Apple shows off massive software, hardware and user experience upgrades at WWDC22

Apple’s 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday unveiled the company’s latest versions of its mobile and desktop operating systems to kick off its annual week-long virtual high-tech show focused on developers and the Apple consumer experience.

The event showcased Apple’s major software updates to iOS 16, as well as updates to iPadOS, macOS for the company’s computers and watchOS 9 for the Apple Watch.

Presentations highlighted the new MacBook Air with a 13.6-inch screen and Liquid Retina display, along with a new 13-inch MacBook Pro – both with improvements powered by Apple’s new M2 silicon chip.

This year’s conference was Apple’s first major opportunity to introduce some of its new product lines based on its proprietary processor designs.

Apple CEO Tim Cook boasted in his opening commentary that these platforms and the products that power them provide great experiences for users and developers with incredible opportunities so they can use their superpowers to innovate, create and collaborate, creating apps that continue to change the world. .

“WWDC is designed to give this community what they need to do their best work. We are happy to support our developers outside of WWDC with comprehensive, world-class support,” said Cook during the virtual keynote presentation.

A particularly impressive announcement revealed the ability to use an iPhone as a webcam. With a clip-on attachment, users can attach an iPhone to the top of a computer screen and have direct integration for FaceTime and other video conferencing apps via Continuity Camera features.

Continuity Camera uses an iPhone as a webcam on the Mac for video conferencing. (Image credit: Apple)

Growing developer community

Cook summed up Apple’s efforts to grow the developer community. This developer support extends to several key initiatives.

One is the newly opened developer center across from Apple Park where developers can connect with Apple engineers and reach out to the global community. Another took place last fall with Apple’s first online tech talks for developers to learn about new technologies and connect directly with Apple engineers in live sessions and one-on-one business hours.

“We are also committed to cultivating the next generation of developers, including efforts to reach underrepresented communities,” Cook added.

Apple’s entrepreneurial camps include female, black and Latin founders and provide developers from underrepresented communities with mentorship, inspiration and insights from Apple.

The company has established developer academies to teach students the basics of code and other necessary skills to find and create jobs in the app economy. These 17 coding centers are located all over the world.

For example, Apple opened a racial equality and justice initiative in Detroit last October. In Saudi Arabia, Apple launched its first Developer Academy for women in February.

“We are pleased to say that we have expanded our developer community to more than 34 million Apple developers,” said Cook. “Today we are going to push our platforms further than ever for our developers and our users.”

MacOS Extended Range

MacOS Ventura, the latest version of the desktop operating system, takes the Mac experience to a new level with several integrated innovative features.

Stage Manager offers Mac users a whole new way to stay focused on the primary task and seamlessly switch between apps and windows.

Continuity Camera uses iPhone as a webcam on Mac to do things that weren’t possible before. Handoff arrives on FaceTime, allowing users to initiate an iPhone or iPad call and smoothly relay it to their Mac.

Mail and Messages are getting new features that improve the performance of the apps. The Safari browser moves into a passwordless future with passkeys.

“MacOS Ventura includes powerful features and new innovations that make the Mac experience even better. New tools like Stage Manager make focusing on tasks and switching between apps and windows easier and faster than ever, and Continuity Camera brings new video conferencing features to every Mac, including Desk View, Studio Light and more,” said Craig Federighi, senior vice president from Apple. chair of software engineering.

New features in Messages, state-of-the-art search technologies in Mail, and an updated design for Spotlight give Ventura much more to offer and enrich many of the ways customers use their Mac, he added.

Uniting apps and Windows

Apple software initiatives are bringing new ways to work across apps and open windows with Stage Manager, Continuity Camera features, and shared Safari browser tabs.

Stage Manager automatically organizes open apps and windows so users can see everything at a glance. The current window is prominently displayed in the center. Other open windows appear on the left and are easy to switch between tasks.

New features in macOS Ventura like Stage Manager help users stay focused. (Image credit: Apple)

Users can also group windows together when working on specific tasks or projects that require different apps. Stage Manager works in tandem with other macOS window tools, including Mission Control and Spaces, and users can now easily go to their desktop with a single click.

