Google I/O cancellation raises more doubt about WWDC 2020
Google has announced it is cancelling its upcoming I/O developer conference scheduled to take place on May 12 to May 14 due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, following in the footsteps of Facebook who canceled their F8 conference last week.
As we head into March, the month when Apple typically announces the dates for its Worldwide Developers Conference which last year saw 5,000 attendees from across the globe gather for a week’s worth of announcements and hands-on developer sessions, Google’s announcement today again sparks more speculation that Apple may follow suit and become the third tech company to cancel its developer conference this year.
We’re yet to see an official announcement by Apple in regards to WWDC 2020, whether that be plans for a digital-only conference this year or a stripped back version for product announcements only.
It is unlikely Apple will fully abandon WWDC or postpone the event past June. To keep up with its usual software rollout schedule, Apple would need to announce its next-generation operating systems to developers in June to allow them enough time to download the beta previews and test the compatibility of the software with their applications.
As it stands, it does appear that Apple may cancel its actual developer conference, with a digital-only approach likely to be seen. The company will most likely make its hardware and software announcements via a live stream on Apple.com, with developers able to view live streamed hands-on sessions with Apple engineers rather than the physical sessions held throughout the week.