Apple Said to Prep Upgrades for iPhone Apps, Watch, Health Data

Apple is planning to unleash a slew of new apps, features and development tools at its annual software conference next month, according to Bloomberg. To improve its devices and strengthen its connection to customers, the technology giant will continue to walk a fine line between wooing outside app makers while also competing against them.

The Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, starts June 3. The company will reveal updates to the operating systems that run the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Highlights include upgrades to core iPhone apps such as Maps, Reminders and Messages; new apps for the Apple Watch that make it more independent from the iPhone, and enhancements to the health tracking capabilities of Apple devices, according to people familiar with the plans.

Apple plans to add the App Store directly to the Watch so users can download apps on the go. This could open up huge new opportunities for outside developers, boosting app installations. But Apple has its own new Watch apps in the works, too. There will be new health applications, a Calculator and a Books app for listening to audio books from your wrist, the people familiar with the plans said.

iOS 13 should include tweaks and new features across several apps, including features originally planned for last year. The company is also already working on iOS 14, codenamed “Azul,“ for 2020, according to people familiar with the plans. That release is expected to support 5G wireless network speeds and new AR functionality for next year’s iPhone. The biggest change coming to the Mac this year is the ability for iPad apps to run on laptops and desktops.

Beyond this year’s conference, Apple is planning to expand the feature so iPhone apps can run on the Mac by next year. The year after that, the company aims to merge iPhone, iPad, and Mac applications into single downloads that can run on any Apple device. Eventually, it could also merge the App Stores.

While the developer conference is software-focused, the company often sprinkles new hardware announcements in at the event. For this year, Apple has been considering debuting a revamped Mac Pro desktop computer. It’s also readying a new external monitor, codenamed J290, with HDR support.