Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicked off last night, 5 June, at 19:00 SAST. We brought you the latest hardware news almost immediately.
This year included the new monstrous M2 Ultra chipset that will find a home in the Mac Studio and refreshed cheese grater Mac Pro, the new 15in MacBook Air that is apparently “the world’s best 15-inch laptop”, and the very exciting (and very expensive) Vision Pro — the much-rumoured augmented reality headset. But there’s more.
Apple’s watching
In the middle of it all, the fruit company dedicated a good chunk of time to numerous software announcements and updates across its entire product range.
Airpod, Homepod, Apple TV, iPad, Mac and MacBook, iPhone, and Apple Watch owners can all look forward to a plethora of new features and software updates coming their way in the next few months including a new version of iOS (we’re up to 17 now), macOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.
Double-clicking on the wrist-based updates, watchOS 10 is the next version of the company’s wearable operating system. This wearable operating system anyway. The birth of VisionOS last night means there are now two. But, if we’re being honest, the new one is far more exciting.
For watchOS 10, Apple has finally shown some love to its wrist-based devices with an overdue user interface update. Included in that is the company’s renewed infatuation with widgets. Remember Windows Vista and Windows 7 from 2008 and 2009? Yeah, those widgets. But instead of Microsoft’s surprisingly efficient malware delivery tools, Apple’s widgets should be useful.
In watchOS 10, the Smart Stack widget will live on your home screen and become the quickest way to open apps with the digital crown serving as a means to navigate through those widgets.
2nd Watch-based pun
Together with widgets, Apple has made improvements to its software design so that everything fits better on newer models like the Watch Ultra and its larger display. It has also redesigned a few of its stock apps, like World Clock and Activity, to better utilise the updated design language. Additionally, there are two more watch face designs on offer with one featuring an interactive Snoopy.
For the outdoorsy types, hikers and cyclists received special attention (we couldn’t say why this is). The latter can now connect their Apple Watch to their cycling gear via Bluetooth and enjoy access to power zone support while pedalling. Hikers will find their watch automatically drops extra waypoints, making it even harder to get lost. Boo.
Apple’s Mindfulness app will now let users log and track their feelings and emotions and even allow them to describe their feelings for more context. Unfortunately, the automated “and how did that make you feel?” response from your watch will only be available in watchOS 12 for users that pay the additional $5/m ‘Feelings Prompt’ subscription.*
Parents will be glad to know watchOS 10 will use the watch’s ambient light sensor to track exactly how much time their little one spends outside instead of securing mommy’s retirement by grinding CS:GO or League. Apple says the feature is really meant to “reduce the risk of myopia” if you can believe that.
Before you run out to buy a new Apple Watch, you should know that these new features will only make their way to your wrist later this year, probably around the same time as the annual iPhone refresh. You should probably also know that if you’ve got one of the company’s older devices, up to and including the Watch Series 4, you won’t need to run out and upgrade. We’re sure Apple would appreciate your money though.
* This isn’t a real feature, obviously.
