At WWDC 2024, we received some incredible updates across different Apple platforms, including visionOS, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and the all-new AI, Apple Intelligence.
Here are the key highlights from the Apple event for the major Apple platforms:
iOS 18
iOS 18 brings more ways to customize your iPhone, stay connected with other people and relive your past moments with the biggest ever Photos update.
Some of the major updates that iOS 18 has came up with:
1. Home Screen customization
- Finally, app icons can be placed anywhere on the screen. We have indeed been waiting a long time for that one.
- App icons changes to dark when dark mode is turned on and in addition to that we can use the customization sheet to tint our app icons that go with the wallpaper.
2. Control Center customization
- Now Control center isn't just limited to only the controls we see after swiping down from top right. We can swipe to more groups of controls such as media playback, home controls and many more.
- We can swipe down to any of the group with a single continuous swipe.
- We can personalize control center by adding and resizing apps of our choice.
3. Privacy
- Lock an app to protect your sensitive data from others. Locked apps information won't appear on other places like search, notification, etc.
- We can now also hide an app so that others don't know we use it.
4. Messages
- Tapbacks is now not limited to few emojis. Tapback to a message with any emoji or sticker of your choice from all the available ones.
- Schedule your messages to send later and never forget on wishing happy birthday to your friends and families.
- Emplify your message with text effects such as shake, ripple, explode and many other effects.
- Messages via satellite Now you can use iPhone capabilities on iPhone 14 and later to connect to a satellite and text to your family when you are far from network reach.
These message are end-to-end encrypted and we can also send sms via satellite too.
5. Mail
In this update, we get on device categorization where we can organize our messages on the basis of primary, transactions, updates and promotions.
6. Maps
Maps now include detailed trail networks and hiking routes with turn by turn voice guides that can be saved to our phone. We can also create and save our own route.
7. Photos
iOS 18 brings biggest redesign to the Photos app.
- Photos app is now unified to a single view, keeping the old photos grid at the top and bringing organised library below.
- Filter out screenshots from photos to enjoy your past experiences clutter free.
- Photos are organised in collections and can be browsed by topics like time, people, favourite memories, trips and many more.
- Though they did not mentioned here about AI in the Apple event, but they have used intelligence to group persons and places in one place.
- We can also pin collections that are required frequently.
Developer's watchlist for iOS 18
- Provide support to the app icons so that they can support Home screen customizations.
- To enable new controls in control center for our applications, we can use the Controls API. These new controls can also be added to the lock screen.
iPadOS 18
iPadOS 18 starts with few similar updates like iOS 18 such as new ways to personalize home screen, customize control center and a major update to Photos app.
Other updates that comes in iPadOS 18 are:
1. Redesigned tab bar
- Apps like Apple TV comes with floating tab bar for easy navigation.
- We can also customize this tab bar by adding any other option such as Downloads, which we use more often.
- Updates in Pages, Keynote, Numbers and Playgrounds giving apps a distinct new look as well as refined animations.
2. Shareplay
- Shareplay comes with update where we can now draw on shared screen.
- We can now also remotely control other user's device through Shareplay.
3. Calculator - Math Notes
- iPadOS 18 finally brings Calculator to iPad.
- The major talking point is Math Notes. We can write down expressions using Apple pencil and the calculator automatically solves the expression.
- Math notes can calculate from basic maths to advanced options that are available on calculator.
- With Math Notes we can also create graphs,solve complex equations like projectile motion with the use of variables.
- We can change value of one variable which automatically updates the result, as well as use slider that comes up on any defined variable to change values.
4. Notes - Smart Script
- Notes app update comes with all the Math Notes capabilities to solve problems.
- Smart Script in Notes app makes handwriting smoother by improving appearance of our handwriting as we write.
- Notes smart script AI makes typetext looks just as same as our handwriting. So now, we can paste anything and it will look similar.
