didn’t have one Cookin’ (sorry) up in their secretive labs somewhere. The question is will we see it at WWDC 2014?

Not likely, at least not the device itself.

Similar to Google however, we would be surprised not to at least see the announcement of a Wearable platform and SDK for developers to start readying their apps. If Apple doesn’t show this then it would put the company at a huge disadvantage up to Android and may result in some developers jumping ship. Developers like iOS because it’s lucrative, but Wearables could be the next big [insert your local currency] maker.

TV

The “hobby” for Apple is an important arena – after all – what company doesn’t want to take over the biggest screen in your home? Google and Microsoft are the current big players to watch here on how they are attempting to disrupt the aging Cable TV market. Perhaps that could be about to change? Let’s take a look at the competitors first…

Microsoft’s approach is through the Xbox One which aims to be the “One” device for all your entertainment needs. It doesn’t try to kill the Cable industry and instead hijacks it to provide a better experience through the One Guide and in the future add more interactive experiences. On top of this, Microsoft is creating its own original content to go head-to-head against Netflix with some big players already on-board including the UK’s Channel 4. The Xbox will inevitably be open to Windows applications in the future and provide the only true cross-device development platform across desktop, tablet, mobile, and TV.

Google switched strategy from their disastrous “Google TV” which shipped alongside set-top boxes and built-in to some Smart TVs – to the release of a much simpler and portable HDMI dongle called ‘Chromecast’. Once plugged in, content can be streamed to the device from applications which support it on any platform (including iOS.)

Apple’s plans sound like a hybrid of both rivals strategies. The hardware sounds similar to Chromecast but – rather than an external power supply – Apple may be able to draw enough power from the HDMI slot itself due to their in-house custom-built chips. Apple is also said to be attempting partnerships from several content providers but those conversations have apparently fallen flat on multiple occasions.

It’s hard to see how Apple will offer anything “revolutionary” here at this point and aren’t likely to take their “hobby” to a serious, industry-changing play until they can. You can expect a new device with similar functionality to the current Apple TV in a dongle-based form factor with iOS-only streaming functionality, however.

Smart home

Home automation and particularly the “Internet of Things” are set to be a mighty industry in the coming years. It’s the reason Google paid $3.2 billion for one of its darlings, Nest. Apple wants to get in on the market as well – and whilst not exciting as first thought – we’re likely to hear about an initial “certification program” which ensures an iDevice works with a smart home device. It will be similar to how “Made for iPhone” works today for accessories.

OS X 10.10 “Yosemite”

So it sounds like we can’t expect any of the game-changing products investors so badly want to see – maybe there will be more on the software-front? iOS 7 had a huge and divisive visual redesign last year after the skeuomorphic-loving Scott Forstall was replaced as head of software design (after the Apple Maps disaster) by the flat design-loving Jony Ive.

It meant app developers everywhere had to update their own design to fit into the new visual direction set out by Ive. For developers who have applications on iOS, with its new design, and OS X, which doesn’t, it prevented a consistent experience across platforms. In an update thought to be entitled ‘Yosemite’ it’s OS X’s turn to get a visual overhaul – but few extra features.

Leaked images (which were swiftly pulled from the original uploader’s account) show this new direction…

The most notable change is the addition of a translucent pane which slides in from the left that appears to host music controls alongside some quick controls for things like “Airplane Mode” and “Do Not Disturb”.

Next up is the Dock which moves away from its shelf-like design for a single strip and appears much more ‘flat’ in an Ive-like fashion. Interestingly, many of the icons which feature on the redesigned Dock haven’t been updated but this is said to be an earlier build so this may have changed from what we see later…

iOS 8

Since WWDC is Apple’s annual developer event – you can be certain to see iOS 8. Last year’s update, as mentioned, had a huge visual update. What it didn’t have however is many new features. Apple seems to have switched things around this year whereas features were a focus in OS X last year, and design in iOS, it seems design is getting the treatment in OS X and hopefully we’ll see a few more features come to iOS…

Unfortunately, we’re hearing worryingly little.

We’ve heard Apple is expected to release a new built-in app around health which, using sensors, can track how fit or lazy you are and offer tips to keep you in top shape. The other rumour is of split-screen apps for iPad which is something that many iOS users have been eagerly anticipating for the same kind of productivity possible on Windows 8 and selected Android Tablets. Latest murmurs seem to say this feature isn’t yet ready however, so don’t get too excited. iTunes Radio is expected to become its own dedicated app.

I switched, alongside many friends, from iOS to Android last year. The common reason among us was that apps worked better together rather than living in separate silos. Personalisation, particularly the keyboard, of course also helped. Basically, iOS was too restrictive. Apple is rumoured to be bringing an “Inter-App” API to iOS 8 which will fix our first reason but there is little talk of whether any further personalisation will be possible. An inter-app API won’t be straight-away user-facing but it will make a huge difference.

Anything else is a mystery. If that’s really it for iOS 8 then investors aren’t likely to be happy. With Google’s I/O just around the corner where we’re likely to see; Android 5.0, more of Android Wear, and what Google plans to do in the home automation space after the Nest acquisition – then it’s another opportunity for Google to take advantage of a slow year in Apple land.

Let’s hope there’s a pretty big “one more thing…”

What do you think Apple will / won’t announce at WWDC this year? Let us know in the comments.

If you are interested in wearables, please visit IoT Tech Expo Europe in London’s Olympia, December 2-3 2015.