The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is an important event for Apple fans and developers worldwide every year. WWDC 2024 once again offered many exciting innovations and insights into the future direction of the company. At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) and technological advancements are at the forefront, Apple unveiled a series of updates designed to improve your experience with the Apple ecosystem.
The keynote was quite interesting: Apple began the keynote without saying a word about AI and initially focused on other important updates. It was almost as if they were deliberately trying to keep the audience on edge before unveiling a host of new AI features they dubbed "Apple Intelligence" in the second half of the event. This strategy kept viewers excited and made the later reveal all the more interesting.
During the two-hour event, not only the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS and macOS were presented, but also important updates for the Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple TV. These updates, although some are already available from competitors such as Google or Samsung, still promise improvements and new possibilities for you. In this blog post we offer you a comprehensive overview of everything Apple announced at WWDC 2024. From minor improvements to major updates, you'll find everything you need to know here.
Apple Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence from Apple
Introduction to Apple Intelligence
Apple has introduced a new era of artificial intelligence to its ecosystem with Apple Intelligence. These new generative models take AI usage to a new level, offering enhanced capabilities for word processing, image editing, and more. Apple uses the most advanced technologies to make everyday interactions with your devices smarter and more efficient.
AI-based features
The new AI-based functions are diverse and practical. In Pages and Keynote you can now automatically summarize or rewrite texts, which makes document creation much easier. The Magic Eraser in the Photos app allows you to remove unwanted objects from your photos and seamlessly complement the background. In addition, you can now use generative emojis to create your own emojis and design images in different styles to fully express your creativity.
Improvements to Siri
Siri has also received an update and now understands the context better. The AI integration allows Siri to perform actions within apps and offers a new animation as well as the ability to control Siri via text.
Which devices are supported by Apple Intelligence?
Unfortunately, the new Apple Intelligence features are only supported on the latest devices. Only iPhones starting from the iPhone 15 Pro - including the entire upcoming iPhone 16 series - as well as all iPads and Macs with at least one M1 chip can enjoy these new features. So if you have a brand new iPhone 15 or an iPhone 14 Pro, unfortunately you won't be able to benefit from these AI improvements. This limitation could be disappointing for many users who have recently invested in these Apple products.
Apple Intelligence: The next step in AI integration
The launch of Apple Intelligence marks a significant step in Apple's strategy to further integrate AI into its devices. Features like text summaries, the magic eraser, and generative emojis show that Apple is ready to take full advantage of the power of artificial intelligence. The improvements to Siri and strong privacy measures underscore Apple's commitment to usability and security.
Benefit from ChatGPT without sacrificing security – Private Cloud Compute and the partnership with OpenAI
Apple relies on private cloud computing for particularly complex tasks that exceed local processing. This is a special infrastructure that provides high computing power securely and efficiently without your data being permanently stored. In certain cases, Apple also uses OpenAI's powerful ChatGPT models. Your IP address is concealed to ensure maximum privacy. Another plus point: Before Apple accesses OpenAI's servers, you will always be asked for permission. This visibility and control over your data ensures you are always informed and protected while benefiting from advanced AI capabilities.
iOS 18: The big updates for the iPhone
Your home screen is now truly customizable
iOS 18 brings one of the biggest and long-awaited changes: you can finally place icons freely on the home screen. This simple but significant feature has been long-awaited by many iPhone users. Additionally, the new theme engine allows color customization of icons and widgets so you can match them to your wallpaper.
New customizable Control Center
The Control Center has been completely redesigned and is now fully customizable. You can design it across multiple pages and add more shortcuts and customization options.
Additional features: Hide apps, RCS and redesigned Photos app
iOS 18 also offers the ability to store apps in hidden folders, creating more privacy and organization on your home screen. Another long-awaited feature is scheduling text messages. Although RCS support was only briefly mentioned, this is a significant step for messaging functionality. Other new features include a revamped Photos app and a new game mode that reduces background activity and Bluetooth latency.
iOS 18 and the long-awaited adjustments
iOS 18 brings some of the most requested customizations, such as freely placeable icons and a customizable theme engine. These features may be nothing new for Android users, but they're a big step for the iPhone community. The revamped Photos app and new Game Mode are also welcome additions, giving users more control and improved performance.
iPadOS 18: More than just a big iPhone?
Important new features
One of the most outstanding new features in iPadOS 18 is the long-awaited calculator app. Users have been waiting for this feature since the iPad launched in 2010, and now it's finally here.The new calculator app supports handwriting recognition and variable equations, making it particularly useful for high school and college students. With the ability to write math equations by hand and get instant solutions, the iPad becomes an even more powerful tool for education.
