Company Updates
We were right on that this would open the keynote. We were wrong on what figures Tim Cook would share. He shared iTunes account numbers and app numbers.

Mountain Lion
We were right on several things here. These include voice dictation, July release date, a new version for developers available after the keynote.

New Macs
We were right that Apple did update tons of Macs. Apple updated the MacBook Airs, the MacBook Pros, and the Mac Pro. We were correct in predicting the Mac mini not getting an update. We were wrong in thinking the iMac would get updated. We did not expect Apple to unveil two versions of the 15” MacBook Pro.

iOS 6
We nailed several iOS 6 features including a new map, Siri improvements, Siri coming to the iPad, Do Not Disturb Mode, Enhancements to Notification Center (via Twittering and Facebooking in the pull down), and Facebook Integration. We also correctly predicted a fall release date with a developer preview available after the keynote. We did miss predict a few features such as 3rd party widgets, live icons, and Newsstand improvements.

iCloud
Contrary to our prediction iCloud was not a part of the keynote. New APIs were opened up that allow easier sharing of data and some new iCloud things are being unveiled, but nothing of note during the keynote.

Closing
Overall we are happy with what Apple came out with and are satisfied that we predicted many of the announcements.

(We have not yet timed the segments, but the keynote was around 2 hours in length as predicted).

Mountain Lion (Time Allotment - 25 Minutes)
Next up will be an update on Mountain Lion. First up will be a reminder about the features already shared on Apple’s website. I expect Apple to unveil a few new Mountain Lion features. I’m not exactly sure what these will be. It’s possible we will see some kind of Siri or voice dictation feature added. It’s possible that Retina support for Macs is added. The possibilities are endless. I expect Mountain Lion to be released this July, but it could be pushed back even later than that. I expect a Gold Master of Mountain Lion to be available to developers after the keynote.

New Macs (Time Allotment - 10 Minutes)
After talking about Mountain Lion the company will quickly unveil new Macs. Apple won’t spend too much time on this except to mention these got updated and will run great with Mountain Lion. I expect the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, and iMac to get updated. The Mac mini may or may not be updated this time around.

iOS 6 (Time Allotment - 45 Minutes)
After unveiling the new Macs Scott Forstall will unveil iOS 6. Apple has done a tremendous job keeping iOS 6 under wraps. I fully expect Apple to unveil their own mapping service that incorporates all of the technology they have been buying up over the past few years. This map will replace Google maps on iOS and should be mind-blowing technology.

The next big feature will be Siri. Siri will be taken to another level with iOS 6. Apple may or may not have figured out a 3rd party developer solution for Siri yet. It goes without saying though that Siri will be talked about and some new functionality will be unveiled. I’d hope Apple enables Siri for iPad, but it may be one of those technologies that Apple believes was destined for the phone alone.

I believe iOS 6 will include some way for apps to communicate to each other. There will be some way to share files or interact between apps. Currently you can open a file into another app, but that file is copied rather than shared. Apple could approach this by using a “Files App”, by using iCloud, or they could do it in some other way, but I think it will be done.

Notifications improved greatly with iOS 5, but there is still more Apple can do. One of the first things I see Apple adding is a “Do Not Disturb” feature. DND was added to Mountain Lion months ago and it was once a part of iOS. I also believe the widgets found in Notification Center will be opened up to 3rd party apps. I’m not sure what else Apple will do here, but there is exciting news regarding notifications.

My next prediction is that Apple will improve Newsstand by creating a magazine creation app similar to iBooks Author. It may even be a new set of templates for iBooks Author. Newsstand is a mess because every magazine uses a different interface and design philosophy. Apple I believe knows what a headache it is for users and will force developers to use Apple’s tools to create their magazines. There is much Apple can do with iBooks Author and this is one of the things Apple needs to do with it.

I expect that Facebook will be integrated in a similar way that Twitter is. This may even come to Mountain Lion as well.

Live icons I could potentially see happening as well. This would allow a developer to change a number or something on their icon to display the proper time or weather outside.

