RIP iTunes: Apple kills off iTunes as part of its raft of big announcements at WWDC 2019

Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference 2019 has kicked off with the WWDC 2019 keynote.

CEO Tim Cook and his team has unveiled the next-generation iPhone and iPad operating system, iOS 13, alongside macOS Catalina, watchOS 6 and tvOS 13. As part of the tvOS 13 section, we also learnt more about Apple Arcade and Apple TV Plus – the two subscription plans the tech giant announced in March – and Apple has announced it is finally killing off its iTunes software.

While the WWDC 2019 announcements centred on software, we also saw the new Mac Pro as well as a $5,000 Pro Display XDR.

Read on to find out more about all the announcement expected from tonight’s WWDC 2019 keynote.

WWDC 2019 announcements

WWDC 2019 is taking place in San Jose and Apple’s CEO Tim Cook took to the stage to make the WWDC 2019 keynote announcements at 6pm BST (10am PT/1pm ET) on 3 June. Missed it? You can watch WWDC 2019 online here.

The full WWDC 2019 runs from June 3 to June 5 but the later dates centre on developer sessions. The WWDC 2019 keynote was when the main announcements were made.

WWDC 2019: iOS 13

The unveiling of the iOS 13 beta was the headline announcement during the WWDC 2019 keynote.

As with previous iOS updates and refreshes, the new software is faster and more efficient than previous builds and, when used with Apple’s iPhone flagship devices launched in September – namely iPhone XS, iPhone XR – iOS 13 will bring about improvements in battery life.

Other iOS 13 features include the long-rumoured Dark Mode, which is intended to make the operating system easier on the eye. There are also updates to the Health, Messages, Books, and Find My iPhone and Find my Friends apps. You can read more about the iOS 13 features here.

Elsewhere, more emoji and Animoji are due to join the list of iOS 13 features. Siri is also getting a much-needed update to make it more useful.

WWDC 2019: iPadOS

For iPad specifically, Apple is moving away from iOS and has launched iPad OS – a dedicated operating system designed to make tablets run more like desktops. The features of iPad OS include a redesigned home screen, support for external drives, and stackable windows.

You can read more about the iPadOS features here.

WWDC 2019: WatchOS 6

The Apple Watch range is getting an update in the form of WatchOS 6. The standout features include a new Cycle Tracking app that helps women track their menstrual cycles. This can also reveal their ovulation and fertile dates. This Cycle Tracking feature is also available in the Health app on iPhone with iOS 13.

WatchOS 6, via the Noise app, will be able to monitor sound levels at gigs or sporting events, for example, and warn wearers if the decibel levels reach or exceed  90 decibels. This is the level at which sound can begin to impact hearing after four hours per week of exposure at this level, according to the World Health Organisation.

Following the launch of cellular connectivity on the Apple Watch, WatchOS 6 is making it even easier to leave you iPhone at home by bringing the App Store to the Watch for the first time. Wearers will be able to install third-party apps, search for apps using Siri, dictation or Scribble.

Other WatchOS 6 updates include new watch faces, the Voice Memos app, audiobooks purchased on Apple Books are now available to listen to via the new Watch Audiobooks app and (finally) Siri search queries can display webpage results in full on Apple Watch.

WWDC 2019: New Mac Pro

In a breakaway from the software announcements, Apple unveiled the new Mac Pro, as well as the Apple Pro Display XDR, a separate display that the tech giant has described as “the world’s best pro display”.

The new Mac Pro runs on an Intel Xeon processor with up to 28 cores with up to 300W of power and cooling.

The Pro Display XDR has a 32-inch Retina 6K display with P3 wide and 10-bit colour, up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness and a superwide viewing angle.

Read more about the new Mac Pro here, or learn more about the Pro Display XDR.

WWDC 2019: MacOS Catalina and RIP iTunes

As part of the reveal of macOS Catalina, Apple confirmed it is killing off iTunes. As had been rumoured, it is replacing iTunes with separate apps for Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and the Apple TV app. This has been done to reportedly “simplify and improve the way Mac users discover and enjoy their favourite music, TV shows, movies and podcasts.”

The new Music app will give users access to their music library, whether they downloaded the songs, purchased them or ripped them from a CD. You’ll still be able to buy music from the iTunes Music Store.

The new Apple TV features Apple TV channels, personalised recommendations and more 100,000 iTunes movies and TV shows to browse, buy or rent. Its Watch Now section features Up Next, where viewers can keep track of what they are currently watching and resume on any screen and, when it launches in the autum, Apple TV Plus, Apple’s original video subscription service, will be available in the Apple TV app.

MacOS Catalina will additionally come with a Sidecar feature that lets an iPad be used as an extended display for Mac and a drawing tablet across supported Mac apps.