Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2014 is all set to start today with the keynote address in San Francisco. The rumour mills are in overdrive tell us what to expect, and everything from iOS 8 to OS X 10.10 ( which are pretty much a given) to iWatch, to the home-automation system have come up. For a full list of what we expect will be announced, read one of our earlier pieces here. But as with every year, there will be a few things left out of the show. So what’s likely to be missing from WWDC? Here’s a quick look. iPhone 6 Ever since reports of Apple developing two iPhones came up, one with a 4.7-inch screen and the other with a 5.5-inch screen, the rumours are that Apple will launch a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 at WWDC. According to a report on WSJ , “Both new models are expected to feature metal casings similar to what is used on the current iPhone 5S, with Apple expected to scrap the plastic exterior used in the iPhone 5C.” While Apple could definitely be looking at launching an iPhone with two different screen sizes, its highly unlikely that the new iPhone would be shown at WWDC. Interestingly a video which claimed to show slide presentations of iPhone 6 from WWDC and was causing a rage online has turned out to be a fake. Apple is known to update the phones at the end of a yearly cycle and it seems unlikely that they will break this for the iPhone 6, which is now said to be launching in late August or early September. Split-screen apps for iPad This is one strong rumour that has been doing the round and it will allow iPad users to run two apps at the same, like Samsung allows on its Galaxy Tab. According to a report on 9to5Mac “iOS 8 is likely to supercharge the functionality of Apple’s iPad with a new split-screen multitasking feature.” The feature is likely to be supported by apps developed by Apple or select third-party apps available on the App Store, added the report. However this feature is unlikely to be such a sure shot. NYT’s Brian Chen said on Twitter, “I’ve been told that the split-screen feature for iOS 8 isn’t ready yet and won’t be shown at WWDC. Still a work in progress.” According to one iPad app developer Roopesh Chander, for such a feature apps will have to undergo a massive redesign. He writes on his blog, “First of all, a split screen would mean a new layout to design for. For an app to remain good-looking and snappy, ‘split-screen’ has to be a separate mode (like Landscape and Portrait) that apps have to be specially layout-designed for.” He also adds, “Apps that opt-in for the split-screen mode would have more than just a new layout design to worry about. They would at least have to consider three additional stuff: the status bar, the keyboard and gestures from the edge.” iWatch iWatch rumours have been persisting since last year’s WWDC and for now there haven’t been any significant design or even production leaks. There’s no doubt that wearables are getting more popular than ever. Samsung’s Galaxy Gear watches haven’t been the biggest of hits, Apple’s iWatch could set the category on fire. However, it’s still not ready for a WWDC unveiling. New product lines are usually showcased in September, or around October, so if the iWatch is on its way this year, it will be around that time. The iWatch won’t just be about telling time and getting phone notifications, Apple is likely to integrate the new HealthBook app in it as well. We’ll have to wait and watch on this one. Home automation This is one rumour that has been going strong since the report in Financial Times said that Apple is preparing to launch a software platform geared towards home automation, with iPhones and iPads being used to control lights, security systems, cooling and heating, and other appliances. This will be a big next step for Apple but it seems very unlikely that we will see a lot of this. This is not to say that Apple isn’t working on one. Another report on GigaOm says that “the smart home effort will have a heavy focus on connecting devices easily via Wi-Fi and will likely offer voice control via Bluetooth as well.” However since Tim Cook has been dropping a lot of hints about how the company has stopped seeing Apple TV as a hobby now and is taking it seriously, we could see this getting preference over home automation system at tonight’s event.
So what’s likely to be missing from Apple’s WWDC 2014 ? We take a quick look.
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