I’m not sure what else Apple will do for iOS. There will be ten main features shown off at WWDC and I believe Apple will surprise us all with what those are. Before moving on a release date will be announced. Apple could go one of two ways. Release it in July like they did back when iPhones came out in July or they could release it in the fall like they did last year. Only time will tell. I’d wager it comes out in the fall with a developer preview available right after the keynote.

iCloud (Time Allotment - 20 Minutes)
Next up is iCloud. It is my belief that iCloud will be talked about and new functionality will be added. There have been leaks that notifications will come to iCloud and that may happen, but that is something I’m not that excited about. Also leaked are Notes and Reminders coming to the iCloud website. I believe Apple will do something amazing here, but I can’t put my finger on it yet.

Closing
Apple will thank everyone for coming and talk about all of the sessions they have for developers. The keynote time will be around 2 hours.

“Out There”
There are a few things that are kinda out there, but things that could happen. The iPod shuffle got leaked that something new is coming. It seems weird to me that this iPod or any of the music iPods gets talked about here. The only way Apple does this is if it connects with iCloud in some capacity. If you could sync your iPod shuffle to iTunes and use that interface to enable iTunes Match and Smart Playlists then I could see this being discussed during the iCloud portion of the keynote.

Apple TV is another thing that has the potential to be a big thing at WWDC. The current Apple TV hardware could be updated to support apps and use the iPhone and iPad to interact with it. This could potentially be a major part of the keynote that is talked about with iOS 6.

Closing Thoughts
Apple could release anything next week. These are just some simple predictions that I hope come true. I truly hope that Apple can surprise even me with startling improvements to iOS and some new things altogether. Apple’s WWDC Keynote is on Monday, June 11th at 10 AM California time.

Against - Tim Chaten

It is my strong belief that the next iPhone will not have a larger screen. My thoughts may change on this as we grow closer to the fall. There is no logical reason that the iPhone needs a bigger screen. One hand operation does not work with a larger screen. I believe this to be true even if the iPhone doesn’t grow in size. I have tried stretching my thumb to the top of the iPhone 4S and it is very uncomfortable.

The endless “leaks” to me seem like renders, or fake parts manufactured by people with strong imaginations. It is way too early in the year to see “leaks” like these. The screen size is perfect the way it is. It provides developers a simple way to develop. It provides users with a single app for all devices. It could be feasible for nasty developers to try to sell “iPhone 5 apps” and another breed of apps for older iPhones. I do not think Apple wants this and it would be hard to stop. Having a single screen size makes things simple.

It was no accident that the 2007 iPhone came with a 3.5 inch screen. It was no accident that the 2010 iPad came with a 9.7 inch screen. Apple does an incredible amount of research and development. Apple does what it does based on functionality. The design of a product is designed to support that functionality. Android phones are not created with design in mind. They are created for in-store initial impressions. The initial impressions of a larger screen are good. The functionality and long-term use of a large screen are not so good. Android manufactures try to trick the customer. Apple is not in the business of tricking customers. They are in the business of making thoughtfully designed products that consumers love.

There is no design or functionality reason for a larger screened iPhone. I do not see this rumor coming true.

In Favor … Producer James

The upcoming iOS 6 software will make some amazing enhancements and so will the redesign of the next iPhone. The next iPhone will finally become a player in the LTE realm. Apple will increase the screen size of the phone, but won't change the form factor of it. There will be some design changes to make the phone stand out and distinguish itself from previous generations.

Apple won't go the Android route and increase the size of the actual device. The iPhone is the perfect size for the majority of users. It's a smartphone that can be used with one hand and put in ones pocket or purse without much difficulty. A bigger screen would be helpful to assist the growing number of content creation apps.

Apple sees increasing the screen size as a challenge and will innovate. They will make sure to continue giving its customers and developers the same user experience and ease of use they have come to expect. The management team at Apple is smart enough to know that fragmenting their cash cow is not a good business decision.

Apple has not rushed to the market with an LTE iPhone for two reasons. The first is the infrastructure. It’s still being built and refined. The other reason is the user experience would be less then stellar because of the power requirements. Apple did the smarter thing by releasing the new iPad with LTE technology in it. The new iPad needed a bigger battery anyways because of the power intensive Retina display.

The new iPad is a hair thicker then the last model, but retains everything else in form factor. The fact that both platforms share similar technologies is an advantage. Improvements made on the iPad can easily be brought over to the iPhone. Apple will improve battery efficiency on the next iPhone to feed the power requirements of LTE hardware. They will innovate with batteries like they do with many products.

