A few hours of back-to-back-to-back announcements start off Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference each year, ranging from iOS to watchOS and even, occasionally, new hardware.
Didn’t have a chance to watch? We’ve figured it out! We’ve condensed all of the most important stories into a digestible summary.
IOS 16
We’re making some changes to the lock screen. Widgets, including those for third-party apps, will be supported, allowing for greater personalization. When a notice is received, it will “roll in” from below the screen; an API for updating alerts in real time is available for developers (think sports score tracking.) You can find out more about the lockscreen here >>
Edit or “unsend” recent messages in iMessage, or mark threads as read if you don’t want to see them.
You may now use SharePlay (which allows you to, for example, stream a movie with a buddy) over iMessage, rather than FaceTime.
You can read a menu in a language you don’t understand much more easily using Live Text, which can translate and change text in photos it recognizes. To learn more about this topic, please click here >>
You may now buy now and pay later with Apple Pay Later, which allows you to spread out the cost of an Apple Pay transaction across four equal installments with no interest.
For the first time in the history of the app, Apple is rolling out its major Maps revamp to 10 additional countries this year. These include “France; Switzerland; New Zealand; Belgium; Israel; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Monaco; Palestinian Territories; Saudi Arabia; and the Netherlands.” Improved multistop route support is also being added.
Apple News has added a new feature that allows you to follow news about your favorite sports/teams.
iMessage will soon let your kids request additional iPad screen time if you utilize Family Sharing to restrict their usage.
Toggle between saving photos to the shared library and saving them solely to your personal library when taking a photo.
Apple claims to have “reimagined from the ground up” the Home app. You can see all of your HomeKit-enabled cameras on one screen, as well as all of your other HomeKit-enabled devices.
A major update to Apple’s CarPlay system is also planned, with the company aiming to take control of the whole instrument panel in your vehicle. It will be able to display speedometers, fuel gauges, air-conditioning controls, and more, depending on what the car manufacturer allows. There will be additional developments here “late next year,” according to Apple.
Now that Shareplay is better integrated with games, it’s easier than ever to start battles or matches with friends.
“Stage Manager,” an iPadOS feature inspired by desktop window management, will enable you run many windowed or overlapping apps at the same time. Learn more about iPadOS 16 at this link >>.
Apple’s wearable computer, the Apple Watch,
“Play time,” “Metropolitan,” and three more watch faces have been added.
Keep up to speed with new information with the new “banner” alerts.
Running parameters including vertical oscillation, stride length, and ground contact time will be tracked by the Apple Watch in the next version of the software.
If you don’t have an Apple Watch, you may now dismiss the rings by using the Fitness app on iOS.
When you’re attempting to get some shut-eye, the heart rate monitor and accelerometer in your phone can track how much time you spend in each of the four phases of sleep (Awake/REM/Core/Deep).
A-fib history may be tracked on Apple Watch, allowing clinicians to keep tabs on patients with cardiac arrhythmias and identify whether or not medication is having the desired effect.
M2
After Apple introduced their unique M1 microprocessor, the industry was shocked by the combination of incredible power economy and insane performance. It is astonishingly quick, yet your laptop’s battery lasts all day.
After a brief hiatus, it has returned with the appropriately called M2. According to Apple, the M2 processor is 18% quicker than the M1 processor, while the GPU is 35% faster than the M1.
The new MacBooks have arrived.
New MacBook Airs and Pros are here! A more conventional flat form, although one that measures just 11.3 mm thick, will replace the Air’s iconic cheese-wedge shape.
At 1080p resolution, the built-in camera on the MacBook Air promises a significant improvement in low-light performance compared to the previous generation.
It has a 13.6-inch liquid-retina display, a built-in fingerprint reader, and compatibility for MagSafe. The new MacBook Airs will be able to charge to 50% in 30 minutes using a compact charger with two USB-C connections, according to Apple. It’s priced at $1,199 and is expected to arrive “next month.” The new M2 MacBook Air may be found here >>.
For the 13-inch MacBook Pro, Apple promises CPU increases of up to 40% over the MacBook Pro M1 in the M2 upgrade. Starting at $1,299, the Pro will be available “next month.” More information about the new M2 MacBook Pro can be found right here >>
macOS
A new major version of macOS dubbed “macOS Ventura” will be released in the near future. Ventura’s features were emphasized by Apple:
In addition to the “Stage Manager” stated above, a macOS version of the software is in the works. When you tap on a group, other running applications are minimized to make room for the one you’ve selected.
As part of an upgrade, Spotlight will be able to display results in a scrolling view and let you to do things like preview a discovered file without actually opening it.
We’re adding features like scheduled sends and timed reminders to the Mail app. Mail’s search is becoming more intelligent, as it can now detect and rectify mistakes as well as search for synonyms. Here’s additional information about the new Mail app:
With the introduction of “passkeys,” a mechanism developed in partnership with Google and Microsoft, Safari will be able to bypass the need for text-based passwords when logging into websites and apps that utilize biometrics (such as fingerprint sensors or face recognition). Please go here to find out more information about Passkeys
Metal, Apple’s API for game creation, is currently gaining additional capabilities, including as upscaling and speedier resource loads.
When making video calls on macOS, Apple will allow you to utilize the camera on your iPhone instead of the built-in camera on the laptop. It’s a little weird, but if you’re making an essential phone call, it’s definitely worth it. “desk view” uses the iPhone’s wide-angle lens and some clever picture modification to record what you’re doing on your desk from a simulated above perspective. More information may be found here: >>