It is WWDC time – and for Apple and its fanbase the Worldwide Developer Conference is like a trip to Mecca. There has been great anticipation regarding what Apple will announce, from OS to watchOS, as well as new and updated gadgets.
Apple kicked off its 2023 Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) with exciting announcements including the new Vision Pro headset, which will retail for $3,499 when it is launched next year.
WWDC – New Mac Hardware and iOS 17 Features
This article provides a rundown of all the newest and most significant iOS 17 features and the latest hardware. Note that all photos are courtesy of Apple.
The 15-inch MacBook Air
The 15-inch MacBook Air is 11.5mm thick; touted as thinnest 15-inch to date, slightly above 3 pounds, powered by an M2 chipset from Apple with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
It has a standard headphone jack, two USB-C ports and Apple’s MagSafe charging dock, 18 hours of battery life, six speakers, a memory that can be configured to 24GB, and a storage of 2TB.
The laptop promises 18 hours of charge, enhanced portability because of its lighter weight, and it does not have a fan on board; promising a silent design. The starting price is $1,299.
Mac Studio
Summary
- M1 Max – 10-core CPU, Up to 32-core GPU, Up to 64GB unified memory, 400GB/s memory bandwidth.
- M1 Ultra – 20-core CPU, Up to64-core GPU, Up to 128GB unified memory, 800GB/s bandwidth.
Apple announced a second-generation Mac Studio model with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. It features a 24-core CPU, up to 76-core GPU, a 32-core Neural Engine, and 192GB of unified memory. According to Apple, it is up to three times faster than the previous generation.
Apple promises a 2.5X jump in CPU performance and a 3.4X gain in GPU performance and 2.2x faster Machine Learning. The Mac Studio supports faster Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
Why upgrade to M2 Ultra?
Customers can get up to 192GB of RAM with the M2 Ultra. According to Apple, the M2 Ultra is six times faster than Intel-based Macs. Video bandwidth has been increased; you can connect up to 8K display at 240HZ.
The new Mac Studio starts at $1,999 for the model with M2 Max, while the models with the M2 Ultra model start at $ 3,999 and is available on order and will be available in stores from June 13.
iOS 17 Software – here’s some of what’s coming
Apple has announced new features which enhance the things we do every day, including; Namedrop, Journal app, Standby, Autocorrect, and a personal safety feature called Check In.
NameDrop
You can now swap numbers using NameDrop. This is easily achieved by holding your iPhone near someone else’s iPhone, or near their Apple Watch. You can both decide which phone numbers or email addresses to share.
Journal App
One of the noteworthy additions to iOS 17 is the new Journal app. It allows you to note down your thoughts to practice gratification and reflect on your moments. Journal collects all your daily activities, such as photos, music, visited places, and workouts, and bundles them for you to reflect on. This journal is powered by on-device machine learning, and is private, meaning nobody can access it except you.
As soon as you open the new entry page, the Journal app guides you on what to write, and you can also schedule reminders to notify you so you can build your journaling habit. The app isn’t available yet, but the company plans to release it alongside iOS 17 later in 2023.
Standby
The black standby screen is now replaced by a new full-screen experience for your nightstand where you can see time, alarm, and photos or you can personalize what’s on the display.
No more “Hey Siri”
“Hey” has been dropped from “Hey Siri.”
Apple Messages
The messaging app has been overhauled; notable changes include:
- Send a call to voicemail and see a live transcript of the message.
- You can view transcribed voice messages.
- A new catch-up arrow lets you jump to the first message you have not seen in a conversation and you can swipe to reply.
- You can combine search filters to quickly narrow your search.
- You can use your own photos to create live stickers, in addition, all your stickers are now in one place including live stickers, emojis and all other stickers.
Check-In feature
Apple also announced a new iOS 17 feature called “Check-in” aimed at enhancing personal safety. The Check-in option will allow iPhone users to let their friends and family know they got home safely automatically.
It can track where you are along your journey and send automated updates when you become delayed or deviate from that route, plus share your location and your phone’s battery level.
Do more from a widget
Another amazing feature of Apple’s new iOS 17 introduced at the WWDC is interactive widgets that let you play and pause music, check off boxes in the Reminders tile, and turn on or off smart home appliances directly from the home screen. You can do this with widgets on Home Screen, Lock Screen, or when your iPhone is in StandBy mode.
Facetime
The Facetime feature on the new iOS 17 allows users to record a video or audio message when someone misses their FaceTime call.
iPadOS 17 and new iPad Features
The new iOS 17 version of the Apple iPad includes upgrades such as improved widgets featuring better live interactions. The home screen can now be customized like the way iPhones are. New native apps include; Health app and an improved notes app.
Live collaborations
Using machine learning technology, the iPad OS 17 identifies fields in a PDF so that they can fill them quickly allowing you to work easily.
AirPods
The new Airpods have a new adaptive noise cancellation feature for noisy environments. The adaptive audio dynamically blends Transparency and Active Noise Cancellation technologies.
Apple TV
Facetime is coming to the new Apple TV. You can use your iPhone as a camera and start a call directly from the FaceTime app on Apple TV or hands off the call from your iPhone to your TV.
You can also add a reaction that fills the camera with effects using a hand gesture.
This is achieved through the Continuity Camera on an iPhone or iPad to double as a webcam. It will also use Centre Stage, Apple’s Artificial Intelligence, which adjusts the iPhone’s and iPad’s front-facing camera in Video apps, to frame you while you look at the TV.
The iOS 17 developer preview is available today, with a public beta coming in July. The software will officially debut later this year, in Fall.
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