WWDC21 in 5 minutes
Apple introduced a lot of new features but no new products or new SOCs
Like last year’s WWDC20, this year’s WWDC21 was in a digital format with stunning visuals and different sections of Apple’s HQ, Apple Campus. After a circa four-minute-long introductory video segment, Tim Cook walked out in front of a crowd of clapping Memojis to kick things off. After this start, Craig Federighi served as a “tour guide “through the innovations while leaving the word to various people that presented the alterations and innovations in more detail.
iOS 15
iOS 15 was the first major talking point of this year’s WWDC21, and some changes are coming to the iPhone in your pocket. Most of the new features circle around connecting with friends and family. The first major update presented is to FaceTime.
There are quite a few new features like shareplay, grid view, and improved microphone settings. The shareplay feature allows you to share your screen or various apps with the people on your face-time call.
Furthermore, there are now FaceTime-links which also allow the non-apple user to join these calls. The redesigned app looked like it is becoming more of a competitor to video-conferencing apps like Teams and Zoom.
Furthermore, there are changes to messages which allow for better integration of shared links, music, and films into your iOS experience. For example, there will be a “for you” section in the TV app where shows that your friends sent you via messages will be displayed. Similar areas will be available in other apps.
Another huge part of this year’s WWDC is the new focus feature. This feature allows for better notification grouping and enables you to customize your home screen and notifications to your current task. So if you are working, only notifications from your coworkers are coming through, and your home screen just has your productivity apps, for example. This feature will work across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and once toggled on a device, it will be the same focus state for all of
Additionally, Apple presented a bunch of new improvements to various apps. The weather app has a new look, Maps has also received some additions, especially for selected cities, and the Wallet app now can include keys for your home (with the accessory for your door), but also hotels, and ID, as well as driver licenses, come to Apple Wallet.
In Photos, the Cupertino company presented two notable new features, live text and improved memories. Live text identifies text on your photos, and the improved memories now can access the Apple Music library and create personalized memories with your favorite songs.
iPad OS 15
Next up on the was the presentation of iPad OS 15. The premise on which it was introduced was “taking iPad’s versatility further.“ Yet it is debatable if this was really achieved. First of all, widgets are coming to the iPads’ home screen. There is a new, bigger size, but otherwise, they seemed to be the same as those we already have on the iPhones.
Next is the update to multitasking on the iPad. Instead of the clumsy way of dragging apps next to each other, now there will be a quick menu where on the screen an app should go.
Furthermore, there is now a shelf where your multitasking windows are “stored “so you can quickly go back to a previous configuration. There are various other more minor details on how the whole process works. Nevertheless, one can still just have three apps running simultaneously on the screen (two in split-screen view and one with slide over).
Another newly introduced feature is quicknotes. As the name suggests, these are a way to record quick and short notes into your Notes app. They work on iPad as well as Mac. Apple further brought Translate to the iPad and made translation available systemwide. Lastly, they introduced SwiftUI to the iPad. SwiftUI lets developers develop apps for the iPhone and iPad directly on the iPad.
macOS Monterey
While the improvements made to iOS and iPadOS were discussed quite lengthy, the new macOS Monterey, presented almost at the end, was not accompanied by the same glamour of last year’s macOS Big Sur. The changes seem relatively minor, Airplay to Mac, improved FaceTime capabilities, and Shortcuts is coming to the Mac. The main focus point of the macOS presentation was the introduction of universal control.
Via universal control, you’ll be able to control various Apple devices through the same mouse and keyboard. It works with multiple devices (they demonstrated it with 3) simultaneously. In addition to just regular scrolling and typing, it also supports drag and drop over various devices, which is quite neat.
The other major update comes to Safari, which receives a redesigned look on all devices (iPhone, iPad, and Mac) and also a new feature called tab groups.
WatchOS 8 & Home
The central talking point of WatchOS 8 was the new Mindfulness App which bundles the current Breathe as well as the new Reflect feature into one app. Furthermore, Apple Watch will measure your respiratory rateduring sleep, and a new portrait watch face will be available. Furthermore, new workout types will be coming in WatchOS 8.
In the Home App, additions include the ability to use your iPhone as a house key and greater automation possibilities. Also, the Home App will be improved on the Apple Watch.
Privacy, Health, and developers
During the presentation, Apple (and Craig Federighi) went out of their way to specifically mentions these two points.
Privacy is an immense focus of Apple, and various additions aim to give even more control to the users. Mail privacy protection, App privacy report, and Siri on-device speech recognitionare some of the features associated with the improvements made to better protect users’ privacy.
Also, a new paid service, iCloud+is coming to users. However, already subscribed iCloud users will be upgraded automatically. iCloud+ includes private relay and hide my email.
The Health app will also get some new features, the three main ones being Mobility, Trends and Labs. Mobility aims to analyze the way you walk and predict your risk of falling, whereas trends will show you changes happening over long periods of time. Finally, Labs wants to help people understand their laboratory results better. Furthermore, it will be possible to share Data with your doctor and also your family members if you choose to do so.
As a last talking point, Apple presented some new developer technologies, including API features, Swift features and new App Store features for developers.
The improvements made to the various operating systems, all in all, will provide an even more coherent Apple ecosystem experience and will be primarily a welcomed addition. Nevertheless, it is notable that rumored devices or a new Apple S.o.C. were not introduced, and also hopes of a more powerful iPad OS were not fulfilled.
I hope you also enjoyed the keynote, and as always
Stay safe
Raffael
