Apple WWDC 2023 Highlights

Apple CEO Tim Cook opened up the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) Monday with a focus on hardware, software, and services, but the biggest takeaways are the Vision Pro headset and the 15-inch MacBook Air. We saw updates to each one of Apple’s core platforms. So in no particular order, here is everything Apple announced today.

Vision Pro

As rumored before, Apple’s mixed-reality headset, Vision Pro, is official. Using eyes, head, and voice, you control apps and other tools. Users see through the headset like they’re wearing glasses, but apps and content appear in your environment like augmented reality. During the keynote, Apple’s demo shows the user consume consume and create content in a 3D environment. The headset includes a digital crown like the Apple Watch but is tethered to a battery pack which will last around 2 hours. Vision Pro will also display your eyes when wearing the headset through an EyeSight feature. The headset has a 3D camera, too, to capture moments while wearing the device. It’s a blend of VR and AR. It’s powered by Apple’s M2 chipset, paired alongside a brand-new chip called R1, designed for “real-time sensor processing.” Those chipsets power Apple’s new operating system, visionOS. It will start at $3,499 and launch early next year, starting in the US market with more countries coming later in the year.

15-inch MacBook Air

Apple has launched the 15-inch MacBook Air. It’s 11.5mm thick, weighs 1.3kg, and is powered by Apple’s own M2 chipset. The notebook features two USB-C ports, Apple’s MagSafe charging dock, and a standard headphone jack. The laptop features an 18-hour battery with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The new MacBook Air will ship in four colors, including Midnight and Starlight. The 15-inch MacBook Air starts at Rs 134,900. Customers can order it today and it’ll be available next week.

New Mac Pro

Joining Apple’s pro-grade Mac lineup is the supercharged Mac Pro. It’s powered by the M2 Ultra 24-core CPU, supporting up to a 76-core GPU, eight Thunderbolt 4 ports, and up to six of Apple’s high-end Pro Display XDR. The Mac Pro has a stainless steel frame that’s designed for tweaking and modules that can move around the frame. It’s a high-end desktop computer designed for creative professionals and designers. The new Mac Pro model will be available starting at Rs 729900. Apple has also announced the updated Mac Studio. It can be configured with either Apple’s M2 Max or M2 Ultra chips. It starts at Rs 209,900.

iOS 17

The new version of iOS, the next major iPhone software, is jampacked with new features. A brand new feature called “NameDrop” lets users allow two iPhones or Apple Watches together to share contacts, music, internet, or other shared activities with each other. On the FaceTime front, Apple’s video and audio chatting platform is getting a voicemail functionality, allowing users to leave a video message for their friends. Meanwhile, messaging will be updated with more powerful search functionality and a catch-up feature for group chat that will allow you to set up auto-notifications that let friends and family that you have reached your location safely Apple also introduced a new experience called Standby, which will show up for users when they place their iPhone on its side using a stand. The entire lock-screen UI changes, if you hold your iPhone in a horizontal orientation. This is better suited if you use a MagSafe stand.

iPadOS 17

The new tablet software update is gaining the same features of iOS 17, including brand new Messages features as well as AirDrop capabilities, and smarter autocorrect for text input. But, what’s new this year, is the ability to personalize the lock screen. iPadOS 17 will also come with the Health app. And last, the iPad will be able to display Live Activities just like iOS. The Notes app and PDF annotation are also getting attention in iPadOS 17.

macOS Sonoma

macOS Sonoma, the latest version of its Mac operating system, includes several new features, including desktop widgets, Apple TV-like aerial screensavers, and enhancements to apps like Messages and Safari. On the gaming front, there’s a new Game mode that prioritizes CPU and GPU performance. The new gaming functionality takes advantage of Apple’s more powerful graphics processing units and Apple’s Metal 3 framework. There’s also expanded video-conferencing functionality through FaceTime. Widgets are coming to the macOS on the desktop. Meanwhile, Safari is getting some under-the-hood improvements and enhanced Private Browsing functionality.

tvOS 17

Apple announced tvOS 17 update. One big feature: FaceTime is coming to Apple TV. The new FaceTime app uses your iPhone or iPad camera to bring video calls to your big-screen TV. Apple also said you’ll soon be able to find your lost Apple TV remote using FindMy, so long as you have the newer Siri remote.

watchOS 10

Apple is updating the Apple Watch’s software with new widgets and redesigned apps. The idea is to show more information at a glance. All you need to turn the digital crown and it will bring up your widget stack and let you scroll through for quick and easy access to information. The Apple Watch is also getting two new watch faces: a color-palette themed, and the Peanuts characters Snoopy and Woodstock. There will also be more metrics and workout views for cycling, including the ability to show extra statistics when connecting to other Bluetooth-enabled bike sensors. Health is also a getting focus for WatchOS 10. Apple is adding new mood-logging features to the Mindfulness app, which you can access on both the watch and the phone.

Originally published at https://indianexpress.com on June 5, 2023.