WWDC 2024 Keynote: Let’s Break it Down!

Exploring Apple’s Latest Innovations and Their Impact on Developers

WWDC 2024 — Exploring wonders of Apple’s largest annual developers event

High-flying start — Skydiving opens the Apple 2024 event. WWDC brings a wave of anticipation and excitement every year, and 2024 was no exception. Apple again took the stage to unveil groundbreaking innovations, including major updates to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS.

How could they fall behind in the AI race when all their rivals are pushing the boundaries? Could they? Hence the launch of Apple Intelligence.

Join us as we dive into the most exciting highlights from this year’s keynote.

What You’ll Find Inside:

• iOS 18
• iPadOS 18
• watchOS 11
• visionOS 2
• macOS Sequoia
• tvOS 18
• Apple Intelligence

iOS 18

iOS 18 brings significant updates across various features, offering users more customization options, a revamped Photos app, enhanced messaging capabilities, and integration of Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system.

Discover a fresh approach to customization, expanded messaging features, and a major overhaul for the Photos app — just the tip of the iceberg.

1. Customization: Users can arrange apps and widgets freely on the Home Screen, customize the Lock Screen controls, and access more controls in the Control Center. App icons and widgets can be customized with light, dark, or tinted effects.
2. Photos App Redesign: The Photos app receives its biggest redesign ever, with new collections for easy browsing, a carousel view for highlights, and auto-playing content. Users can customize their photo library and pin favorite collections.
3. Messaging Enhancements: iMessage introduces new text effects, Tapbacks with expanded options, and the ability to schedule messages. Animated effects to any letter, word, phrase, or emoji. Messages over satellite enable communication when cellular or Wi-Fi connections are unavailable. RCS (Rich Communication Services) messages bring richer media and delivery and read receipts for those who don’t use iMessage.
4. Privacy: Apple has always made sure to take care of user privacy, bringing us eye-catching features such as App Lock and Hide an App.
5. Mail Improvements: With on-device categorization for inbox management, including Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions.
6. Wallet: Introducing Tap to Cash, users can send and receive Apple Cash by simply holding two iPhone devices together.
7. Passwords App: It will provide easy access to passwords, passkeys, and verification codes, with alerts for common weaknesses.
8. Apple Intelligence: Integrated into iOS 18, Apple Intelligence enhances writing with systemwide Writing Tools and offers new image creation capabilities with Image Playground. Siri becomes more natural and personal, and ChatGPT integration allows access to expertise and image and document-understanding capabilities.

iPadOS 18

With the launch of iPadOS 18, Apple unlocked new capabilities for intelligence features and apps, making it more versatile and intelligent than ever. Let’s briefly overview what Apple has in store for us.

iPadOS 18 takes the iPad to the next level with Apple Intelligence, the introduction of a Calculator with Math Notes, new handwriting tools in Notes, additional ways to customize the iPad, and more

1. Calculator with Math Notes: Integrated into the Notes app, this feature allows users to effortlessly solve mathematical expressions by typing or writing them out. It also includes a graphing feature for visualizing equations.
2. Smart Script for Handwritten Notes: Enhances legibility and flexibility in handwritten note-taking while preserving the authenticity of the user’s handwriting.
3. Photos App Redesign: Similar to iOS 18, iPadOS 18 also introduces Photos app redesign.
4. Passwords App: Introduces accessing passwords, passkeys, and verification codes, with alerts for common weaknesses.
5. SharePlay and Gaming Enhancements: Improved SharePlay functionality and gaming experiences enhance collaboration and entertainment.
6. Apple Intelligence: Similar to iOS 18, it will be integrated into iPadOS with Siri improvements.

In essence, iPadOS 18 is no less than revolutionary, empowering users with unparalleled versatility, intelligence, and personalization capabilities while prioritizing privacy and security.

watchOS 11

With watchOS 11, Apple unveiled the Vitals app, training load, new ways to tailor Activity rings, intelligent customization of the Smart Stack and Photos face, and the Translate app.

watchOS 11 brings great insights into user’s health & fitness, and more personalization.

1. Vitals App: The new Vitals app keeps users informed about their health metrics like heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood oxygen levels. It sends notifications if these metrics go beyond the usual range, offering insights and possible reasons for the changes.
2. Pregnancy Support: For pregnant users, watchOS 11 offers Cycle Tracking features to monitor gestational age and log symptoms. The Health app on iOS devices provides reminders for mental health check-ins and assesses walking steadiness to prevent falls during pregnancy.
3. Expanded Workout Options: Users can now choose from new workout types, enhancing their fitness tracking experience.

Other updates include new workout types, improved ticketing information, and enhanced developer tools. They also ensure that health and fitness data are encrypted and prioritize end-to-end encryption for data synced to iCloud.

visionOS 2

visionOS 2 is a groundbreaking update for Apple Vision Pro, offering several significant enhancements.

