Today Apple kicked off its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, revealing groundbreaking new technologies and features during a keynote that was live-streamed from Apple Park to millions around the world. During the weeklong event, developers and students will have unique access to Apple experts, as well as insight into new tools, frameworks, and features to help elevate their apps and games.
This year’s keynote revealed Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that combines the power of generative models with users’ personal context — at the core of iPhone, iPad, and Mac to deliver intelligence that’s incredibly useful and relevant. Major updates also come to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and watchOS 11, including the biggest-ever redesign of the Photos app, game-changing productivity tools, and new ways for users to express themselves and customise their devices. visionOS 2 brings powerful new ways to interact with Apple Vision Pro and exciting updates to spatial photos and Mac Virtual Display, and tvOS 18 infuses useful information in Apple TV+ films and shows on users’ biggest screen in the home.
Beginning this month, Apple Vision Pro is also coming to more countries and regions, including China mainland, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and next month will come to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the U.K.
Apple Reveals Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence harnesses the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from users’ personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks. A cornerstone of Apple Intelligence is on-device processing, which delivers personal intelligence without collecting users’ data. Private Cloud Compute sets a new standard for privacy in AI, with the ability to flex and scale computational capacity between on-device processing, and larger, server-based models that run on dedicated Apple silicon servers.
iOS 18 Makes iPhone More Personal and Intelligent Than Ever
With iOS 18, users will now be able to arrange apps and widgets in any open space on the Home Screen, customise the buttons at the bottom of the Lock Screen, and quickly access more controls in Control Centre. With the biggest redesign ever of the Photos app, photo libraries are automatically organised in a new single view in Photos, and helpful new collections keep favourites easily accessible. All-new text effects come to iMessage, amplifying any letter, word, phrase, or emoji with dynamic, animated appearances to bring conversations to life. Users can also now communicate over satellite in the Messages app, even when a cellular or Wi-Fi connection isn’t available.
iPadOS 18 Takes iPad to the Next Level
With iPadOS 18, the iPad experience is more versatile and intelligent than ever with new features and apps designed for Apple Pencil. The Calculator app comes to iPad with Math Notes, which allows users to type or write out mathematical expressions and see them instantly solved in their own handwriting. New handwriting tools in Notes including Smart Script make handwritten notes more fluid, flexible, and easier to read.
macOS Sequoia Brings New Ways of Working and Transformative Intelligence to Mac
With macOS Sequoia, Continuity between iPhone and Mac gets better than ever with iPhone Mirroring, enabling full access to and control of iPhone directly from Mac. Safari gets another big update with the new Highlights feature for effortless information discovery on webpages while browsing. Gaming is even more immersive with Personalised Spatial Audio that puts players in the middle of the action like never before. And Apple Intelligence unlocks new ways for Mac users to enhance their writing and communicate more effectively, create playful images in seconds, and more. Apple Intelligence takes full advantage of the power of Apple silicon and its Neural Engine, and will be supported by every Mac with an M-series chip.
watchOS 11 Offers Powerful Health and Fitness Insights, and More Personalisation
watchOS 11 offers breakthrough insights into users’ health and fitness, and more personalisation than ever. The new Vitals app surfaces key health metrics and context, the ability to measure training load offers a game-changing new experience when working out, and the popular Activity rings are even more customisable. The Smart Stack and Photos face use intelligence to feature more individualisation, and Apple Watch and the Health app on iPhone and iPad offer additional support for users who are pregnant. Check In, the Translate app, and new capabilities for the double tap gesture come to Apple Watch for added connectivity and convenience.
visionOS 2 Brings New Spatial Computing Experiences to Apple Vision Pro
Just months after its initial release, visionOS 2 brings powerful spatial computing experiences to Apple Vision Pro, including new ways for users to create spatial photos with the images already in their library, intuitive hand gestures to easily access important information at a glance, and new features for Mac Virtual Display, Travel Mode, and Guest User. visionOS 2 also introduces exciting new capabilities like Follow Your Breathing in the Mindfulness app, SharePlay for Photos, and multiview in the TV app.
Home and Audio Updates Elevate Entertainment and Bring More Convenience
With tvOS 18, intelligent new features like InSight — and updates to Enhance Dialogue and subtitles — level up cinematic experiences, while new Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, and FaceTime capabilities get even better on users’ biggest screen. The Home app gains new features with iOS 18, like guest access and hands-free unlock with home keys, delivering effortless and secure access to the home. AirPods software updates will transform the way users respond to Siri with new gestures, take calls with friends and loved ones, and immerse themselves in their favourite games.
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