Apple has announced it will once again be hosting its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in an online format, free for all developers to attend.
The tech giant says the decision comes as it builds on the success of the previous two years of virtual events and that WWDC22 will showcase the latest innovations in iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS.
Additionally, developers will be given access to Apple engineers and technologies to learn how to create apps and interactive experiences.
“At its heart, WWDC has always been a forum to create connection and build community,” Apple worldwide developer relations and enterprise and education marketing vice president Susan Prescott says.
“In that spirit, WWDC22 invites developers from around the world to come together to explore how to bring their best ideas to life and push the envelope of what's possible.
“We love connecting with our developers, and we hope all of our participants come away feeling energised by their experience.
Furthermore, Apple says WWDC22 will offer its global developer community insight and access to the technologies and tools needed to drive their own innovation.
As well as the announcements shared from the keynote and State of the Union presentations, this year's program will also include more information sessions, more cutting-edge learning labs, more digital lounges to engage with attendees, and more localised content to aid in giving WWDC22 a solid global presence.
In addition to the online conference, Apple will host a special day for developers and students at Apple Park on June 6 (PDT) to watch the keynote and State of the Union videos together, along with the online community.
The company says space will be limited, and details about how to apply to attend will be provided on the Apple Developer site and app soon.
The announcement of WWDC22 comes after Apple retained its position as the most valuable electronics brand in the world in Brand Finance's Electronics and Appliances 50 2022, with a 35% increase in brand value to US$355 billion.
The event will also see Apple support students interested in coding with the Swift Student Challenge for the third year.
Swift Playgrounds is an app for iPad and Mac that makes learning the Swift programming language interactive and fun. For this year's challenge, students worldwide are invited to create a Swift Playgrounds app project on a topic of their choice, and they can submit their work up until 25 April (PDT).
Apple says it is proud to support and nurture the next generation of developers through its annual WWDC student program.
The company notes that in its 30-year history, thousands of students have honed their skills and met other coders of all ages through the program, subsequently going on to have long and successful careers in tech.
The event will be hosted from June 6-10, 2022, PDT.