I believe the next iPhone will have a smaller home button. The added space would facilitate a larger screen. Apple is not about making their mobile devices bigger. In fact they want to make them smaller when possible. I love the form factor of my 3rd generation iPod shuffle. However, the public wasn’t ready for that. Apple will increase the screen size by doing it the Apple way. Change is good once people are ready. Apple doesn’t want to shock users or create a bad user experience.

Apple will increase the screen size, but only when Apple is ready.

Closing

So there you go … both sides of the argument are given. Who is right? Only time will tell.

The reason for this prediction is because of the introduction of the “Textbook Experience”. Apple is a forward thinking company and in most cases many steps ahead of others in the way they approach new markets. They configure it so they're the ones setting the standards for others to follow in the future. Apple realizes that the textbook market is going to be huge in the next few years. When more and more school districts and institutions of higher learning find the finances to purchase iPads the market will explode.

If Apple decided to introduce the iPad mini it would have been introduced in conjunction with the digital textbooks media event in New York or when the third generation iPad was released. Apple would have created a sub-eco system for the mini platform to make it seem better or on par with the normal sized iPad. This is a company about simplification, that it “Just Works”. Apple won’t fragment the market by introducing an iPad mini.

As far as education goes textbooks won’t look as good on the iPad mini. The whole idea of reading a textbook on an iPad is about the user experience and wonder of it. The 9.7” iPad does that quite well and an iPad mini could never match it. The current iPad makes other media like magazines, novels, videos, and photos look amazing. The iPad mini can’t compete with that and therefore hurts the brand. Apple is also on a campaign to secure their future customer base with the iPad in schools. Apple wants to condition these future consumers to want the best and not some cheaper product like an iPad mini. Apple already has an answer for consumers that want a smaller screen. It’s available now and called the iPod touch.

An iPad mini that is priced to sell has way too many compromises. These are compromises Apple won’t go along with:
• Smaller screen and lower resolution
• No “legendary” battery life that the iPad brand is known for
• Diminishes storage capacity (if its priced to sell)
• Cannibalizes the iPod touch
• Adds confusion to the product line
• Lowers profit margins
• Fragments the platform
• Diminishes user experience

Steve Jobs himself made a very compelling argument why 7" tablets don't work. The class of apps is radically different because the screen is the size Apple chose for the original iPad. Tablet apps are not phone apps and vice versa.

Apple also values the gross profit of a product over its market share. The iPhone doesn’t need a majority market share. They do have a majority profit share. Apple understands that not everyone uses or likes their products and they’re okay with that. Apple no longer throws everything up against a wall and sees what sticks.

They will not sell a cheaply made product for the sake of having it on the market for the masses. Apple knows people will pay that extra money for the quality and prestige of the brand. It’s the reason they never entered the Netbook market. Apple's profits are amazing every quarter and they beat the street most of the time. By not flooding the market with crap they create a higher value and worth for their products. Based on their rather large bank account … I’d guess they know what they’re doing.

The other question is … what benefit would Apple give themselves by releasing a smaller iPad into the market? The off chance they could get a tiny increase in market share and sacrifice profit. Yes, there are people out there craving an iPad mini, but I don’t think there are enough to warrant it. Countless electronic companies create far too many products. Samsung and LG are great examples of that when it comes to smart phones and tablets. Apple doesn’t want to become Samsung when it comes to product offerings.

Tim Cook and his team are smart enough to know that an iPad mini won't work in the current product line. Apple still produces the iPad 2 for a lower price and the 1st generation iPad is still a contender as it runs the current iOS software.

Keeping it simple … that’s the Apple way.

TalkTime will do for calling what iMessage did for texting. There are a couple of ways Apple could integrate this feature. The first would be to simply integrate it into the FaceTime service. A user could be presented an option to choose either audio or video and TalkTime would simply be an extension of FaceTime. Currently FaceTime allows audio only calls, but it is more of a hack. Audio FaceTime calls can be done by simply hitting the home button after a call has started.

The second way to implement TalkTime is through a new app. The iPad, iPod touch and Mac will be the only devices to get this new app. The iPhone will have TalkTime integrated right into the Phone app.

So why would Apple implement this feature? Like anything else it’s all about experience. TalkTime will help alleviate negative carrier experiences. If there is one thing people hate about the iPhone it is AT&T, Sprint or even Verizon. There are very few people who love their cell phone carrier. Apple will do anything it can to make the iPhone experience a better one.

