It's WWDC 2024 keynote time! Every year, Apple kicks off its Worldwide Developers Conference with a multi-hour event of announcements, including the long-awaited Apple Intelligence and a refresh of its smart AI assistant, Siri. We expected a lot of it to be about the company's artificial intelligence ambitions (and here), and it didn't disappoint. We also got some news about Vision Pro, as well as a bunch of feature updates.
Here's how to watch the WWDC 2024 archives:
Developers can expect the usual hardware and software updates, as well as other items we initially expected to see announced. Brian Heater also appeared on Equity to share the news. Sit back, relax, and let the team bring you a quick digest of all the major news.
Apple Intelligence Availability
Before you get too excited about testing Apple Intelligence, make sure your device is new enough: Only the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, as well as iPads and Macs with M1 or newer chips, can run the new features coming with Apple's AI push. Read more
ChatGPT on Siri
Apple is bringing ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot experience that leverages OpenAI's GPT-4 and other generative AI models, to Siri and other Apple apps. Learn more
Apple Intelligence is a playground for images and emojis
Image credit: Apple
One of the Apple Intelligence-powered features coming to iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to create AI portraits of the people they're messaging with, sort of like an AI-upgraded Bitmoji — with the goal, of course, to “make everyday conversations more fun.”
Apple Intelligence understands who you're talking to in a Messaging conversation, so if you want to personalize your chat with a custom AI image, you can create one on the fly. Read more
Apple TV+
Image credit: Apple
For Apple TV+ subscribers, there's a new feature called InSight that lets viewers see the names of actors and songs as they appear on-screen. Lauren Forristal writes that this is similar to Amazon's X-Ray technology, which lets Fire TV users get a rundown of actor bios and behind-the-scenes information while watching a TV show or movie.
But InSight's defining feature is its Shazam-like functionality, which highlights songs playing in TV shows and movies and gives users the option to add them to their Apple Music playlists for later listening. Read more
Siri
Image credit: Apple
Apple has also made several enhancements to its smart assistant, Siri, including the addition of generative AI features that make Siri more natural and personal. There's also a new glowing light. Siri can now also handle conversational stutters and understand context better. Plus, you can now type for those who prefer to type. Read more
Introducing Apple Intelligence
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The new feature is called Apple Intelligent (AI, get it?), and the company promises it will provide a highly personalized experience with safety at its core.
“Most importantly, it needs to understand you and be rooted in your personal context: your daily life, your relationships and your communications,” CEO Tim Cook said at WWDC on Monday. “And of course, it needs to be built with privacy in mind from the start. All of this goes beyond artificial intelligence. This is personal intelligence, and it's the next big step for Apple.” Read more
While that's on the consumer side, WWDC is a developer conference, and Apple revealed that developers will be able to bring Apple Intelligence experiences into their own software. A host of AI features will be added to the existing SDK, enabling things like AI image generation and new prompts for Siri, allowing developers to expand the Apple Intelligence footprint. Read more
Apple's new password app
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While you can already store and sync your passwords across devices using your iCloud account, it wasn't easy to use, so the company introduced the Passwords app. Some of the features include a new column on the left that lets you navigate your password collection more easily. For example, you can view all your passwords or only Wi-Fi passwords (a new addition), passkeys, and codes that aren't related to websites or services. Read more
Smart Scripts for iPad
Apple Image credit: Apple / Apple
A new “Smart Script” feature improves handwriting when you write in Notes with Apple Pencil. Apple says that handwriting in Notes will be smoother and straighter. The feature uses on-device machine learning to recreate your handwriting from your notes, improving the look of your writing as you write. You'll see your handwriting become smoother and easier to read. Read more
Calculator for iPad
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Who would have thought that a calculator would liven up a developer conference? Apple's new Calculator app for the iPad has got everyone excited.
The classic iOS tip calculator finally makes it to the big screen. It takes advantage of the extra screen space to bring new features that weren't available on the iPhone. The biggest new feature is the addition of Math Notes. The effects of the addition do the math for you. Read more
MacOS Sequoia
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The latest operating system version is called MacOS Sequoia.
