During the WWDC event this evening Apple announced a range of new products and a full new software lineup. In case you missed something, here’s a rundown.
Mac Hardware Stuff
The new 15-inch is very much the same as the older 13-inch model. Apple is clearly targeting the 15-inch notebook market here by introducing this new MacBook. It is all about size and battery life. The company says it is leagues beyond Windows notebooks of the same size. The 15-inch MacBook Air comes with the M2 chip and weighs only 3.3 pounds. The notebook will retail from $1,399 and is available from mid-June. The M2 13-inch MacBook Pro is also getting a price drop to $1099. The M1 13-inch MacBook Pro is also dropping to $999.
Apple announced a new version of the Mac Studio. The hardware was announced last year and this is the first upgrade to the unit. The new Mac Studio now comes with an M2 Max chip and Apple’s new M2 Ultra. In theory, the M2 Ultra chip is like having two M1 Max chips. The SOC supports up to 192GB of RAM. The sheer power also allows apps to surpass everything that has come before. For example, video editors can now stream up to 22 8K ProRes videos at the same time.
Last but not least, Apple also announced its first M-chip MacPro – the M2 Ultra MacPro. The difference here is that MacPro supports PCI-E expansion which means users can now connect up to six PCIE devices into the unit to expand what they do. Apple has also added more Thunderbolt ports to the unit. You’ll need to pay for all this power though. The MacPro M2 Ultra starts at $6999.
iOS 17
Apple showcased its new iPhone software, iOS 17. The software comes with a range of new features. First off – Personalised Contact Posters let users create unique wallpapers to share with users when they make a call on their iPhone. You can customize the font, add text, change the colour and more. There’s also a live Voice Mail. This will dictate the voice message to the receiver via a text on the screen so you can read the voice message without listening to it.
FaceTime will now let users leave a video message for them. So if you can’t take the video call, you can then record yourself saying stuff and the user can watch the video back.
Check-In lets users notify their loved ones when they arrive at their location. A user then sets up a time limit for the route and if that time lapses, the iPhone will make sure you’re okay. If you’re not, it will alert the end users. That user can then see your battery life and location to make sure you’re okay.
NameDrop is a new contact-sharing feature that utilises AirDrop. You simply need to trigger the contact sharing and bring your iPhone close to another user to share that information. The same goes for other AirDrop features. For example, you can now start playing music and automatically ShareDrop the music track with someone nearby.
Apple is also adding AirDrop internet features in iOS 17. So if you start an AirDrop and lose Bluetooth connection, the file will continue to send in the same quality over the internet.
The new Journal app is coming to iPhone later this year. Your iPhone will use a range of apps on your device to draw data and inspire your journal entries. Photos you take during that day, the music you listen to and even the locations you visit all help motivate you to journal your experience. You can then look back at your past entries to reflect on your memories.
Standby is a new mode for iPhone which automatically turns your display into a clock. Users can create widgets or use standard clocks and wallpapers to display what they need. The Standby mode automatically adjusts to the brightness of your room too making it perfect for a bedside clock.
- “Hey, Siri” is losing the “Hey”
- Find My Item Sharing
- Pets Albums in Photos
- Standby Mode
- Offline Maps
- Check In
- Live Stickers
- Live Voicemail
- Improved Autocorrect
- Leave a FaceTime Message
- NameDrop
- Advanced ShareDrop
iPadOS 17
Apple is moving many of the missing features from iOS 16 to iPadOS 17. This means iPad will now get widgets, customizable wallpapers and more. There are some other nice features coming to the new software. These include new tools for FreeForm, external camera support, PDF AutoFill and more.
- PDF AutoFill
- Live Activities
- Live Lock Screen
- Health App coming to iPad
- Live Stickers
- Customizable layouts
- Offline Mapps
- Interactive Widgets
macOS Sonoma
Apple’s desktop and Notebook software is getting a fresh new look with some nice additions to the experience. Widgets can now be added to your desktop, there are new live screen savers and a Game Mode will let you overdrive your Mac to play games such as Death Stranding: Director’s Cut.
- Locked Private Browsing
- Profiles in Safari
- Game Mode
- Live Stickers
- Widgets
- Live Screen Savers
WatchOS 10
This new WatchOS 10 release marks the first overhaul to the Apple Watch software since its launch. WatchOS 10 comes with some refreshing new apps and redesigned older apps. Apple is focusing heavily on Mental Health allowing users to log how they’re feeling during the day.
- New navigation
- new Watch Faces
- New App designs
- Topographic Maps
- NameDrop
- Smart Stack
All the new software will be available in beta later tonight.
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