Apple hosted a keynote on June 6th for WWDC 2022, their annual developer conference. This time around, Apple revealed a wide range of software updates for its iPhone, iPad, Mac lineup, and Apple Watch.
The tech giant also teased the latest hardware to be featured for MacBooks, including the latest iteration of their silicon chip. While some features users can avail of right away, others will roll out later this year. In this article, we will take a walk-through of everything Apple announced at WWDC 2022.
Everything Apple Announced at WWDC
1. New MacBooks
Starting out from the star of the show, there’s a new MacBook Air in town. This year around, the 2022 MacBook Air features a 20% thinner case design as compared to the previous model. Along with slimmer bezels around the screen, there is also a notch for the webcam.
The MagSafe is back again with the new MacBook Air. The new M2 chip inside the Air gives a significant boost in both battery life and performance. Alongside the Air, Apple also launched a new 13-inch MacBook Pro featuring the M2 chip inside.
2. iOS 16
The latest iteration of iOS will be available this fall. The iOS 16 is going to come with a tonne of quality-of-life updates. The lock screen is going to be more customizable than ever before. Apple will also be integrating its Focus app on the lock screen.
The messages app is going to get the most significant update with iOS 16. Users can now edit and even delete texts after they have been sent. Some other notable update includes enhanced voice-to-text dictation, live text feature, and more. Apple is also bringing, the ‘buy now, pay later’ option to Apple Wallet for large purchases.
3. The M2 Chip
Powering the latest MacBooks, Apple’s new M2 Chip is based on their proprietary hardware. With the second iteration, the CPU has 8-cores, which according to Apple is 18% faster than the last-gen M1. Adding up to 10 cores in the GPU, it offers 25% higher performance, as compared to its predecessor. As of now, the latest M2 Chip is only going to power the 2022 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro.
4. iPadOS 16
The latest software update for iPadOS 16 brings Apple’s iPad lineup closer to MacBooks. With the addition of the screen scaling feature, users can now adjust the pixel density during the split-screen mode.
Apple is also adding the Stage Manager from the latest MacOS Ventura for better organization of Windows to streamline workflow. The collaboration feature will allow multiple users to work and manage documents at the same time. The same feature is also being introduced in gaming as well. With SharePlay, people can play games while sharing videos.
5. WatchOS 9
Apple is bringing a tonne of new features with WatchOS 9 as well. The most prominent update is being added to workout tracking. The all-new workout view now shows a wide range of data, along with alerting the user once the heart rate goes beyond a certain threshold.
Apple is also adding Sleep Stages where users can actually keep track of their sleep cycles. The overall Apple Watch is also getting a design overhaul. One of the best addition is the new watch faces that showcase lunar calendars and real-time astrological alignments.
6. MacOS Ventura
This time around, Apple is calling their latest desktop operating system Ventura. On the latest iteration of MacOS, Apple is extensively focusing on productivity. The introduction of the Stage Manager allows users to keep their stray tabs and apps within a viewable sidebar.
There are some major updates on Mail and Safari as well. Privacy-centric features such as Passkey allows users to safely sign in to websites and apps without using passwords. Last but not least, now you can use your iPhone to attend virtual meetings on MacBooks.
Read: 10 Best iPhone Wallet Cases in 2022
As much as we discussed all the MacBooks, M2 chips, or the latest software updates, Apple has also given us a glimpse of the next-gen security features they will be implementing on their devices. Here’s a detailed list of every security feature Apple launched this year:
7. Everything New in Safari
Apple is implementing a plethora of new security features and privacy improvements over Safari. This is particularly designed to protect users while opening up a whole new world of possibilities for the developers.
Some of the security enhancement involves further updates to the HTTP headers while offering extensive support to Content Security Policy Level 3. The CSP mitigates the risks of any XSS vulnerabilities.
8. The Introduction of Passkeys
The Passkeys is Apple’s latest generation authentication technology. Passkeys will come pre-bundled with the upcoming iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. It is capable of creating cryptographically strong passwords.
This will be stored in the iCloud for users to access across all devices. With Passkeys, Apple strives to create a state-of-the-art user experience that is far better than storing passwords. Furthermore, weak passwords are often subjected to phishing, credential leaks, and more.
9. Safety Check
Safety Check is going to be first introduced in iOS 16. The Safety Check feature is especially being launched to protect users who seek personal safety. Whether they are in a toxic relationship or a victim of domestic violence.
With Safety Check, users can seamlessly revoke permission given to others across all devices. Apple is also including an emergency reset that allows users to easily sign out from all iCloud devices.
iOS 16 will also come with new features to make Hidden albums in Photos more secure. These albums will be locked by default, and can only be unlocked using Face ID, password, or Touch ID.
The Bottom Line
So that was our curated guide on everything Apple announced. Stay tuned while we share in-depth articles on all the new features via software updates. Let us know in the comment section below, which new software you are more excited to explore?
