WWDC 2012: Apple Announces Keynote, Schedule, App

                                Official app hints at changes coming in iOS 6.

Apple has released the schedule for the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference, including this year’s Apple keynote. As we reported last month, WWDC 2012 is scheduled for June 11-15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Apple’s keynote will take place on Monday June 11th at 10 AM Pacific Time (1 PM Eastern). It will be Tim Cook’s first WWDC keynote since becoming CEO last year.

The schedule is available at Apple’s WWDC 2012 page. Apple has also released this year’s official WWDC app, a universal iOS app which is available in the App Store. Unfortunately, only attendees are able to view the full schedule, which means that if you’re not one of the lucky few who scored a ticket before they sold out, the app won’t do you much good. Both the app and the website require you to sign in with your Apple Developer ID before showing you anything.



Otherwise all you can see of the app is this:

nterestingly, however, those who are able to get into the app have noticed something interesting about its design. The traditional grayish-blue bar that sits at the top of many iPhone apps has gotten a makeover. It seems that the interface is now silver at the top and bottom, just like most iPad apps, and iPhoto on the iPhone. Here’s this year’s WWDC app side-by-side with last year’s, courtesy of Cult of Mac:

The fact that Apple’s two newest iOS apps – iPhoto and now the WWDC 2012 app – are sporting a new look suggests that maybe the change will be system-wide beginning with iOS 6. By an amazing coincidence, Apple is widely expected to unveil iOS 6 as part of the aforementioned keynote.

If Apple is planning to change the color scheme of iPhone apps in iOS 6, it represents a change from the way iOS has looked since the original iPhone in 2007. Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time Apple has departed from a design feature that’s been around since the beginning. According to recent reports, the next iPhone will have a screen that’s almost 4 inches on the diagonal, a departure from the 3.5-inch display that’s been on every iPhone since 2007.

While Apple almost certainly won’t be unveiling the new iPhone itself during the keynote, iOS 6 is probably on the menu, along with Mountain Lion, and possibly updates to the MacBook Pro, iMac and MacBook Air.