WWDC 2023: All highlights from the Apple developer conference
For many Apple fans, it is probably the most anticipated event of the year: the developer conference WWDC. Yesterday, Monday, was the day: Apple presented the latest updates for iPhones, iPads and Macs.
Apple WWDC: Not only interesting for developers
The long-awaited keynote, which takes place every year on the first Monday in June, is only a small part of the developer conference. Throughout the week, Apple hosts so-called sessions (in which developers are given a helping hand with the development of their apps), personal meetings with Apple employees and networking events in its Apple Park. The Apple Design Awards will also be presented at WWDC. As in previous years, the keynote was broadcast live.
Apple Vision Pro: The new VR revolution?
The teaser “Code new Worlds” already suggested that Apple wants to introduce a new product. At this year’s WWDC 2023, the time had finally come: Apple presented its latest product: The Apple Vision Pro, mixed reality glasses that combine augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Like the “competitor” VR glasses, the Apple MR glasses have two small micro-LED displays with a screen diagonal of 1.41 inches. Despite the small screen size, the displays come to 4000 pixels per inch. For comparison: the normal iPhones have a pixel density of 460 pixels! This means that the glasses can keep up with the best 4K TVs.
Whether the MR glasses will be a success similar to the iPhone or the Apple Watch is something the management is not so sure about, according to industry insiders. They cost 3500 dollars and will only be launched next year and initially only in the USA.
However, in “our eyes” the presentation made us want more: For one thing, many familiar apps come on the glasses. Films and series as well as office environments were particularly highlighted. Instead of small monitors or televisions, the content can now be projected directly into the room. This works in the office with the MacBook display, for example. Instead of on the display, things like browsers, applications and messages now float directly in the room.
Unlike classic VR glasses, you are not completely shielded from your surroundings (even if this is possible with beautiful landscape shots), but people in the environment are always highlighted. The whole thing is controlled with the eyes and fingers – ambient sensors as well as a powerful M1 and new R1 chip ensure an extremely low latency of 12 milliseconds – according to Apple 8 times faster than the blink of an eye.
Others can’t see what you see – everything remains private and for your eyes only. TouchID and FaceID are joined by OpticID – the headset scans your iris to identify you.
MacOS: New Macs and Updates
Apple has also announced new MacBook Airs. They come with the in-house M2 chip and for the first time have a 15.3 inch display. With a width of only 11.5 mm, the new MacBook Air is currently probably the thinnest notebook in the world. The new chip gives the laptop a runtime of 18 hours. The price starts at USD 1299.
For professional users, Mac Studio and the new Mac Pro are suitable. They come with support for an incredible 192 GB of RAM and, according to Apple, can process up to 22 8k streams (Mac Studio) or 24 4k videos (Mac Pro). The Mac Studio is available from USD 1999 and can drive 6 displays simultaneously; the new Mac Pro is available from USD 6999 and has 6 Gen4 PCI expansion slots. So if you want to upgrade your computer in the future, you are better off with the Mac Pro.
iOS 17
While in the hardware sector leaks spread months, if not years, in advance, the situation is different in the software sector. Logically, Apple is not dependent on external producers and manufacturers when it comes to its own software. Nevertheless, there are some interesting new features in the iOS area.
Phone, Facetime & Messages
We started with the Phone, Facetime and Messages apps. The lockscreen framework of iOS 16 is used and brought into these apps. This allows you to create beautiful digital business cards with personalised profile photos or memojis. These business cards can be shared with other iPhone users by holding the iPhones together and are displayed when you are called. The Namedrop feature also works for devices like the Apple Watch and apps and features like Photos or Shareplay.
Mailbox messages are now transcribed in real time – so you can see immediately if the call is important or can wait. And with Facetime, you can now leave video messages when the other person is not available.
The sticker function has been part of the News app for a long time, but until now it has been rather neglected. Now even live photos can become stickers. These can be dragged anywhere and enlarged or reduced with the fingers. The mini-widgets in the News app have now been given a facelift and are displayed vertically instead of as before.
The new Checkin function within the Messages app is likely to be more helpful. Here, family members, friends or acquaintances can share their whereabouts and automatically communicate when that person has arrived home safely.
Search filters make it easier to search for and find messages.
Journaling App: Journal
As we wrote in our smartphone stress article, journaling apps are a way to clear your mind. The apps recommended in the article will guide you through the process and show you connections that have remained unconscious.
Now Apple also offers its own journaling app – and uses other Apple services for it, such as the workouts from the fitness app, locations, photos, music and podcasts. There will also be ready-made prompts so that you can start writing immediately and purposefully. FaceID protects your journal entries.
Standby
A small feature is the new standby function, which turns your iPhone into a smart alarm clock substitute. When your iPhone is on standby, it can display the time, but also widgets, the current weather, your Smart Home or photos.
Siri
Instead of “Hey Siri”, Apple’s voice assistant can now only be activated with “Siri”. It remains to be seen how easy it is to (mis)activate the voice assistant.
Offline maps in Maps
Now finally in Apple Maps: Offline maps. Until now, Apple’s navigation alternative was hardly usable when the internet was poor.
Photos app can now match cats and dogs
Google and Apple’s Photos apps are incredibly powerful. Apple’s Photos app has been able to identify and name people for some time. In addition, Photos can now match pets that belong to the family.
Health app
Apple’s Health app is also getting new features. To go with the journaling app, you can now log your moods. Standardised questionnaires, like those used by doctors, show your risk of depression and what measures you can take.
