The keynote for Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference just ended. This year was unique in that Apple chose not to announce a single new hardware device–and solely focus on upcoming software.
Of course, Apple has rarely used WWDC to make major hardware announcements, but usually the company does push out some upgraded products–mainly in their Mac line of devices.
But this year the company chose to focus only on the next iterations of their four operating systems. And that’s a good thing. It shows Apple is really doubling down on making the software that underlies all their hardware that much better. Besides, we’re only three months away from the time Apple is set to unveil a slew of new hardware devices–so we don’t need to wait long for that.
So, on the software side, just what did Apple announce? Here’s everything they showed off.
iOS 12
The star of the show was no doubt iOS 12, which will run on all iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches made since 2013. Rumors had pegged iOS 12 to focus on more behind the scenes stability and performance enhancements–and Appel did make a big deal of those.
But iOS 12 is also featuring a number of new features. The coolest of which is probably group FaceTime calling with support up to a massive 32 people. And the interface they’ve created for group FaceTime calls is brilliant–the video of the person talking floats to the front of your display.
Another really cool feature is Memoji. This is the next generation of Animoji, but allows users to create human-looking animated emoji of themselves. At first, it sounded like a gimmick for kids, but when Apple demoed it, it was obvious how much thought they put into it.
The customizability of Memoji is immense and if one thing is certain, Memoji is going to sell a heck of a lot more iPhones with Face ID camera systems. Apple also has added more Animoji animals as well.
iOS 12 also introduces Screen Time. This is a device usage tracker that shows users statistics for how long they use their iOS devices and even offers them a way to set time limits for individual apps.
Siri Shortcuts take Siri to the next level–and perhaps for the first time ever, make Siri useful. Users can now record their own Siri commands that, when spoken, will have Siri perform a pre-recorded workflow to automate any number of tasks. For example, a user could say “Siri, I’m driving home” and Siri would then know to pull up directions in Maps, turn on their favorite podcast app and stream it to their car radio, and use HomeKit to set the temp of their house to the desired level.
There are also improvements to Notification, Photos, and completely redesigned native apps including News, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Books (formerly iBooks).
macOS Mojave
The next version of macOS has a huge new feature: Dark Mode. This is something user have been requesting for ages–and now it’s finally here. Along with Dark Mode, macOS also introduces Dynamic Desktop, which changes your desktop picture according to the time of day it is.
The Finder is also getting several improvements with Stacks–a feature that sorts similar files on your desktop into stacks based on file type. You can also now search for a file based on how it looks, as well as annotate and edit documents in QuickLook mode. macOS’s screenshot tool is also getting an annotation tool upgrade.
The macOS App Store is also getting an iOS-inspired redesign, all new Mac apps including Apple News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos, and group FaceTime.
watchOS 5
The Apple Watch’s operating system is gaining a slew of new features including automatic workout detection, running pace and cadence alerts, an official Podcasts app, improved notifications, and support for student ID cards.
Another cool feature is Walkie-Talkie. Apple bills this as “A new, easy way to have a one-on-one conversation with anyone who has a compatible Apple Watch. Whether you’re at a concert or trying to find someone on a crowded beach, you’re in touch with a tap.” In other words–the Dick Tracy watch is here.
tvOS
Finally, the Apple TV operating system is also seeing an update, but as usual, it’s not getting as many new features as the other OSes. There is now support for Dolby Atmos and 4K HDR, as well as support for live news and sports through third-party apps.