On day 1 of Apple’s WWDC event, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple announced Vision Pro their first Mixed Reality headset. The tech giant has also announced new software updates for iPhone, iPad, Watch, and macOS devices. However, the Mixed Reality headset stands out of all the announcements which were rumored for several months before the WWDC event.
Along with these updates, Apple has revealed newer Macbook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro models with upgraded internals. The event was packed with updates around the Apple TV, audio, and home experience devices. All of the devices from Apple have received new updates and let’s go through the details of the announcements at WWDC 2023.
Apple Vision Pro: New Mixed AR/VR Headset with Vision OS
Apple has finally revealed the Vision Pro as their latest Mixed Reality headset that has both VR and AR capabilities. The headset comes with a design that combines both the real and digital worlds into one conjunction with easy navigation by gestures. The wearer of the headset will have a primary display in front of the eyes.
Apple’s EyeSight feature will let people from the other side see the wearer’s eyes, even when the Vision Pro’s running. The headset features an M2 chipset, well known for its performance on Mac and iPad devices. The other chipset used on the headset is the R1 which is used for Real-time sensor processing. There’s a dedicated digital crown provided above the single strip of glass display which lets you switch from AR and VR.
The operating system used on the headset is Vision OS. This new operating system specially designed for the Apple Vision Pro headset layers the virtual apps and icons that float around visually in the real world. The OS makes use of eye tracking, hand gestures, and voice commands for navigating through the menu swiftly.
Users can easily access and interact with Apple’s official apps like Safari, FaceTime, Photos, Music, and many more. Moreover, you can use the headset as an external display for your Mac. The headset comes with the support of Spatial Audio for the built-in speakers. Furthermore, there’s an external battery pack that provides two hours of backup on a single charge. The headset will go on sale next year with a hefty price tag of $3,499.
New Macbook Air 15-inch, Mac Studio and Mac Pro with M2 Ultra Chipset
Along with the Vision Pro headset, Apple has added a new Macbook Air model with a 15-inch display size. Apple claims that it’s the world’s thinnest 15-inch laptop and weighs around three pounds. This new laptop from Apple will feature a 1080p webcam, 500 nits of peak brightness display, and a battery life of up to 18 hours. The Macbook Air 15-inch costs $1,299, is available for pre-ordering, and goes on sale next week.
The Mac Studio and Mac Pro systems have received new upgrades with Apple’s latest Silicon chipsets. The new variants of the systems will feature an M2 Ultra chipset which comes with up to 24-cores of CPU and 76-cores in the GPU.
These new systems will feature both options of M2 Max and M2 Ultra and have a variety of PCIe expansions. The pricing of the Mac Studio starts at $1,999 and the Mac Pro system will cost $6,999.
iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 and macOS Sonoma Revealed
The iPhones will receive the iOS 17 software update which has a plethora of new features baked into the OTA firmware. The new update includes a new StandBy feature that turns your iPhone’s screen into a smart home display. The feature will work in the horizontal mode while charging and shows essential details like time and date.
Other features on the new iOS 17 include support for transcriptions on voice messages and Check-In, a new feature focusing on safety. It’s a feature that lets users share their location and there’s even a new feature called NameDrop. The NameDrop feature will allow users to share their email addresses and phone number with fellow iPhone users.
The iPadOS 17 now comes with interactive widgets that let you quickly access all the apps and options right on the home screen. The Notes application on the iPad can now detect fields in a PDF and even lets you share the file with others for real-time annotating and organizing of PDF. Other new updates for iPad includes a personalized lock screen and a new dedicated Health app.
The macOS Sonoma arrives as the latest version of the operating system for Macbook and Mac systems. The new OS comes with visual upgrades and support for widgets, which users can add to the desktop. Other features include new additions to Safari like the create and pin web apps on the dock. Besides, there’s a new option to make profiles to use on different browsing sessions.
Coming to the watchOS 10, it’s the new software update for the Apple Watch devices and comes with new features. There’s a new visual upgrade where with a turn of the digital crown, the watch showcases various information in the form of widgets. Furthermore, the update has brought new watch faces showing time spent while hiking, cycling, and in the daylight.
New Journal App and FaceTime on Apple TV
Apple has showcased a new application for iOS at an event called the Journal. It’s an application that lets users log in about anything like activities or trips they have experienced. The Journal will have an end-to-end encryption keeping the privacy intact and logs will get stored on the iPhone locally but not on iCloud.
On the other hand, FaceTime will soon arrive on the Apple TV devices. This feature was a long due and the tech giant has finally revealed it at the WWDC. Users can use the iPhone as a substitute for the webcam to make video calls on FaceTime using Apple TV. The support of FaceTime will even bring the Center Stage feature which was first brought on MacBooks.
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