One of the biggest features of this new OS is iPhone mirroring. With Continuity in MacOS, you can now mirror your iPhone screen and control it directly from your Mac. A notification from your Mac will switch your iPhone into Mirror Mode, and your iPhone's audio will also come from your Mac, but your paired iPhone will remain locked while in Mirror Mode. Read more
Now, let's take a closer look at iPhone Mirroring. Apple hasn't outlined many detailed use cases for the feature, but Sarah Perez writes that by launching an iPhone app as if it were another app on your Mac, it could make it easier to demo apps over video calls or in person, by letting you move between slideshow presentations and live demos. Read more
Message via satellite
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This new feature is very similar to Apple's Emergency SOS feature. When you don't have a signal, you'll get the option to search for satellites to relay your data. You'll need to keep your phone pointed in the right direction during this time, but an overlay will appear on top of the message to remind you. Read more
Photo App
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Apple has unveiled a new Photos app coming to the next release of its iOS software. The new app introduces new navigation, new organization features, and more ways to find your favorite photos, including those of friends, family, pets, travels, and more.
What you need to know: The new design means you'll spend less time searching for photos because everything you need is right at your fingertips.
One of the big changes is that the app is now consolidated into a single view, with a photo grid at the top and a thematically organized library at the bottom. Read more
Tap to cash
One of the most interesting additions is “Tap to Pay,” which, as the name suggests, lets you make payments by tapping two iPhones together.
As Brian Heater writes, the feature is essentially a spinoff of Apple Pay's long-standing Tap to Pay feature. Similarly, this new addition is likely to use the device's NFC capabilities. Apple says the feature will allow you to send money without sharing any personal information, adding a nice element of privacy. Read more
iOS18 Update
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Users can now lock apps when they hand over their phone to show them photos or let them play a game. When you lock an app, any time someone tries to tap on your phone they'll need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. While the App Lock feature is enabled, information within the app won't appear in other places, like in searches or notifications. Read more
Apple also shared some early details about the upcoming major release of iOS, the operating system designed specifically for iPhone. As expected, a lot of it is related to artificial intelligence. Remember when icons were fixed to a grid? Now you can arrange them however you like on your home screen, without them obscuring the background photo.
“iOS 18 is a big release that gives you more ways to customise your iPhone, stay connected and relive special moments,” said Craig Federighi, Apple's SVP of Software Engineering. Read more
Speaking of icons, most of these updates are long-requested features, like the ability to place app icons and widgets anywhere on your home screen, as well as support for dark mode icons with different color schemes. Read more
Vision OS2
Apple Image Credit: Brian Heater
VisionOS 2 comes with productivity improvements and “new immersive experiences.” One of them is the use of AI technology to “spatialize” your photos from normal photos. Another is new navigation options. With VisionOS 2, you can switch to the home screen with just a tap or flip your hand to bring up the control center with notifications, shortcuts, and more. Read more
One of the big announcements today is the ability to turn existing images into spatial photos. This new feature uses machine learning to build additional angles and marks a change from the existing method, which required taking the image with the iPhone 15 Pro or Vision Pro itself. Read more
If you're outside the US, Vision Pro headsets will be available in eight new countries. Learn more here
Useful AI, not flashy AI
Apple is lagging behind in the AI race and may feel the need to go all out to impress fans and shareholders, but that doesn't mean overpromising on features. Read more
Generative AI
About smart assistants: Rumor has it that the company is moving some employees to generative AI work after the electric car collapse, but all signs point to Apple having ceded a significant edge to its competitors. Therefore, the most logical strategy would be to partner with a leading company like OpenAI. Read more
Might not work for iPhone 15: Rumor has it that once this generative AI is in place, a limited number of older devices, such as iPads and Macs with M1 chips or higher, and the iPhone 15 Pro, will be able to run the system. This means that the standard iPhone 15 might be left out of the equation here. Read more