
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Convention (WWDC) 2024 kicks off in per week, and we’re anticipating numerous large bulletins. Although there appears to be numerous hype round Apple lastly including some AI smarts to the iPhone, that’s not all that we count on to see.
Listed here are a number of the largest issues we’re anticipating from the primary Apple keynote subsequent week throughout WWDC24.
A number of AI
A significant focus for Apple this yr can be AI, because it’s already behind rivals and wishes a big push to catch up. Different smartphone manufacturers, akin to Google and Samsung, have already integrated AI into their cell working methods by means of using generative AI wallpapers and picture modifying instruments, textual content summarization and solutions, name screening, and extra.
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Although the primary focus of the AI integration will probably be on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, it’s additionally very potential that it’ll make its method into the following iteration of macOS.
A few of the AI options which were rumored to be coming embody extremely requested options, akin to picture retouching (eradicating undesirable objects), voice memo transcriptions, steered replies in emails and messages, auto-generated customized emojis based mostly on message content material, notification and textual content summarization, AI-generated Apple Music playlists, and extra. AI is also used to put in writing in Pages, assist with deck creation in Keynote, and even assist builders code in Xcode.
The AI integration may additionally make looking internet pages in Safari higher, and chances are you’ll get sooner searches with Highlight. Siri can even reportedly get a big enhance from the addition of large-language fashions (LLMs), which might make pure dialog capabilities and higher person personalization potential.
In fact, rivals have been including AI over a number of years, not simply suddenly. With Apple lastly dipping its toes into the world of AI, it could take a couple of software program iteration to catch as much as its rivals. These would simply be the beginning of Apple’s AI-powered instruments throughout a number of platforms, however extra is definitely coming.
Although Apple may carry these AI instruments to earlier iPhones, it appears to be like such as you’ll want no less than an iPhone 15 Professional to get them. Which means that something earlier than that, and even the common iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, could not get all of Apple’s AI tips.
iOS 18 and iPadOS 18
Whereas AI can be within the highlight this yr, there are different options that can be coming to iOS 18 and iPadOS 18.
A significant change would be the addition of RCS help in iMessage, which was introduced final yr. With RCS in iMessage, conversations between iPhone and Android customers can be a much-improved expertise. With RCS, customers can ship high-resolution photographs and movies, share location, see typing indicators and ship learn receipts, and extra. This function is lengthy overdue, and it’s nearly definitely displaying up in iOS 18.
iOS 18 can also present customers with extra customization choices for the house display, akin to altering the colours of app icons and even permitting for clean areas, rows, and columns between app icons. There can also be design adjustments, with inspiration from visionOS, but it surely gained’t be an entire overhaul.
There are a number of smaller adjustments coming with iOS 18, too. Calendar can have higher integration with Reminders, so you possibly can view your reminders and work together with them proper from the Calendar app as a substitute of getting to enter Reminders. Notes may enable customers to report voice memos instantly within the app, with the audio embedded right into a word. Maps could possibly be getting topographic maps and the choice to save lots of customized routes.
The Management Heart can also get some design tweaks, however specifics are unknown. The Settings app can even see some streamlined adjustments. And don’t neglect that iPadOS 18 will lastly add a calculator app after 14 years.
watchOS 11
Whereas there have been some large rumors about AI and iOS 18, issues have been a bit quieter on the watchOS 11 entrance. In reality, we may even see a “pretty minor” replace for the Apple Watch this yr.
Since AI can be an enormous a part of this WWDC, we are able to undoubtedly count on a few of these AI smarts to trickle all the way down to our wrists. With AI integration, Siri ought to see large enhancements with LLMs, which may imply higher responsiveness and precise usefulness. And with RCS help coming to iOS 18, it’s fairly sure to comply with with watchOS 11.
macOS 15
Lots of the AI options we count on on iOS 18 also needs to seem in macOS 15, Apple’s subsequent main software program replace for the Mac.
Much like watchOS 11, there haven’t been many leaks about what to anticipate from macOS 15. Nevertheless it’s very probably that Apple will comply with with a California-themed title, with the next potentialities: Redwood, Grizzly, Sequoia, Mammoth, Pacific, Rincon, Farallon, Miramar, Condor, Diablo, or Shasta.
Once more, macOS 15 ought to share some AI instruments with iOS 18, like improved Siri with LLMs, clever search in Safari, auto-generated emoji in iMessage (together with RCS help), AI picture modifying instruments, AI options in Keynote, Numbers, and Pages, and extra. There are additionally some whispers of a brand new and overhauled Calculator app to make it extra consistent with the iPhone and upcoming iPad variations, and it may even have integration with Notes and a historical past tape sidebar.
In recent times, Apple made some controversial adjustments to the Settings app on macOS, however there could also be a brand new organizational system based mostly on precedence and total significance in macOS 15. Hopefully, this isn’t going to make issues worse.
Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional updates
Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional launched with numerous fanfare, however that appeared to rapidly die down after the primary month or so. WWDC is definite to carry us visionOS 2, the primary main software program replace for the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.
When Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional launched, it was lacking some native Apple apps. A couple of of the apps lacking on visionOS 1.0 are Books, Calendar, Maps, Information, Reminders, Podcasts, Shortcuts, Voice Memos, and some extra. Although you possibly can run these in compatibility mode, they weren’t native to visionOS. Apple may add a number of extra native apps in visionOS 2.
Different new options that could possibly be coming embody reside captions for all speech. That is an accessibility function that can be particularly useful for many who are deaf or laborious of listening to, but it surely’s additionally helpful for many who simply desire having captions obtainable always.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg additionally mentioned that visionOS 2 will “deal with lacking options from the primary iteration.” Although the language may be very imprecise, it may deal with easy issues that ought to have been included from the get-go. A kind of lacking options was the flexibility to rearrange the order of apps on the house display.
Some strains of code additionally revealed that the Mindfulness app may get an replace to help a brand new “Respiration Monitoring” function. It’s unclear if this might work completely on the Imaginative and prescient Professional or require an Apple Watch, but it surely’s nonetheless one thing to maintain a watch out for.
Lastly, the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional solely launched within the U.S. thus far. Some rumors have speculated that it may lastly be increasing into different markets quickly.
New Apple {hardware}?
Apple’s WWDC is often at all times targeted on software program. This yr, we’re anticipating some large adjustments throughout all of its platforms with AI integration. As such, it’s unlikely that we’ll see new {hardware} in any respect this yr. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman definitely doesn’t assume so, reporting that WWDC 2024 is unlikely to have any new {hardware} bulletins.
Nonetheless, Apple nonetheless must replace a number of of its merchandise within the Mac lineup, together with the Mac Studio, Mac mini, and Mac Professional. Apple may shock us and supply a refresh for these units with an M3 and even M4 chipset, however with a heavy concentrate on software program, these is also revealed at a later occasion.
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