The service will also attract consumers that cannot afford smartphone plans. The cost of service plans is what stops many customers from getting an iPhone. The price of an iPhone is now affordable for nearly everybody. The only threshold now is the expensive service plans. The inclusion of TalkTime will allow most customers to drop to the lowest priced phone plan and eventually a data only iPhone.

TalkTime will also lead the way to an LTE iPod touch that can function as a phone. A person that is friends with other Apple users could use TalkTime as a phone replacement service.

Apple is not afraid of the carriers. Apple cares about the customer and TalkTime is a win for the customer. The only question now is when Apple will include TalkTime (or whatever they call it). It would be an amazing thing if it is included in iOS 6, but it may take another year or two for Apple to roll it out.

TalkTime is a prediction that I have been thinking about for many months now. It has the potential to change the phone industry. It has the potential to push the carriers to data only phones. I badly want this prediction to come true. Time will tell if iOS 6 includes this feature. TalkTime is coming. My only hope is that we don’t have to wait for iOS 7 or 8 to see it.

The new icon is an improvement over the old one. The new iMessage system lets users see when replies are being typed and the new icon showcases this feature. Moving towards another blue icon is the only negative change with the icon. Most iPhone users have far too many blue icons already. It was also nice to have the Phone icon and Messaging icon be the same color. The communication apps being green helped users identify them as similar tools.

It is possible that the OS X icon gets a color change, but that approach is less likely. The new color demonstrates that this app is free of the carrier and iMessage is different from SMS. The prediction is based on the fact that Apple is working towards unifying iOS and OS X. Apple using a brand new icon in OS X indicates that this is the icon that Apple prefers and that iOS 6 will use a similar icon.

Notifications have improved greatly in iOS 5, but one big problem still remains. There is currently no way to turn off notifications. A user is forced to go app by app to turn off notifications. In prior versions of iOS a user could hit a toggle to turn notifications on or off. The ability to turn off notifications is an important one. Those that record screencasts are constantly annoyed with notifications as are those trying to get a good night sleep.

In a developer preview of Mountain Lion Apple added a nifty feature called “Do Not Disturb.” The feature lets a user toggle notifications on or off in a quick and easy way. A new toggle is now present at the top of Mountain Lion’s notification center that allows you to “go to bed.” When “Do Not Disturb” is activated the old dot icon is replaced by a moon like icon.

The feature is a natural one to make its way over to iOS. The interface works great for both iPhone and iPad. There is also no logical reason not to include the feature. Do Not Disturb may seem like a small feature, but this is a big and notable tweak that will make iOS even more pleasant to use.

Apple shared a beta of the next version of iWork with the press during their private keynotes of Mountain Lion. The one big feature that was revealed was true iCloud integration. Apple did this demonstration back in early February of 2012. It is clear from this demonstration that iWork will integrate with iCloud and sharing files between your iPad, iPhone and Mac will be a simple thing. Unifying iOS and OS X is something Apple is working heavily towards this year. Mountain Lion is a prime example of this. Any changes that occur for the Mac version of iWork will be added to serve this aim. There is not a lot of indiction what will be added besides iCloud support.

One thing that is clear is the release date. Apple told the press that the new iWork will come out when Mountain Lion is released. Tim Cook has stated that Mountain Lion is due out in late summer, so I’d expect the same to be true for iWork ’12. The software will most likely be demoed at WWDC 2012.

The apps will be priced the same as previous versions and available through the Mac App Store. Apple will not include any kind of special upgrade pricing for iWork. Apple will do one of two things. Existing customers will either get a free update to the new iWork or customers will have to buy a completely new version. Historically speaking there are no discounts for a user upgrading from one version of iWork to another. Apple would have to dramatically change the App Store at WWDC 2012 for any kind of upgrade pricing to happen. I fall into the camp of people that believe iWork ’12 will be a free update to all Mac App Store customers.

iLife

Moving onto iLife things get a bit more exciting. Apple recently released iPhoto for iOS. The new iPhoto for iOS includes tons of elements and features that aren’t in the Mac version. Apple can’t like this disparity and will likely unify the feature set in iLife ’12.

iPhoto
So what features will make their way to iPhoto for the Mac? An obvious change is that MobileMe Galleries will be replaced by iCloud empowered Photo Journals. The powerful brushes and editing tools available in the iOS version of iPhoto will also make their way onto the Mac. The table like interface used to compare photos will also be carried over to the Mac. The final iOS feature expected to hit the Mac is photo beaming. These are all logical features that fit for the Mac.

