watchOS 9 and tvOS 15

iOS and macOS are the big platforms, but the software running on the Apple Watch and Apple TV will get new features.

There have been reports from a couple of different sources that the Apple Watch will get a new power-saving mode akin to the one found on iPhones, as well as UI improvements and (of course) new watch faces. Last month, Apple previewed some accessibility features, including the ability to mirror the Apple Watch on the iPhone to gain access to accessibility options that the Watch doesn't support on its own. And new fitness features are a possibility, given that exercise and health are the focus of the device, but we don't know for sure what those features will be.

tvOS usually gets few notable features throughout the year apart from its major annual releases, so tvOS 15 will be the update to watch for Apple TV users. That said, we have no idea what exactly to expect from tvOS 16 other than perhaps some new HomeKit-related functionality.

rOS and AR/VR

One of the industry's worst-kept secrets is that Apple has been working on a mixed reality headset since around 2015. According to a detailed series of recent reports in The Information, the product has gone through several phases, and it starts and stops amid internal disagreement about which direction it should go.

But Bloomberg reported last month that the product has been shown to the company's board and is nearing readiness, following several other reports that made similar claims. The Bloomberg article also said that Apple has ramped up the development of a new operating system for the wearable product, called rOS.

We don't think it's likely that Apple is ready to launch the hardware at WWDC (though it remains a very remote possibility), but we wouldn't be surprised to see some aspects of rOS make a debut.

To launch the headset successfully, Apple needs robust third-party developer support. Some of that is surely happening behind the scenes—the company typically picks a few partners to work with behind closed doors before the broader development community gains access to a new feature or platform. But Apple has already been building the foundations for its future VR or AR headset by supporting AR apps on the iPhone with SDKs like ARKit and RealityKit.

We could see a significant expansion of those or even an early rOS announcement to lay the groundwork for the upcoming product. There's also a remote possibility that Apple will demo AR and VR experiences without announcing any hardware, just to build up hype in advance. We'll have to see.