Developer's watchlist for iPadOS 18
All the new elements that are used in apps like Pages and Numbers for smooth transitions and side bar animations which are more responsive than previous are available as APIs that can be used in our apps.
macOS Sequoia
The features that we discussed about iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 are going to be amazing for the ways we use mac. macOS Sequoia gives updates to Messages, Math Notes and we can easily plan a hike in Maps.
macOS introduces more features which are discussed below:
1. Continuity
- iPhone Mirroring - macOS Continuity update brings iPhone Mirroring with which we can see and controlour iPhone.
- We can fully interact with our iPhone wirelessly and can use all the features of iPhone on the mirrored iPhone on mac.
- iPhone notifications also appear alongside mac notifications and we can interact with them even when we don't have our iPhone handy.
2. Easier window tiling
Now if we drag a window to the edge of our screen, macOS will automatically suggest a tile position on our desktop, so now there is no need of using any another application for window arranging.
3. Presenter Preview
Preview your content before presenting to the audience during a meet call on apps like Facetime and zoom.
4. Passwords
- Passwords make it easy to access our credentials and we can store all credentials in one place.
- Passwords app organise everything to different collections, be it your passwords, verification codes or security alerts.
- Passwords app is available on mac, iPad, iPhone, visionPro and on windows with iCloud for windows app.
5. Safari
- In macOS Sequoia, Safari is the world's fastest browser, as Beth Dekin, Senior Manager in Safari Software Engineering team told at the event.
- Safari now offers upto 4 hours more battery life as compared to Chrome.
- Other updates to Safari includes, Private browsing - that prevents websites from seeing what we do when we browse, Profiles, Extensions, Tab groups and many more.
6. Gaming
- From Game Porting Toolkit developer were able to bring their gaming ideas to apple devices and now with the intoduction of Game Porting Toolkit 2 developers can bring even more advanced games to mac.
- It is now much easier to bring mac games to iPad and iPhone with Xcode support that unifies the code which is compatible across all devices.
Developer's watchlist for new APIs
Introduction of various new APIs to enhance development process. Few of them include Double Tap API, Swift 6, Game Porting Toolkit 2, Sidebar APIs, Zoom Transitions, Live Activities on watchOS, TabletopKit, Volumetric APIs, Customize your app icon tinting, State of Mind API and many more
Artificial Intelligenceā Apple Intelligenceā
Apple Intelligence is a personal intelligence wherever we need it, be it mac, iPad or iPhone.Let us see briefly how and where are we using AI on our devices.
1. Writing Tools
- With AI, while writing an email, we can change the tone to make it more friendly, professional or concise.
- We can use Proof Reading to correct the grammar, word choice or structure of our email.
2. Image Playground
With Apple intelligence, we can create awesome images with just typing any descriptive word and AI generates image for that and can customize it with styling, animations.
3. Photo Library
Apple intelligence recognises people in the photo library, so we can now create a personlized image of a person for their birthday.
4. Image Wand
Image wand can transform our sketch into a polished image. We just need to draw a sketch with Apple pencil, circle it and image wand will generate the real image of the sketch for you, like magic!
5. Siri
- Siri is now more powerful with Apple Intelligence. When we talk to Siri, there will be an elegant glowing light around edge of the screen, which notifies us that Apple Intelligence is working for me.
- With Natural Language Siri will understand what we are saying even if we stumble over a word.
- Siri also leverages AI,akin to ChatGPT , to enhance its capabilities like summarizing incoming messages, setting timers, creating reminders and more advanced tasks.
6. Type to Siri
If we don't want to say out something loud we can now type to Siri by double tapping at the bottom of our screen.
7. Priority Notifications
As Apple Intelligence is personal, Priority Notifications show what is more important to us by putting it at the top in Notification center.
Summary
At WWDC 2024, Apple came up with significant updates across its software lineup. iOS 18 introduces new customization options and updates to privacy features, while macOS 15, named Sequoia, includes iPhone mirroring and improvements to Safari.
iPadOS 18 brings long-awaited features like Calculator app and advanced note-taking capabilities. Apple gave importance on integrating AI across all platforms to enhance user experience.
Credits - To know the full details about updates around different devices and want to know what's new in watchOS and visionOS, do watch the official Apple WWDC 24 event.