Google’s I/O developer conference was just a few weeks ago, while Apple’s WWDC 2022, or Worldwide Developers Conference, was just yesterday. New features for all Apple operating systems, including iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16, were unveiled at the large developer event. Furthermore, Apple has unveiled a new M2 CPU that will be available in Apple hardware soon.
iOS 16
With iOS 16, Apple is totally reimagining the lockscreen’s appearance and functionality. Finally, users will be able to install weather widgets. You’ll also be able to change the font and color of the screen’s elements. Users will also be able to choose from a selection of wallpapers that they can personalize.
Notifications will no longer obscure your lockscreen, but will instead roll up from the bottom, where you may opt to conceal them. At the bottom of your lockscreen, you may see live activities like your fitness tracking or listening to music.
Focus modes were added to previous versions of iOS to let users tap down notifications, and now Focus Filters are being added to apps. Basically, you can use Focus Filters to filter out undesirable stuff from apps like Messages, Calendar, and Mail. This is particularly beneficial if you’re attempting to concentrate on work, as Safari will filter out all non-work-related tabs.
Three major upgrades are also coming to Messages. The first is the ability to modify any sent messages, which is important for correcting mistakes, as well as the ability to unsend a message. After then, you can designate threads as read or unread.
Apple is also incorporating more augmented reality features into iOS 16. You can select text from your photographs and do rapid actions such as copying it or contextual operations such as translations and currency conversions with Live Text. You can also utilize the iPhone’s AR capabilities to separate a topic from the backdrop of an image and paste it wherever like a sticker.
FaceTime and Messages.
FaceTime and Messages will also have SharePlay apps in iOS 16. Furthermore, dictation is getting a major overhaul that will allow you to easily switch between typing and voice dictation, which now includes emoji identification.
With iOS 16, you’ll be able to add your state ID to your Apple Wallet. Furthermore, Wallet will be able to confirm your identification to apps that require it; such as Uber Eats, which will check if you are of legal drinking age. Apple Pay will also offer payment installments and order tracking with shipping tracking information in the near future.
If you enjoy sports, you’ll be pleased to learn that the new Live Activities widget in the Apple TV app will display scores and play-by-play on the lock screen. In Apple News, there’s now a new My Sports area where you can browse highlights and the current standings of any teams you follow.
CarPlay is undergoing a major UI overhaul to better connect with your vehicle’s built-in screens. Apple says that CarPlay will operate with any car’s built-in screen, regardless of its design or layout. Users will also be able to customize their instrument cluster with new colors, dials, and other features. Vehicles featuring this updated version of CarPlay will be announced late next year, according to Apple.
Apple is launching iCloud Shared Photo Libraries, which will allow up to six Apple users to share on a photo album. In addition to manually uploading images, users can use smart upload filters to have photos sent to the shared library straight away if they were taken at a specific area; at a specific time, or according to other criteria.
WatchOS 9
Apple began watchOS 9 upgrades with a major change to the Workout app for runners. Three new running form metrics have been added to the app to help you track how effectively you run. The Apple Watch monitors your running form, stride length, and ground contact time via its accelerometer and gyro. A new mode for triathletes has been added to the watchOS Workout app; which can automatically switch between cycling, swimming, and running.
Apple has enhanced the Sleep app to detect REM, Core, and Deep sleep, which is the polar opposite of working out. WatchOS 9 can now track the amount of time your heart spends in atrial fibrillation; which is good news for people who have been diagnosed with the condition. This information can assist you in determining when your A-fib is most active during the day or week.
Returning to the iPhone, you may use the camera to scan and track your pills to ensure you don’t have any harmful drug interactions.
M2
The new chip, of course, includes new efficiency and performance cores. Over the M1, the new M2 chip offers a 25% increase in GPU performance and an 18% increase in total performance.
The new CPU has four high-performance and high-efficiency cores and supports a total of 24GB of unified LPDDR5 memory.
Apple claims that the M2 can manage simultaneous streams of 8K and 4K video thanks to a new neural engine and secure enclave.
MacOS 13 Ventura
The MacOS 13 has been renamed Ventura, and we got our first glimpse at it. With Stage Manager, Apple is providing a new way to organize windows automatically. When you transition between apps; this new approach effectively puts all of your apps into a single-window mode, which pushes everything to the left.
Apple is also making improvements to Spotlight; such as introducing quick actions like starting a timer and providing users with more comprehensive search results.
Reminders, unsending email, and scheduling messages are just a few of the new features in Mail. On top of the built-in autocorrect and typo repair, Apple is also introducing more mail search options.
Safari will then allow you to share tabs with friends and family, allowing you to explore the web with them. Biometric Passkeys will also be used to replace passwords.
Then there’s Metal 3, which could be the biggest thing Mac gamers have been waiting for. Metal 3 essentially uses artificial intelligence to upscale low-resolution frames; allowing you to run games with fewer resources while increasing frame rate. This technology is Apple’s version of Nvidia DLSS and AMD FidelityFX; and if it works as well as expected, it might lead to increased gaming on Apple computers.
iPadOS 16
Collaboration was at the forefront of Apple’s new iPad OS16 release. To that purpose, Apple released the Freeform app, which functions as a digital whiteboard for numerous iPad users to express their thoughts via notes, photos, PDFs, and Apple Pencil scribbles.
Apple is also enhancing cooperation in its office products, such as Pages; so that other users can make updates in the same way that Google Drive does. Files, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Notes, Reminders, and Safari should all support collaboration in the near future.