Myopia – short-sightedness – was also discussed. It is estimated that 30% of the world’s population is affected by myopia, and by 2050 this proportion is expected to increase to as much as 50%. With Screen Distance, Apple devices can now detect whether the devices are too close to the eyes. The Apple Watch has a role to play here – using brightness sensors, the watch recognises how long you have been outside. Looking into the distance helps prevent myopia. Apple is advertising these features primarily for children, but it is still unclear to what extent this feature is suitable for adults.
iPadOS 17
The iPad operating system is also getting meaningful updates. Many of the updates mentioned above and below are also coming to the iPad.
Widgets
A year after the iPhone, the iPad is now enjoying interactive widgets. Things like Reminders, Smart Home or third-party apps can be controlled directly from the home screen without having to open the app.
Lockscreen
Another function that finds its way from the iPhone to the iPad: the new lock screen. Now you can also customise the lockscreen on the iPad. Widgets can be used on the lockscreen and make better use of the larger screen. So-called Live Activities keep you up to date on your flight status, delivery service, timer (up to 4 at a time!) or sports match.
Health
The Health app is coming to the iPad. The data is seamlessly synchronised between other devices and the iPad and is only visible to you.
PDF & Notes
Those who work a lot with PDFs will be happy about these functions: With a revised autofill function, PDFs – even scanned ones – can be filled in more quickly. Anyone with an Apple Pencil can interact with the documents. If several people are working on a PDF, the changes are displayed and synchronised in real time. Last but not least, the Notes app gets a linking function with which notes can be connected. You can even create wikis with it!
MacOS: Sonoma
As with the iPad, many of the changes mentioned above will find their way to the Mac.
Safari
Other browsers already have them, now Apple’s browser is following suit: profiles. You can now change profiles with just a few clicks. Depending on the profile, history, extensions, tab groups, cookies and bookmarks are separated. The days of people accidentally showing their private browser history in a video call are a thing of the past with Safari profiles.
Private browser windows are now blocked with TouchID or FaceID and thus remain protected from foreign eyes. Trackers are also blocked.
You can securely share encrypted passwords with family members or friends. This is Apple’s take on a popular feature of password storage apps.
In addition, web apps can now be created from any website. This function is already familiar from the iPhone and iPad. Even notifications are possible with the web app, for example when someone edits a Confluence page or a news page sends an urgent message.
Gaming
Macs have never been gaming devices, yet there are many games for MacOS. The new Game Mode gives your game more CPU and GPU power. In return, less power is available to background processes. At the same time, it reduces the latency of wireless game controllers and headphones.
For developers, there were updates to Metal, Apple’s graphics API. Apple promised to make porting games easier than ever. Hideo Kojima, creator of the horror adventure Death Stranding, spoke as proof, promising to bring Death Stranding and all future games to the Mac. A few days before the WWDC, Hello Games already announced No Man’s Sky for the Mac.
Video Conferencing
Video calls have also been given a facelift. Those who quickly lose track of their screens when sharing will be pleased with this feature. You can now superimpose your image over the shared content, just as if you were giving a presentation on the spot. You can choose whether you appear as a large presenter for the others or as a small “bubble”.
Audio & Home
AirPods
AirPods get a new Adaptive Audio function. It combines the Transparency and Noise-Cancelling modes. This suppresses annoying ambient noise, but allows important sounds such as bicycle bells or horns to pass through. With this, Apple wants to ensure more safety in road traffic.
At the same time, AirPods now recognise if you are talking to someone. The music is then automatically turned down.
You can read more about AirPods in our article.
AirPlay
Sharing music on HomePods has become even easier. For example, if you often stream your music to the HomePod in the kitchen, iOS will now suggest this HomePod directly. This means you no longer have to open the sharing window or hold your iPhone up to the HomePod.
It is already possible in offices, but now hotels will also be able to offer AirPlay in the future. You simply scan a QR code and you connect to the WLAN and the TV.
tvOS
The Apple TVs are getting a revised Control Center. Many familiar functions from other devices such as the “Do Not Disturb” mode, Smart Home devices, profiles and more will find their way onto the big TV.
Speaking of the big TV: With a suitable iPhone, you can now also make your video call on the TV. The iPhone’s microphone and camera are used, and the call is displayed on the TV. Zoom is one of the first conference apps to support this feature.
Anyone who loses sight of their Siri Remote will be pleased to know that it can now be found using the Find My app.
watchOS 10
The operating system of the Apple Watch has been given a completely new design language. Apps have been redesigned from the ground up and come in a new, full-screen design.
Turning the Digital Crown gives you quick access to the widgets that also find their way onto the Smartwatch.
Two new workouts can be started in the fitness app in future: cycling and walking. Cycling supports Bluetooth accessories and can thus measure things like cadence, speed and power. Those who use their iPhone as a speedometer replacement can also have this data displayed on the iPhone.
Hiking uses the built-in compass and records the last time you had network reception. With the topography maps, you can see the hiking routes, heights and elevations and points of interest along your route. And if you like hiking, you’ll be pleased with the hiking trail suggestions.
Our impression: A good keynote with sensible changes
Of course, for those who expected major changes in iOS and Co. the innovations are likely to be few and far between. For years, Apple has only been maintaining its products instead of reinventing the wheel.
But we are curious about the new headset. Apple has cleverly broken away from the limitations of other VR glasses and actually reinvented the VR wheel. While Oculus and others focus on gaming, Apple also promotes the glasses as a productivity booster. We therefore see great opportunities here, especially in the private and professional sphere, for example in the evening for watching series or in the office as a monitor substitute. There are also live applications, for example to see a new kitchen directly in the flat.
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