The groundbreaking spatial computing experiences of Apple Vision Pro go even further with visionOS 2.

1. Spatial Photos: Users can now create immersive spatial photos directly from their library, adding depth and realism to favorite memories. Canon will release a new spatial lens for its EOS R7 camera to capture spatial videos.
2. Hand Gestures: New hand gestures are introduced for streamlined navigation, enhancing user experience.
3. Innovative Experiences: Developers can leverage the TableTopKit framework to create collaborative table-centered experiences across various categories, simplifying app development.

Other updates in visionOS 2 bring features like immersive web browsing in Safari, multiview support in the Apple TV app, systemwide Live Captions, and seamless content streaming via AirPlay.

macOS Sequoia

Apple previewed macOS Sequoia, bringing entirely new ways of working and transformative intelligence features to Mac with great capabilities.

macOS Sonoma - work and play on your Mac are even more powerful. Elevate your presence on video calls. Boost gaming performance. And discover even more ways to personalize your Mac.

1. iPhone Mirroring: One of the key features is iPhone Mirroring, which allows users to access and control their iPhone directly from their Mac. This feature enables seamless interaction between the two devices, including the ability to drag and drop files, respond to notifications, and more.
2. Safari Enhancements: Safari receives significant updates, including the Highlights feature for easy information discovery on webpages, a redesigned Reader mode, and improved video playback controls with the Viewer feature.
3. Window Management: The update offers easier window tiling, allowing users to quickly arrange windows into customizable layouts that suit their preferences.
4. Video Conferencing: New features in video conferencing apps like FaceTime and Zoom include presenter previews and built-in background options for more engaging presentations.
5. Passwords App: Provides a centralized location for storing and accessing passwords, passkeys, and Wi-Fi credentials with iCloud syncing and end-to-end encryption.
6. Apple Intelligence: Deeply integrated into macOS Sequoia, enhancing writing tools with features like rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing text, as well as new image capabilities and Memories in Photos for storytelling. Siri becomes more natural and contextually relevant.
7. Gaming: macOS Sequoia introduces a range of highly anticipated games to Mac, such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Frostpunk 2, along with features like Personalized Spatial Audio for a more immersive gaming experience.

tvOS 18

Apple didn’t bring any major updates to tvOS 18. However, the new update includes features like InSight, and improvements to Enhance Dialogue and subtitles, all aimed at leveling up the cinematic experience.

tvOS 18 — introduces new cinematic experiences with InSight, Enhance Dialogue, and Subtitles

1. Expanded Entertainment: Stunning new screen savers and 21:9 support for projectors enhance the viewing experience in tvOS 18.
2. Improved Apple Services: SharePlay and Apple Music allow shared control of music on HomePod and HomePod mini. FaceTime updates include Live Captions for English in the U.S. and Canada, enhancing accessibility.
3. Enhanced Fitness Experience: Apple Fitness+ gets a redesign in tvOS 18, offering personalized spaces, improved navigation, and search features to optimize workout routines.
4. Home Management: iOS 18 introduces guest access in the Home app, enabling users to grant controlled access to locks, garage doors, and security systems. Hands-free unlock with home keys enhances entry convenience. Additionally, users can monitor and understand their electricity usage directly from the Home app, partnering with leading utilities like Pacific Gas & Electric Company in California.

Apple Intelligence

Apple has entered the world of Artificial Intelligence with the launch of Apple Intelligence, a personal intelligence system that understands personal context.

Apple Intelligence — personal intelligence that is helpful and relevant — combines the power of generative models

1. Apple Intelligence: It leverages the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images. With Private Cloud Compute, the ability to flex and scale computational capacity between on-device processing and larger, server-based models that run on dedicated Apple silicon servers is great.
2. Enhanced Writing Tools: Apple Intelligence enhances the writing experience for rewriting, proofreading, and summarizing, making writing and communication effortless.
3. Image Playground: Users can create fun, generative images on the fly using a range of concepts like themes, costumes, accessories, places, and more. Users can pick from three styles: Sketch, Illustration, or Animation. It’s integrated into apps like Messages and productivity tools like Notes and is also available as a standalone app.
4. ChatGPT Integration: ChatGPT will come to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia powered by GPT-4o. Users can access it without creating any account. Subscribers can connect their accounts and access the paid features. The integration of ChatGPT into Apple platforms offers expertise, image generation, and content generation capabilities within the systemwide Writing Tools and Compose feature while maintaining user privacy.

Closing Thoughts

The WWDC 2024 keynote showcased Apple’s vision for the future, showcasing various innovations across software and hardware. From Apple Intelligence-powered updates in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS to the groundbreaking visionOS 2 and impressive, Apple continues to set the standard for the tech industry.

For more updates on the latest tools and technologies, follow the Simform Engineering Blog.

Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn