Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote, which lasted nearly two hours, unveiled updates across various products and services, including new iOS features and ambitious AI plans. If you missed the livestream, here’s a summary of everything Apple announced.
Apple TV+
Apple opened with a preview of upcoming Apple TV+ content, including the second season of “Severance” and new shows and movies like “Dark Matter,” “Presumed Innocent,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Pachinko,” “Silo,” “Slow Horses,” “Lady in the Lake,” “The Instigators,” “Bad Monkey,” “Shrinking,” and “Wolfs.”
VisionOS 2
VisionOS 2 introduces several new features for Vision Pro users:
- Larger and higher-resolution Mac Virtual Display
- Mouse support and new gestures for Control Center
- Spatial 3D images creation from 2D photos
- Improved functionality for using the headset on trains
iOS 18
While major AI announcements were reserved for later, iOS 18 brings several noteworthy updates:
- Enhanced customization: Move and change app icons, customize Control Center, and lock apps behind Face ID, Touch ID, or a PIN.
- Messages: Redesigned Tapback icons, option to react with any emoji, scheduled messages, text effects and formatting, and satellite messaging for emergencies.
- Mail: New quick tabs and intelligent sorting.
- Maps: New hiking data and customizable hikes.
- Tap to Cash: Tap phones together to make payments.
- Game Mode: Reduces background activity to boost game performance.
- Photos: Redesigned interface with a unified view for photos and albums.
AirPods and Apple TV
AirPods:
- Head gestures to interact with Siri
- Voice Isolation for clearer calls
- Personalized Spatial Audio for gaming
Apple TV:
- “InSight” feature for actor and music information during playback
- Enhanced Dialogue using machine learning
- Support for 21:9 projectors and new screensavers
watchOS 11
watchOS 11 focuses on health and fitness improvements:
- New Vitals app to track heart rate and sleep metrics
- Training Load estimates the proper training effort
- Pause Activity Rings and set daily exercise goals
- Customizable Fitness app with new features for pool swims and pregnancy tracking
- AI-powered live translation
- Enhanced Smart Stack widgets and iOS Check In feature
- Double Tap and Tap to Cash functionality
iPadOS 18
iPadOS 18 includes many iOS 18 features and introduces:
- New Calculator app with Math Notes for handwritten equations and graphs
- Smart Script to enhance and correct handwriting in the Notes app
- Floating tab bar for easy navigation
- Enhanced accessibility with eye-tracking and vocal shortcuts
- SharePlay enhancements for collaborative tasks
- Apple Intelligence features for M-series iPads, including Image Playground
macOS 15 (Sequoia)
macOS 15, named Sequoia, brings:
- iPhone mirroring to interact with apps and notifications on a Mac
- Native window pinning for customized layouts
- Presenter preview for video calls
- Game porting toolkit to bring more Windows games to Mac
- Safari updates with video and Reader modes, and AI-powered Highlights
Apple Intelligence
Apple’s new AI initiative, Apple Intelligence, includes:
- Revamped Siri with contextual understanding and ChatGPT integration
- Clean Up mode in Photos for removing unwanted subjects
- Notes app enhancements for recording and transcribing audio
- AI-powered notification and Mail sorting
- Text rewriting and proofreading capabilities
- Image Playground for generating AI art
- Genmoji for custom AI-generated emojis
- Emphasis on privacy, with on-device processing for most tasks
Apple Intelligence will be available on devices with A17 Pro or M-series chips, initially launching in U.S. English in the summer with a beta in the fall.