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PremiumApple WWDC 2023 has kicked off today with CEO Tim Cook delivering keynote speech. The five-day long developer's event started with a band as the company finally took the wraps off its first-ever mixed reality headset- Vision Pro at the event along with previewing upgrades to its major operating system- iOS 17, iPadOS 17, MacOS 10, watchOS 10, tvOS and more.
The iPhone maker also unveiled an all-new MacBook Air with 15-inch display. Apple also unveiled new Mac Stutio and Mac Pro with adavanced features and M2 Ultra Max processor. Here's a round up of announcements that unfolded during the two-hour long address today.
Widgets on iPadOS 17 will help in scheduling or controlling smart devices at home
Journal is a new app coming to the iPhones. Users can write down about day, music, location, photos and activities in the app.
This makes typing on iPhone easy
Major updates with iOS 17 coming to Phone, FaceTime and Messages. Users can now set new “Contact Poster" to choose what it looks like when you call someone else with iOS 17. Audio message transcription, new sticker and more
Mac Pro has finally got an update after two years, price starts at $6,999 -- available for order starting today in the US
The new M2 Ultra chip can drive 6 Pro Display XDRs. It can deliver 20% faster CPU, 30% faster GPU, and 40% Neural performance
Apple says that M2 Max is up to 4X faster than Intel-processor-powered Macs.
The new MacBook Air is priced at $ $1,299, or $1,199 for education, and will be available starting later this week
The laptop is 11.5mm thin and easy to carry with 3 pounds weight, it comes in 4 colours. There is a15.3-inch screen , gets 500 nits of brightness and supports
Gets 6 speakers and delivers immersive audio, gets M2 chips, new air is 12x faster than intel based macbook air
John Ternus, Apple’s hardware chief says it is“The world’s best 15-inch laptop."
The event will run from June 5 to June 9 with keynote starting today at 10:00am local time (10:30pm IST)
Apple is expected to take the wraps off its first mixed reality headset at WWDC 2023 event. According to reports, it may be called Reality Pro or Apple XR Pro. The headset is expected to come powered by M2 chipset.
Apple is also planning to change button behavior on the Apple Watch with watchOS 10. The new watchOS may bring the ability to open the new widgets interface with Digital Crown instead of directly accessing the standard home screen app array.
Apple watchOS 10 may reintroduce widget to Apple Watch making it easier to get personalized information at a glance.
According to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has added Wallet as a category on its Apple Business Register site that previously included Messages, Health, and Maps
Tap ‘Like’ on Twitter posts about WWDC to see how the animation works
Apple Inc shares hit a record high for the first time in 17 months ahead of an annual software developer conference. Its shares were last up 1.5% at $183.70. They have jumped nearly 40% in 2023, compared with an 11.5% rise in the benchmark S&P 500.
According to reports, WWDC 2023 will last more than 2 hours.
Expected list of iPhones supporting iOS 17 are:
iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max
iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone SE (2022)
iPhone 13, 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12, 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS/XS Max, iPhone XR
Apple may replace 'Hey Siri' with just 'Siri' as the prompt to activate the virtual assistant in the iOS 17 update, bringing it in line with Amazon's Alexa. Read full story here
As per a Bloomberg report, Apple Inc. is on pace to close at a record high ahead of its most significant product launch event in nearly a decade. Shares of the iPhone maker rose as much as 0.6% to $182.09 on Monday in premarket trading, above the closing high reached on Jan. 3, 2022. The gain would extend Apple’s year-to-date rally of 39%, a remarkable turnaround for a stock that sank to a 19-month low in the first trading days of the year. Read full story here
Unhappy about studios' work on streaming platforms, Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike for the last few months. Apple TV Plus is no stranger to the issue, with several of its shows being affected by the strike. The Writers Guild may protest at Apple Stores, including the Visitors Center at Apple Park.
As the tradition goes, Apple Store is down ahead of today's event. The iPhone maker is rumorued to unveil its much-awaited mixed realit headset along with a 15-inch MacBook Air, M2 Max and M2 Ultra variants of the Mac Studio and an update to Mac Pro.
“Be right back. We’re making updates to the Apple Store. Check back soon," reads Apple Store website.
Most of the new features that will become a part of iOS 17 are already doing the rounds including the new Journalling app, the ability to sideload apps, enhancements to the Control Center and Health app along with modifications to the Always-On display.
However, there are some features that are expected to be a part of iOS 17 that no one is talking about. The new features dubbed Accessibility Features were announced by Apple CEO Tim Cook on May 16. While it has not been officially announced that these features will be a part of iOS17, it is rumoured that since the Accessibility features will be released around the same time as iOS 17 they could be part of the new operating system. Click here to know more about the Accessibility Features.
Even before Apple announced its new mixed-reality headsets to the world, the company gave a big hint about the AR and VR-capable headsets in a letter to the developers. In a letter to the developers, the company wrote, ‘Code new worlds’. The message is being seen as a signal to developers to code their apps for a whole new operating system called xrOS. Click here to read the full report
Apple's new Personal Voice feature will allow users to clone their voice in just 15 minutes. Personal Voice will allow users to create a voice that sounds very similar to their own voice. It uses on-device machine to keep the user's information ‘private and secure’. Click here to read the full report
Ahead of Apple WWDC 2023 event, iPhone 14 Plus is available with a ‘massive price drop’ on e-commerce site Flipkart. The e-tailer is running a Mobile Bonanza sale during which the Apple iPhone 14 Plus is selling with a discounted price of ₹80,999. The smartphone was originally launched in September last year with a starting price of Rs89,900. Click here to read the full report.
Apple plans to open three more retail stores in India over the next two years. The first one of this batch (Apple's first-ever India store opened in BKC, Mumbai followed by Saket in Delhi) will come up in far suburb of Borivali in Mumbai.
A Bloomberg report said Apple is focussing on its growth via retail network in China and other Asian markets, including India. The iPhone-maker is also looking to revamp its existing retail outlets in the US and Europe.
The report said that Apple Inc. is going to open 15 fresh stores in the Asia-Pacific region, five in Europe and the Middle East, and four in the United States and Canada by 2027. The company also plans to revamp or relocate six stores in Asia, nine in Europe, and 13 in North America. In total, Apple is proposing a total of 53 new, relocated, or renovated stores over the next four years.
According to Bloomberg, iOS 17, codenamed "Dawn," is undergoing continuous development and testing within Apple. However, the update may have fewer significant changes than initially intended, as the company prioritizes the development of its AR/VR headset, potentially to be announced at WWDC. Here are expected features of iOS 17
New Control Center design
Bloomberg reports that iOS 17 will include "nice to have" features, addressing user requests, with a focus on enhancing Control Center.
Journaling app
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, iOS 17 will introduce a journaling app that integrates data from various Apple apps, such as Find My, and includes a proximity-based feature to differentiate between friends and colleagues. Bloomberg also confirmed the app's location-based capabilities.
Find My and Wallet app updates
According to Mark Gurman, updates are expected for the Find My and Wallet apps in iOS 17, with the Wallet app receiving user interface tweaks and enhancements.
New features for the Health app
In iOS 17's Health app, Apple is said to be introducing mood and emotion tracking capabilities, allowing users to log their mood, answer questions about their day, and track changes over time. Bloomberg also suggests future plans for using algorithms to determine mood based on speech, typing, and device data.
Sideloading and third-party app stores
According to reports, Apple is expected to comply with the Digital Markets Act in the European Union by opening the iPhone to third-party app stores and side-loading in iOS 17. However, accessing these app stores may not be straightforward, as Apple is speculated to charge developers and implement a configuration profile-based process.
Smart display features
Bloomberg reports that iOS 17 will introduce a new "smart display" interface for the Always-On display feature on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. This interface will showcase calendar appointments, weather, and notifications in a style resembling a smart-home display.
AirPlay and SharePlay updates
As part of iOS 17, SharePlay, Apple's feature for synchronized content viewing, is expected to receive an upgrade. Additionally, Apple has engaged in discussions with hotels and other establishments to enhance AirPlay functionality, making it more convenient for users to stream video and audio to external devices.
As per 9TO5Mac, during the WWDC event in June, Apple is expected to announce iOS 17, followed by the immediate release of a beta version for developers. In July, a public beta will be made available for all iPhone users to test out. The official release of iOS 17 is projected to take place in September, possibly coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models.
Unlike hardware leaks, software leaks are less common as they usually originate from Apple's supply chain rather than internal sources. Apple manages to maintain tight control over software leaks by limiting access to information within a small group of individuals.
Regarding iOS 17, it is anticipated to be a moderately updated version with a focus on introducing "nice to have" changes rather than major new features.
According to Bloomberg, Apple's WWDC 2023 event is set to showcase significant updates for the Mac lineup. Alongside the already-revealed redesigned 13-inch MacBook Air, Apple may introduce a larger 15-inch MacBook Air. The new model will maintain the current MacBook Air's aesthetic but offer a larger form factor. Initially planned for release last year, Apple has rescheduled its launch to coincide with this year's event.
Apple is also reportedly preparing to launch refreshed models in the Mac Studio lineup, featuring the M2 Max and M2 Ultra configurations. These configurations, codenamed Mac 14,13 and Mac 14,14 (or J475), will replace last year's M1 Max and M1 Ultra models.
Recent tests have confirmed the performance of both the new machines and their chips. The M2 Max chip mirrors the one found in the latest MacBook Pros, while the M2 Ultra chip will bring new advancements with 24 CPU cores and up to 76 graphics cores. RAM options will include 64GB, 128GB, and 192GB.
Additionally, Apple may incorporate the M2 Ultra chip into the Mac Pro, foregoing the development of a more powerful chip to enhance the Ultra component's performance. While unlikely to be discussed, Apple is also actively developing M3 versions for other devices, such as the MacBook Air, entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro, high-end MacBook Pros, and iMac.
