Apple’s two-hours-plus keynote at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this week was packed with new and exciting information about the future of software for its current major hardware. But we couldn’t help but notice some things that were missing.
Here are some of the ways Apple’s presentation left us hanging this year.
Apple Music availability
Photo: Apple
We finally got to hear about what Apple’s been working on for its $3 billion investment in Beats, and it looks like a solid platform. We know when it’s coming out — June 30 — and we know how much it’s going to cost.
But what we don’t know is where it’s coming out. Apple touted “over 100 countries” during its presentation, but it didn’t get any more specific than that. Siri tells me the world has about 206 sovereign nations, so which half gets to stream Eddy Cue’s Infinite Playlist?
If you’re curious about whether your country is getting Apple Music, just go to your local Apple site. “Music” will be between “Watch” and “Support” at the top of the screen if it’s headed your way.
Apple TV
Photo: Apple
We didn’t expect to see the new Apple TV hardware at WWDC, so its exclusion wasn’t a big surprise. But we’re still curious about the new hardware. We know that it’s getting Apple Music compatibility in the fall, but other than that, we only have the reports of Siri integration and a dedicated app store.
And while we’re talking about hardware …
New (and old) iDevices
Photo: Apple
This year’s WWDC was all software, with its iOS 9s and watchOS 2s and Los Capitanes … where was the gear?
Well, we’ll probably hear about the iPhone 6/6 Plus successor in September; that’s how it went with the iPhone 5s back in 2013. And it’ll probably be the same for the rumored, work-optimized iPad Pro. If that’s a real thing, we mean.
Fears that Apple was poised to kill the iPod officially didn’t come to anything. Although that would have been a pretty tough moment to sell: “Swift 2 is open source, and also, no more iPods for anyone, ever.”
Cycling directions in Maps
The main thing we noticed when we saw Maps’ upcoming, transit-inclusive directions was that it looks and sounds an awful lot like Google Maps. That is, except for one thing: We can’t get bike directions from Apple Maps.
We don’t expect them to stay absent forever — Apple’s an eco-friendly, bike-happy, renewable-energy company, and it’s sure to throw some trails and bike paths into Maps eventually. Google is doing it, after all.
Phil Schiller
Phil Schiller is one of our favorite presenters at Apple events. We don’t know what it is about him, but he’s engaging and charismatic in a way that makes it look easy. And it isn’t easy — we’ve tried, and people walked out of the room.
Apple dangled Schiller in front of us with a quick shot when Eddy Cue wished him a happy birthday, and then Cue just went back to the uninspiring Apple Music presentation. And that’s just mean, Eddy.
But if you need a quick fix, here’s one of Schiller’s best moments ever, from when he unveiled the updated version of the Mac Pro at WWDC 2013:
Family photos, dogs and rainbows
Apple’s big on photos, and if you need any evidence of that, check out the Motion face on an Apple Watch. We’re used to the polish and steadfast messaging from the company’s visuals, and usually that means all of the example pics they showcase are of smiling, happy people; dogs; flowers; and rainbows and stuff.
This year, however, we got Eddy Cue, Karaoke King. And that was fun, but I hope none of those pictures show up as wallpapers for iOS 9.
Even the demo for custom Apple Watch faces fell a bit low of the company’s usually ebullient fare: We got a person standing alone with their back to the camera in a winter setting. And maybe that person was smiling and holding a puppy over there, but we sure couldn’t tell from where we were sitting.
Evan Killham is a freelance writer who lives in Nebraska and isn’t interested in football, so he has plenty of time to play and think about video games. He has written for Bitmob and GamesBeat and sometimes, he even goes outside. But not too often because he’s heard there are bees out there. Occasionally, companies send free units for review. Evan subscribes to Cult of Mac’s Reviews Policy and also does not keep the items he receives for possible coverage.
20 responses to “All the ways Apple left us hanging at WWDC 2015”
Good point about cycle paths being absent from Maps – I missed that, and as a cyclist I will continue with Google maps.
Yes… a big +1 on cycling directions!
I like Schiller as much as the next guy, but with Federighi presenting, everyone else pales in comparison.
All Federighi all the time.
The Fed Man really does a good job, doesn’t he. Looking forward to more of his public presentations.
I was enjoying your article on you stated that you enjoyed listening to Phil.
Maps is still so slow compared to Google Maps and the satellite images are with clouds.
From the grave….
“People have told us over and over and over again, they don’t want to rent their music,” said Jobs. “Your favourite song you’re going to listen a thousand times in your life. If it cost you $10 a month or over a $100 a year for a subscription fee to rent that song, that means for me to listen my favourite song in 10 years I paid over a $1,000 in subscription fees to listen to my favourite song ten years from now.”
Steve is dead. Just let it go. The world has moved on.
Do students in school learn the famous quotes of past Presidents, writers, philosophers . Yet when Apple goes off half cocked and I remind Apple users what Steve said.
Steve was wrong about many things, but I don’t see how it’s relevant years afterwards. Cherry picking quotes just to make an argument is just juvenile. Would you bring up Henry Ford quotes to make an argument about today’s car industry? I also remember Steve Ballmer saying the iPhone would be a failure too. So what’s your point, just bring a smart ass?
No Steve was correct, Apple Music is $180. Per year in A sea of free
Mocking Steve’s quote on subscription music was my objection, but you can’t ignore the fact that people continue to pay for Spotify and other subscription services, and will likely pay for Apple music too, so how how do you figure that? And why is Apple jumping on the bandwagon? Because there’s a buck in it. Steve misjudged this market, like he did with an App Store when the original iPhone was released. Bringing it up is just poking fun at a dead mans quote.
I’m not making fun of his quote, I’m making fun of Cook and crew thinking they have any business in the streaming music market. Why not stick with your core competencies rather than some half cocked global radio $180 a year streaming service in a sea of great free options. If they pull this off its because Apple users have no brain.
So explain to me Spotify, smartass?
Spotify dupes maybe 1 person in a family to pay most free tier..that’s $120
Apple knows Apple users will think the $15 family plan is such a savings..its a joke for a joke service and notice how they just extracted another $60? Each year every year..Apple is shrewd to get the most to their bottom line they do the industry no favors and abuse their users because Apple thinks they are stupid.
Wake up you deserve better than this crap.
when Steve ran Apple it had direction and was a leader.
Right now Apple simply has momentum, and the great advantage of NOT being Microsoft.
I agree, but I don’t think it will lose its design based innovation. My point being, people quoting Jobs to make a juvenile point about music streaming services, is just that, juvenile.
Its Juvenille that you rant about it, can you not handle the truth of the quote it stands today.
Same as those of you who basically rent i phones for two years a dutifully upgrade, borderline insanity. Yes you all pay MSRP making the one phone cost $2180 on average over 24 months, rinse repeat. Never own anything. Like Apple Music.
Looks who’s ranting now. Tisk tisk. Time to take that stick out of your ass pal, you obviously came here for a reason, now we know why, so you can piss off now, your troll has come to an end. Bye bye.
I am very disappointed that Apple still has not released an updated UHD or 4k display. The current ACD is derivative of an iMac from over 5 years ago. It is about 4 times as thick front to back as the current iMac.
OTOH I am happy they havent come out with a new Mac Pro update yet. I fear the day my shiny 2013 Mac Pro isn’t the latest greatest. Though I am already planning on upgrading the processor, ram and SSD by the end of this year.