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Apple's software-only WWDC 2018: No Macs, no iPads leaves us waiting for September

We didn't expect any new hardware at WWDC 2018 -- and we didn't get any. Here's a look at the products we're waiting for Apple to announce.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews

Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.

Expertise Mobile accessories and portable audio, including headphones, earbuds and speakers Credentials

Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer

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David Carnoy

June 4, 2018 1:50 p.m. PT

3 min read

apple-macbook-air-2017-31 — We're still waiting for Apple to refresh its MacBook line.
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This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET's complete coverage from and about Apple's annual developers conference.

Sorry, folks. After last year's hardware-heavy WWDC, we got nothing this year. Bupkis. Not that we were expecting much after a recent Bloomberg report said WWDC 2018 would be all about software, not hardware. But it still stings a little that we have to wait for any new Apple hardware announcements.

With that in mind, here's a quick round up of what Apple didn't introduce at WWDC this year.

MacBooks and iMacs: Moving the Mac computer line to the newest eighth-generation Intel processors would be an easy -- albeit boring -- upgrade. Whether that would entail a larger design overhaul, such as rethinking the problematic butterfly keyboards and still-controversial Touch Bar features on the MacBook Pro laptops, would remain to be seen. The same goes for the MacBook Air, which has long been rumored to be getting a comeback model.

Read: 2018 MacBook Air: All the rumors on specs, price and release date

iPad Pros: Apple brought a keystone feature of the iPad Pro line -- compatibility with the Pencil stylus -- to the new entry-level iPad that debuted in March. The conventional wisdom is that the pricier iPad Pro models can now be teed up for an iPhone X-style design overhaul: Ditching the home button and adding Face ID, perhaps.

Read: iPad Pro 2018: All the rumors on specs, price, release date

iPhone SE 2: There are persistent rumors that the iPhone SE, the entry-level iPhone that debuted in March 2016, is due for an upgrade of some sort. Whether that's a full-screen iPhone X design (which seems improbable) or just a specs upgrade in the same body (much more likely) is unknown. Either way, this refresh may wait until September, too.

Read: iPhone SE 2: Rumored specs, price, release date

Apple AirPower: When Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, introduced this multidevice charging pad alongside the iPhone X in September 2017, he said it was coming "next year." So while you can't say it's "late" until Jan. 1, 2019, one has to assume Apple would like to get this accessory on store shelves before the first anniversary of its announcement. But we're still waiting for that to happen.

Read: AirPower: All we know about Apple's wireless charging pad

Watch this: Dolby Atmos comes to Apple TV 4K

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Other expected and potential Apple products still on deck

High-end iPhones: The sequels to the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are expected in September as usual. No surprise there.

Read: New 2018 iPhone: All the rumors on specs, price, release date

Mac Pro "trash can" computer: Apple has already confirmed that the new Mac Pro isn't coming until 2019.

Read: The 2019 Apple Mac Pro has to look backward to look forward

HomePod Mini or new Beats Siri speaker: There's been some chatter about a new smaller, less expensive HomePod or a new more affordable Beats Siri-enabled speaker. The rumors are pretty sketchy, so we're not expecting either speaker to drop any time soon.

Read: Forget HomePod Mini rumors, Apple just needs a HomePod price cut

Apple's biggest WWDC announcements

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Watch Series 4: Last year's Apple Watch Series 3 was announced last September. If we get a new model this year, it will probably arrive at the same time as the new iPhones.

Read: Apple Watch Series 4 may arrive this fall, analyst says

AirPods 2: Rumor has it that Apple is prepping next-generation AirPods. If there are new AirPods, they'll most likely be announced alongside the new iPhone this fall. We also haven't seen the previously revealed AirPower-compatible AirPods.

Read: Apple reportedly releasing new AirPods 'as soon as this year'