WWDC 2015 Recap: All Of Apple’s Biggest Announcements Including Apple Music, iOS Updates, And Apple Watch

Apple kicked off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday in San Francisco with big announcements from the tech company regarding the launch of Apple’s new music streaming service, OS X and iOS updates, Apply Pay, and even new versions of the Apple Watch despite the products’ release only months ago.

CBS News reports that the WWDC will take place from June 8 to 12 and serves as a host for developers who want a firsthand look at what to expect in software for Apple products.

Apple gained a lot of attention for 2015’s WWDC as fans and developers eagerly awaited confirmation of rumors that suggest the company is launching a new music streaming service that is supposed to compete with industry giant Spotify.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook called upon legendary music producer Jimmy Iovine to help him make the announcement, telling WWDC attendees that the service will launch as early as this month.

Ivone explained the service’s various uses, including serving as a music-purchasing app, streaming app, social network, and radio station all in one.

Apple Music will launch June 30 and has already offered a free three-month membership for users, after which will cost users $9.99 per month. The app will be available on iPhone, iPad, iTouch, Mac, and PC, with the app expecting to hit Apple TV and Android devices later this year.

As for OS X updates, Apple confirmed during their WWDC conference that a new Mission Control interface will enable users to do a side-by-side “split view” of their screen that will allow them to see separate windows next to one another. In addition, the WWDC confirmed that Safari will now be able to pinpoint where music or sound is playing in a browser with multiple tabs or windows and will allow users to mute it with one click, CBS News reports.

The WWDC also tackled iOS 9 updates, announcing that the new operating system will include “a more intelligent Siri” in addition to an “API for search” that enables users to search data within apps. iOS 9 will also have better privacy and more options for Apple Pay among other fixes, Forbes confirms.

The WWDC also confirms rumors that suggested Apple Pay will be hitting the UK in over 250,000 locations; the service will launch in July and will be able to support 70 percent of the UK’s debit and credit cards.

Updates to the Apple Watch also caught the attention of WWDC attendees as the company announced that they are “moving really fast” in regards to the Watch operating system.

The new version is launching a mere six weeks after the product’s release and will feature a new photo album that allows users to see images from their photo albums on their home screen by moving their wrist in addition to the Watch serving as an alarm clock at night while it’s charging.

The WWDC also confirmed that the Watch will now allow users to read emails and reply via the Watch and can even support FaceTime audio, fitness apps, and Apple Pay, CBS News reports.

While many fans and developers were excited about software updates and the confirmation of Apple Music, many felt that the news of the new music streaming service overshadowed fans’ expectations for Apple TV, which was hardly mentioned at this year’s WWDC.

Venture Beat reports that prior to the WWDC kicking off this morning, rumors suggested that the company would unveil a new Apple TV box and an accompanying bundle during the conference, however, new reports suggest that the new product hasn’t quite been perfected and won’t be ready for launch until later this year.

What was your favorite announcement from this year’s WWDC? Are you excited for Apple Music?

[Image: Getty Images / Justin Sullivan]