Apple is preparing to show off its long-term plans at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. The conference, which lasts a week, kicks off Monday with a keynote from Apple chief executive Tim Cook.
Reports indicate that Apple's new music service will compete with Spotify and Pandora, and users will be able to listen to tracks both on demand and by tuning in to digital radio stations. Beats Music's claim to fame is that it features playlists curated by famous artists and music lovers — its tagline is "a music service with heart" — rather than purely by algorithm. Given the high-placed connections of Beats executives, such as co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, many expect that Apple will be able to generate some significant star power for its music service, which is expected to cost about $10 per month.
Apple is not expected to launch a much-anticipated video service, however, as negotiations with content providers didn't come together in time for the big show.
Consumers should also expect to hear updates about Apple's mobile and desktop operating systems, though reports indicate that this year will be more about fit and finish rather than major changes to the company's core software. Developers are also expected to get more freedom to play with the Apple Watch, which debuted in April, by way of a new kit for software developers.
Cook has also let slip that Apple fans will see something unusual on stage: female presenters. He told Mashable's Christina Warren that the presentation, which is normally an all-male affair, will be different this year. "You'll see a change tomorrow," he said.
In an interview with San Francisco's ABC7 local news channel, Cook said Apple has invested $50 million toward scholarships that encourage women and minorities to get into programming. He framed it as a smart approach to making better products for everyone: "The more people you get thinking about something that come at things from a different point of view, you wind up with a much better product that way."