Apple WWDC23: Comparing Experiences Before and After the Pandemic

This year I was lucky to win a WWDC ticket for the one-day event. It is my WWDC after the pandemic and I would like to share my experience by comparing pre and post-pandemic WWDCs.

Applying to conference attendance

You apply to the conference attendance the same way as it was before the pandemic. You get an email from Apple that the registration to the lottery of WWDC tickets has started and register for it. While the ticket is now offered free of charge, it previously carried a price tag of $1600.

Sunday — Registration Day

As it was before, registration starts on Sunday. It took place at Apple Infinite Loop starting at 3 pm. The legendary WWDC jackets were not given away, unfortunately.

During the pandemic, there was no networking but this year it was possible to do so at the registration. It was an excellent opportunity to talk to developers, lead developers, CTOs, and Apple staff. My recommendation for the next time: arrive at the opening of registration to have enough time for valuable networking.

Monday — Keynote Day

This time there was no need to get up at 4 am to grab a spot in the Keynote queue. There is no overflow room and places are available to everyone these days, which is a relief. But, I arrived at 9 am, one hour before the keynote, and the best seats were gone. So my recommendation for the next time is to arrive at least 2–3 hours in advance. Before entering, you go through security control, like you do in an airport.

The event took place in the Apple Park. The legendary Apple headquarter is approximately one mile in diameter and was built without the use of plastic. Only stone, glass, metal, and wood are to be environmentally sound. The high-tech ambiance includes coffee machines operated through attached iPad Pros. However, the most captivating aspect for me was the breathtaking view from the upper levels. Through massive frame-free glass paneling, I felt like I was flying over the trees.

The keynote starts at 9:50 am with a live and fascinating speech by CEO Tim Cook and a top engineer. Then you see a pre-recorded keynote on the screen. The same one that is streamed via the Internet. Tip: if you have a seat close to the first row, you have a chance to see Tim Cook in person and take a selfie with him! Right after the keynote go to the 1st row to do that.

After the keynote, it was time for lunch and networking. Food and drinks were also available during the day.

Platforms State of the Union started at 1:30 pm and, as the keynote, was also pre-recorded and shown on the screen. This time Craig Federighi was sitting in the front row. And if you have a seat close by, you can take a selfie with him. For this, you need to go to his spot right after the Platforms State of the Union.

Next was Meet the Teams at 3:00 pm. This activity is similar to pre-pandemic live Labs. There are spots for different subjects: Gaming, Network, AppStore Connect, etc. There are lots of Apple engineers on each spot to whom you may ask questions. Despite Labs, there are no computers on the sites, but you can always use yours! I attended only AppStore Connect Lab and the time ran out.

From the AppStore Connect Lab, I got this:

• Tip: in case of rejection, if you reply to it, the app will be reviewed the second time quicker than it would be in the case of the app resubmit. This works if the binary didn’t change;
• Got to know some filtering mechanisms in AppStore Connect Benchmarks;
• Found some views in AppStore Connect Analytics that I hadn’t seen before.

The following was Special Evening Activity. It took place in the Steve Jobs Theater on the border of Apple Park. It was an opportunity to see Vision Pro. However, touching or trying on the devices was not permitted, limiting the experience to visual appreciation rather than practical interaction.

Tuesday — Special Live Developer Session

This session suddenly appeared in the schedule at https://events.apple.com/wwdc23 on Monday with 3 slots to pick: 10 am, 2 pm, and 6 pm. When I found out about the session, all slots were booked. However, after refreshing the page for 15 min, I was able to grab a seat at 6 pm.

The session took place in the Apple Developer Center by Apple Park and contained two parts. Presentation (approx 1:20) and Networking with a large number of Apple staff, who were gathering developers’ feedback (approx 0:40). The presentation room of the Developer Center was able to accommodate about 100 people, and it was huge luck to get inside. Vision Pro devices were not available, unfortunately.

Conclusion

This format surpasses the purely online one during the pandemic. It enables direct interaction with developers and Apple engineers, fostering communication and knowledge sharing. Nevertheless, I do miss the previous one-week live format, which allowed for more extensive networking opportunities throughout the five-day event.

Regarding the content of the WWDC23 — the event's highlight was Vision Pro. This device does not pioneer the new class of equipment like the iPod Classic or iPhone did. It is more like the Apple Watch when Apple took an existing class of devices and built the best device in that market. Because the device class existed previously for some time and people were already trying to find its practical appliance. While not revolutionary, VisionPro is expected to become a widely adopted and affordable option, similar to how the Apple Watch has gained popularity in the Health and Fitness domain.