WWDC 2023 Wish List

It’s that time of year where Apple fans, particularly the software developers, get excited about the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference. It’s become a tradition over the years for people to post their hopes and dreams, or just a wish list, for WWDC so here’s mine.

App Store
Give us free trials without having to code for them – just make it an option in App Store Connect. Paid updates would be a great addition, as this would help devs run a business without resorting to a subscription-based app which may not be appropriate for them.

AR/VR Headset
If the persistent rumours are true, then this is the event that Apple will finally announce their headset. The price is likely to be way beyond my reach, but I’m fascinated to see what Apple is offering and what it means for the future direction of personal tech.

eyeOS
This should be the name of the OS for Apple’s AR/VR headset.

M3 MacBook Air
I’m looking to upgrade my Intel Mac Mini to an Apple Silicon MacBook Air. If Apple announces an M3 MBA then I will be ordering one. Unfortunately, it seems like the only new MBA will be an M2-based 15-inch version. My wait for a new machine may last a little longer, but that will allow me to save for a better spec.

SiriGPT
I’d love Siri to get an upgrade so that I can control my HomeKit devices with much more intelligence. I want it to have context based on previous commands, and to let me speak more naturally rather than having to know the exact names of things.

SwiftData

I’m really hoping for a SQL-based, syncing, data persistence framework, that fits in well with SwiftUI. I’d love it to be SQL based, because SQL has been my day job for the last 20 years. However, I think it’s unlikely we’ll get a SQL-based framework, but I’ll compromise and take SwiftData as long as it’s nothing like CoreData!

SwiftUI
I love SwiftUI – it reignited my interest in developing for Apple platforms. Let’s see more controls that help us build better interfaces, better options for configuring the look of our views, and bug fixes aplenty.

Widgets
I’d like the ability to control parts of an app directly from widgets. Maybe even data entry to make some apps usable without opening the app itself.

There are going to be so many cool things announced, new APIs, new technologies, new hardware – I can’t wait to see it all and be part of the buzz around the community over the week of WWDC.

Find me on Mastodon if you want to let me know your wishes for WWDC 2023!

You can see my previous wish lists here:

WWDC 2020

WWDC 2021

You may spot some familiar themes too!