The final feature to be included in the new iPhoto is more of a wish. My wish is that Apple will somehow unify photo libraries by using iCloud. Currently Photo Stream is a makeshift way to share photos between devices, but it is not a real solution for working with edited images and albums. My wish is that Apple adds a way to use iCloud for our photo libraries.

Imagine a future where you can sync albums and events to iCloud. These synced events and albums will retain metadata and edit histories. Apple could also provide an option to sync entire iPhoto libraries to iCloud. Depending on how many photos you have this will either be a free or a paid option.

The complexity of managing a photo library on the Mac and syncing edits from the iPhone is too complex. Having a cloud library fixes this problem. Adobe and many others offer methods of doing this and it is time for Apple to simplify photo storage. Apple’s iTunes Match shows that Apple understands the concept of having a cloud library that shares metadata and information between devices. It is time for Apple to unify our photo libraries.

This last prediction is more of a wish. It is really hard to say if Apple has the infrastructure for this quite yet. I want for this to be true, but only time will tell if Apple is ready.

iMovie
It is my belief that Apple will get inspiration from Final Cut Pro X for the next iMovie update. The iOS and OS X version of iMovie already share a ton of features. Final Cut Pro X shares a similar interface to iMovie and I’d imagine a similar code-base.

The biggest feature that I think Apple would like to include in iMovie is multi-cam support, which also includes synchronizing video. Consumers these days have multiple cameras. Many users have an iPhone, an iPad, a Go Pro or some other camera.

The keynote pitch for multi-cam is simple. Apple shows a family shooting video of a wedding or vacation. A few minutes later Randy Ubillos demos how easy it is to sync the videos up and create a slick multi-cam edit. He then goes on to talk about unique uses for multi-cam.

To recap: consumers have multiple cameras, multi-cam is easy to use, it is easily shown off on stage, and it encourages users to buy more and more iPhones and iPads. It is an amazing feature in Final Cut Pro X that just screams to be added to iMovie.

Besides multi-cam I’d wager the audio tools get a big revamp in iLife ’12. Apple is currently working on revamping audio editing in Final Cut and it would make sense to deliver more powerful tools to iMovie users as well. Apple historically doesn’t care about devaluing pro software by adding similar features into their consumer software. The last update to GarageBand borrowed heavily from Logic Pro and it wasn’t a problem for Logic customers or Apple.

GarageBand
GarageBand for iOS is a unique app that does things a bit differently from the Mac version. Apple will do what it can to unify the two apps.

Playing with instruments is what sells GarageBand for iOS. My prediction is that Apple will build instruments designed for the keyboard and trackpad. The current Mac app already has a few instruments, but the experience is subpar compared to iOS. Apple has to come up with a unique interface to match the experience we have grown to love on the iPad. The keyboard and trackpad are very different tools. Apple has to rethink what it means to play piano or guitar on a Mac.

Along with instruments being added are Jam Sessions. GarageBand for Mac will communicate with the iOS version over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, just like its done on the iOS. The final change to the Mac will be its sharing options. Currently you can share songs to iWeb, iDVD, and iTunes. The iOS version shares songs to Facebook, YouTube, and SoundCloud. I’d imagine iDVD and iWeb support get dropped for things like Facebook, YouTube, and SoundCloud. Apple will also build in support for iCloud.

Release Date and Pricing
I’m predicting that iLife ’12 is demoed at either WWDC 2012 or a special event sometime this fall. My best guess is that iLife ’12 gets released a few months after Mountain Lion is released. Apple could surprise us all with a unified release of Mountain Lion, iWork and iLife.

Apple has the same pricing options as they do with iWork. The company will either choose free upgrades for Mac App Store customers or a brand new app that everyone needs to buy again. I sit in the camp that Apple will release this as a free update to existing customers, but they could easily go the other way if they want to make some extra cash.

Conclusion

I fully expect Apple to update both iWork and iLife this year. The suites haven’t been updated in several years. The last major update to iWork shipped out in January of 2009 and the last major update to iLife in October of 2010. Traditionally Apple doesn’t let either suite go more than 2 years without an update. The release of Mountain Lion will only push the iLife and iWork teams to work harder to get a new version out the door.