Further improvements
iPadOS 18 brings all the exciting new features of iOS 18 to iPad, including customizable Home screens and a revamped Control Center. These customizations allow you to make your iPad even more personal and functional. A particularly practical addition is the new SharePlay function, which allows you to take control of another iPad. This is ideal for technical support within family or friends and makes helping with technical problems easier and more efficient than ever before.
macOS Sequoia: The desktop is getting smarter
New update for Mac: macOS Sequoia
macOS Sequoia brings a number of long-awaited features that significantly improve the user experience on Mac. One of the most important innovations is the integrated window snapping, which now works without third-party apps and allows you to organize windows quickly and easily. There's also a new password app that makes managing and storing passwords much easier and more accessible.
The improved functions for working seamlessly between Mac and iPhone take integration in the Apple ecosystem to a new level. You can now receive and use iPhone notifications and audio seamlessly on your Mac, further streamlining workflow and cross-device collaboration.
iPhone mirroring and seamless integration
One of the most exciting new features in macOS Sequoia is wireless iPhone mirroring. This feature allows you to view your iPhone's screen directly on your Mac. You can drag and drop content between devices, creating even tighter integration and a seamless user experience. Whether you're transferring photos and videos or using apps synchronously, iPhone mirroring makes collaboration between your Apple devices easier and more efficient than ever.
macOS Sequoia and iPadOS 18: Evolution instead of revolution
macOS Sequoia and iPadOS 18 rely on evolution instead of revolution. Features like built-in window snapping and the new password app in macOS are overdue but useful. The ability to seamlessly integrate iPhone notifications and audio on the Mac shows Apple's commitment to further improving continuity between its devices. The introduction of the Calculator app with handwriting recognition in iPadOS 18 is a surprisingly useful feature that will be particularly useful for students.
New features for AirPods, Apple TV and WatchOS
AirPods Pro 2 Updates
The AirPods Pro 2 have been equipped with some useful and innovative features that make the listening experience even better. The new voice isolation feature significantly improves call intelligibility by minimizing background noise. Additionally, spatial audio provides a more intense and immersive audio experience, especially when playing games.A particularly exciting innovation is hands-free control by nodding or shaking your head, which makes it possible to accept or reject calls and control music tracks without having to use your hands.
Apple TV improvements
Apple TV has also received some interesting innovations that improve the television experience. A new feature displays real-time information about actors, characters and songs currently on screen. This allows you to learn more about your favorite shows and movies without having to pause playback. In addition, a voice amplification feature has been introduced, ensuring dialogue remains clear and understandable even when the background music is loud. These improvements take Apple TV viewing to new levels.
WatchOS innovations for the Apple Watch
The Apple Watch software, WatchOS, has also benefited from new features. This got new training modes that evaluate the intensity and trends of your workouts. This feature helps you better track and optimize your training goals.
Smaller but useful updates
The updates for AirPods, Apple TV and WatchOS may seem unspectacular at first glance, but they bring meaningful improvements. Voice isolation in calls, spatial audio in games and the new gesture controls are practical additions that make everyday use of these devices more pleasant. The new interactive features on Apple TV and the improved training modes on WatchOS also help to optimize the user experience.
Vision Pro and Vision OS 2.0
Vision Pro: New features and improvements
Apple has already introduced Vision OS 2.0 less than half a year after introducing the Vision Pro. Even though it seems more like a small update, there are some interesting new features. One of the practical innovations is the wrist rotation gesture, which quickly displays the time and battery level and allows direct access to the control center. Additionally, there are advanced media features that use improved machine learning techniques to transform old photos into spatial photos and enable the creation of videos on cameras other than the iPhone.
Another highlight is the improved Mac mirroring. Fiated rendering on the Mac significantly increases the resolution, allowing up to double the resolution and therefore more space on your screen. Other updates include new environments and the ability to customize your home screen.
Mixed feelings about improvements in Vision OS 2.0
The Vision OS 2.0 updates are a good example of this. Even though it seems like a smaller update and not a completely new one, the new features like the wrist swivel gesture and the improved immersive media functions offer practical improvements. The ability to customize the home screen may sound like a small change, but it shows that Apple is listening to feedback and is willing to optimize the user experience.
Conclusion
WWDC 2024 showed that Apple remains interested in continuously improving its product range and integrating new functions that are intended to make users' everyday lives easier.Although many of the features presented already exist in competitors, Apple still manages to present and implement them in a way that is typical of their brand - thoughtful, user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. What still makes the competition better: Google's mid-range Pixel 8a phones also benefit from the latest AI features. Apple is unnecessarily very strict about this. All users with the standard iPhone 15 or older devices now have to switch to a Pro device or the new iPhone 16 generation if they want to use the new AI functions.
Outlook
Overall, WWDC 2024 shows that Apple continues to innovate in its own way and respond to the needs and wants of its users. Even though many of the features presented are already present in the competition, Apple manages to integrate them in a way that is seamless and user-friendly. The focus on AI and the continuous improvement of the user experience suggest that Apple will continue to present exciting developments and improvements in the future - there will probably be a lot of progress in the VisionPro area in particular. Above all, it remains to be seen what hardware Apple will present in the fall. Because the WWDC is purely a software trade fair and only shows a foretaste of what Apple will actually bring this year.
