The star of the evening: Apple’s AR glasses. But there was more to see. (Source: Apple)
Apple showed all sorts of things at WWDC 2023. Below is a list of what the manufacturer has presented.
Vision Pro VR Headset
What: Apple
WWDC 2023 rested in the shadow of a big rumor: will Apple introduce the mixed reality headset or not? The stars were right and that’s what happened in the end.
With the Vision Pro VR Headset, Apple is turning rumors into actions – and knows how to impress with new technology. The goggles’ controller is the body itself. Are we finally entering the age of holo-decks?
We have summarized all information, specs and the price in our article about the glasses.
15 inch MacBook Air
What: Apple
Apple started the keynote with an upgrade for its MacBook Air. The 13-inch version is now joined by a new 15-inch version. The 15.3-inch Retina display has a peak brightness of 500 nits. The M2 processor works under the hood.
The notebook will be available in four colors. It has MagSafe, two USB-C ports and a headphone input. A webcam and six speakers are also installed. According to Apple, the battery life is up to 18 hours.
Priced at $1,300, the smaller 13-inch MacBook Air drops in price from $1,100 to $1,000. The device can already be pre-ordered.
Mac Studio and Mac Pro
What: Apple
The Mac Studio gets two upgrades: an M2 Max and an M2 Pro version. The new Apple M2 Ultra chip will also be installed here. That’s basically two M2 processors put together. The manufacturer states that the M2 Ultra should be six times faster than the fastest Intel Mac.
There will also be a Mac Pro with the Ultra chipset, plus up to 192 GB of RAM with the performance of six Afterburner cards.
And that costs: You have to pay at least $7,000 for the Mac Pro. The Mac Studio is cheaper. Apple is asking for at least $2,000.
iOS 17
What: Apple
Traditionally, Apple unveils the latest version of its iPhone’s operating system at WWDC. The 17th iteration mainly comes with quality-of-life improvements.
Among other things, you can assign posters to contacts in the phone app in the future – whether it’s a picture or an emoji. In the future, video messages can be recorded and sent via Facetime, and Live Voicemail converts what is said into text. AI helps.
In addition, there will be Name Drop, which will make it easier to swap numbers. There are also new stickers and other small improvements in the Messages app.
Apple also introduced a stand that turns your iPhone into a standby screen.
What: Apple
Probably the biggest innovation in iOS 17: the journal app. It is a kind of diary that inserts pictures and data of its own accord and encourages summarizing.
The developer beta has already been released, the official beta phase is scheduled to start next month and iOS 17 is to be rolled out in the fall.
iPadOS 17
What: Apple
The operating system for Apple’s iPads also gets most of the updates from the mobile phone version. There are also many personalization options and better integration of widgets.
Also new on the iPad: die Health-App.
PDF support is also improved. Easier to fill out and sign, PDFs can be saved in the Notes app in the future and people will be able to work together on the same document at the same time.
macOS 14 Sonoma
What: Apple
The Mac operating system also gets an update. As you might expect, this one will inherit many features from iOS 17 and iPadOS 17.
The focus here is again on widgets. These can now be placed directly on the desktop and adapt to your behavior. They change colors to match the background or disappear into the background when you open an app.
In addition, due to the computing power, gaming should become an important division for Apple. In a surprise guest appearance, developer legend Hideo Kojima has announced Death Stranding as a director’s cut for the Mac.
Thanks to Sonoma, Macs will also get a Game Mode that prioritizes games. Latencies should be reduced, games should run more smoothly.
Other new features include interactive reactions to video presentations and Apple’s Safari browser, which will in future store frequently visited websites in their own windows.
The update will also be rolled out in autumn.
watchOS 10
What: Apple
There are new watch faces for the round anniversary. In addition, the widget overview via Crown is improved, whereby AI should suggest the right widget for every situation.
The World Clock gets new color options, the activity apps get new buttons in the corners for better navigation. And if you turn the crown, you get Faces for different sports. This is all part of a new design language that should require less scrolling overall.
In the health sector, the Apple Watch should also support mental health. Accordingly, the mindfulness app will also be available on the other operating systems.
As with the other operating systems, watchOS 10 is expected in the fall.
You can follow the entire ticker of the event here:
Apple has introduced a big chunk of new features and left nothing out. The Vision Pro VR headset in particular was the highlight of the show. What was your personal highlight of the evening? Will you try the headset? Or are you more interested in the software side updates? Feel free to talk about it in the comments.