Apple’s latest conference takes place tonight and, although no one is expecting any big announcements or surprises, there are several things to expect from today’s conference:

MUSIC STREAMING SERVICE

Possibly the biggest announcement to come tonight is expected to be the launch of Apple’s own streaming service, dubbed ‘Apple Music’, to rival competitors such as Spotify. Rumors suggest that the new service will use a $10 (£6.50) a month subscription model and is anticipated to be the most disruptive launch in the music industry since the introduction of the iTunes Store over a decade ago.

UK LAUNCH FOR APPLE PAY

Almost a year after its initial launch in the United States, it is now widely anticipated that Apple will begin a roll out of its contactless payment system to the United Kingdom, alongside other parts of Europe and Canada. Originally thought to mark ‘the death of the wallet’, Apple Pay has been fraught with issues in being introduced outside of the American market, with UK banks concerned over the amount of personal and financial data Apple wants to collect. Could a European launch for Apple Pay see off its newly announced rival, Android Pay, announced last week?

iOS 9

The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, due to be unveiled today, looks set to introduce a range of new features; including Force Touch support, a split-screen mode and improved security features. The new OS is also expected to bring ‘Apple Music’ to its devices, but its release may not come out for several months to coincide with a hotly anticipated release of the latest generation of iPhones in September this year. It is also rumored that the introduction of a split-screen mode will set the stage for the release of a 12 inch iPad Pro in Apple’s WWDC in September. Watch this space…

FOURTH-GEN APPLE TV

One of the most widely anticipated announcements at tonight’s conference is the introduction of a fourth-gen Apple TV. With the last update being almost three years ago, a new generation is long overdue! A new updated version is expected to bring an online TV streaming service for the US market. If true, sales of Apple TV could soar over the next few months.

APPLE WATCH UPDATES

Being the first since the launch of the smartwatch earlier this year, it’s very likely that the Apple Watch will get a special mention this evening. Although we will likely get a better idea of how Apple’s latest device is selling and see the introduction of new smartwatch-friendly apps, don’t expect any major software updates as Watch OS 1.01 was rolled out less than a month ago.

And something that won’t get a mention…

Apple’s iPod, the device that brought Apple its initial success in the early 2000s, has gone unmentioned for many years now and, although there has been some speculation that an iPod Touch sixth generation is on the horizon, it is likely to go un-updated once again. Could this mark the death of the iPod altogether? Only time will tell…

If, like me, you could not afford the $1,599 (£1,046) for a WWDC pass, you can catch the official livestream at 1800 BST here.

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