Shared tab groups allow friends, family, and colleagues to share their favorite sites in Safari. They can see live which tabs others are looking at. Users can also create a list of bookmarks on a shared homepage and even initiate a Messages conversation or FaceTime call directly from Safari.

Many more sharing features

Messages on Mac can now edit or undo a recently sent message, mark a message as unread, or even recover accidentally deleted messages. New collaboration features make it quick and easy to collaborate with others. For example, a user sharing a file via Messages using a Share Sheet or drag and drop can choose to share a copy or collaborate.

Everyone in a Messages thread is automatically added when the user selects collaboration. Edits in the shared document appear at the top of the thread. Users can also join SharePlay sessions from their Mac from Messages, allowing them to chat and participate in synced experiences.

Do not count photos outside the image. New features provide a more consistent experience across Apple devices. Users can now find images in their photo library, system-wide and on the web. They can even search for their photos by location, people, scenes or objects, and with Live Text they can search for text in images.

iCloud Shared Photo Library users can now create a separate photo library and share it with up to six family members. They can choose to share or share all of their existing photos from their personal libraries based on a start date or people in the photos.

To be even more productive, users can now take actions from Spotlight, such as starting a timer, creating a new document, or running a shortcut. In addition, Spotlight now includes rich results for artists, movies, actors, and TV shows, as well as business and sports.

M2 MacBooks

Apple introduced a completely redesigned MacBook Air and an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro, both powered by the new M2 chip that extends the M1’s performance and capabilities even further.

The MacBook Air’s slim design also features a larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a four-speaker sound system, up to 18 hours of battery life, and MagSafe charging.

The new MacBook Air features MagSafe for special charging when users are connected. (Image Credit: Apple)

It is now available in four finishes: silver, space gray, midnight and starlight. M2 is also coming to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, with improved performance, up to 24 GB of unified memory, ProRes acceleration and up to 20 hours of battery life.

“Only with Apple silicon can you build such a thin and light notebook with a fanless design and this combination of performance and capability,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of global marketing.

“M2 starts the second generation of Apple’s M-series chips and extends the functions of M1. With power efficiency, a unified memory architecture and custom technologies, this new chip brings even more performance and capabilities to Apple’s most popular Mac notebook computers, the MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro,” he added.

Apple’s new MacBook Air is equipped with MagSafe charging function, leaving the two Thunderbolt ports available for connecting a variety of accessories. (Image credit: Apple)

The new MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, which has been enlarged closer to the sides and above the camera to make room for the menu bar. The result is a larger screen with much thinner bezels, offering more screen space.

With a brightness of 500 nits, it is 25 percent brighter than previous models. Plus, the new screen now supports a billion colors for more vibrant photos and watching movies.

The new MacBook Air and updated 13-inch MacBook Pro join the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max to round out Apple’s laptop lineup.

M2 on the 13-inch MacBook Pro supports up to 24 GB of fast unified memory and 100 GB/s memory bandwidth for more efficient multitasking. (Image credit: Apple)

Both new laptops will be available next month. Prices start at $1,199 for the MacBook Air and $1,299 for the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

WatchOS 9

Apple also previewed watchOS 9, which adds new features and enhanced experiences to the wearable operating system. The Apple Watch now has more watch faces to select with richer complications that provide more information and options for personalization.

WatchOS 9 brings new experiences and features, app updates, and creative ways to customize Apple Watch. (Image credit: Apple)

For example, the updated Workout app, advanced stats, views, and training experiences inspired by high-performing athletes help users take their workouts to the next level.

WatchOS 9 brings stages of sleep to the Sleep app, and a new FDA-approved AFib History feature provides deeper insights into a user’s condition. The new Medicines app allows users to easily and discreetly manage, understand and track medicines.

“This fall, watchOS 9 takes the Apple Watch experience to the next level with scientifically validated insights into fitness, sleep and heart health, while empowering users with more creative ways to make their Apple Watch their own,” said Jeff Williams, chief operating officer of the company. apple. officer.