Credits: Apple Inc.

The latest WWDC24 sessions haven't concluded at the time of writing this post, but we can already take a look at the revelations from this year's conference held on June 10. As expected, the presentations showcased new operating systems: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and visionOS 2. Additionally, what I anticipated came true—Apple's new generative AI features will make us smarter, but as usual, it'll still be even smarter than we are. All of this is now called—Apple Intelligence (AI).

OK, let's take a closer look at what was introduced:

The new version offers significant updates aimed at enhancing user experience and customization. Icons can now be placed anywhere (surprise surprise, right, Android owners?), and in dark mode, they also darken with customizable colors. Control Center supports multiple pages, allowing developers to add features and users to change control buttons on the lock screen. Enhanced security features include locking individual apps with FaceID and hiding apps in a "Hidden" folder. Users can share selected contacts with apps, and iMessage updates include emoji reactions, message scheduling, text formatting, and satellite messaging on newer iPhones.

Additional updates include intelligent sorting in Mail and a redesigned Photos app with AI-based collections. Apple Maps in iOS 18 offers topographic maps and detailed hiking routes for all 63 US national parks, with features like custom trail creation, offline trail downloads, and turn-by-turn directions. The integration between Reminders and Calendar apps, along with a gaming mode for optimal performance, round out the enhancements, making the new version more versatile and user-friendly.

AR device Vision Pro from Apple is also awaiting updates. Spatial Photos now offer more depth and realism, bringing your memories to life in a new light. Reviving Old Photos transforms them into 3D images, and you can share entire albums with friends with Vision Pro headsets. Spatial Video creation is easier with new cameras and Final Cut Pro, and you can publish your work on the new Vimeo app. VisionOS 2 supports ultra-wide virtual displays, surpassing the size and detail of dual 4K monitors. Enhanced Performance comes with significant boosts and powerful new APIs for developers. Additionally, Apple announced Vision Pro will be available in eight more countries: China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom with pre-orders starting June 13 and availability beginning June 28.

watchOS 11 introduced several enhancements across various features. The Vitals App will monitor heart rate, body temperature, and sleep quality to help users track their health. Athletes will benefit from the new Training Load metric, which will employ a unique algorithm to evaluate workout intensity on a 1 to 10 scale, aiding in more accurate performance predictions. Users will be able to schedule rest days without compromising their progress towards activity goals. Individual activity goals can be set for each day of the week. Additionally, machine learning will optimize photos for the Photos Face watch face by analyzing aesthetics and emotions. The update will also include interactive Live Activity widgets for the Apple Watch, akin to those on the iPhone. Lastly, the Smart Stack feature will intelligently suggest the "Translator" app or a weather forecast widget based on user needs.

With AirPods, interacting with Siri has become more seamless. Now, to answer or decline an incoming call, you simply nod or shake your head, eliminating the need for vocal commands. AirPods Pro supports the Voice Isolation feature, effectively eliminating background noise and enhancing voice transmission quality. Additionally, Apple has introduced the Personalized Spatial Audio API, tailored for developers of spatial audio games.

Apple TV now features the InSight function, enabling users to obtain information about actors while watching content on TV+. Additionally, enhanced dialogue can be activated during movie viewing for use with headphones, receivers, and Bluetooth devices. The device supports a 21:9 aspect ratio for projector connections, ensuring movies are viewed in their original format. Siri on Apple TV now operates natively, and new screensavers have been added.

The new iPad operating system introduces several key updates and improvements. Notably, the Floating Tab Bar enhances app navigation by transforming it into a sidebar for quick feature access. The System Calculator now supports Apple Pencil, allowing handwritten mathematical expressions, and includes features like calculation history and a unit converter. Game Mode optimizes the device for gaming, minimizing background processes and reducing latency, while Share Play with remote control enables control of another user's iPad during shared activities. Additionally, users will benefit from an updated design of standard apps and smoother interface animations.

What's new in macOS 15 Sequoia? The update introduces a new remote control feature for iPhone called iPhone Mirroring. This allows users to open a window on their Mac that mirrors everything happening on their smartphone. The feature works if both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and the iPhone is charging in standby mode.

With iPhone Mirroring, users can easily drag and drop files, photos, and videos from their computer to their smartphone. For instance, one can use the cursor to transfer a photo from the Mac desktop to the iPhone gallery. Additionally, users can receive iPhone notifications on their Mac and access mobile apps from the computer without needing to pick up the smartphone.

Secondly, a new application called “Passwords” is now available for Mac, where passwords saved on all your devices, including Windows PCs, are stored. The app is also available on iPhone and iPad.

Furthermore, the built-in Safari browser has been significantly enhanced. It now includes several AI features, such as generating brief summaries of pages, highlighting the main ideas of articles, breaking text into paragraphs, and gathering information about music, videos, and images from websites. The Reader function now more effectively removes unnecessary and distracting elements from web pages.

Additional updates include the ability to change the background to any image during video calls and the option to preview oneself before the webcam activates for other participants in the call.

AI features related to Apple Intelligence have been added, and app windows can now snap to specific corners of the screen, facilitating multitasking. Notably, this year's new OS will be available for devices that are 6-7 years old.

And I saved the most interesting part for last. We at the editorial team have been eagerly awaiting this news, and finally, it’s here.

Apple Intelligence, the company's new AI system, was prominently featured at WWDC 2024. This robust, personalized AI experience is designed to simplify tasks by enabling seamless actions across various applications while prioritizing user privacy and data control. As said Tim Cook on X (formerly Twitter) - it is the next AI chapter.

Apple Intelligence will be available at no cost on devices equipped with an M1 chip or later, including the iPhone 15 Pro, and iPad Pro. The AI system offers advanced capabilities such as generating images, summarizing text, and creating custom emojis within Apple's native apps.

A key feature of Apple Intelligence is its integration with Siri. The virtual assistant will become more natural, relevant, and personalized, with the ability to cross-reference information and respond to conversational language. Yep, Siri gets each user's context, becoming a super smart assistant. Siri is getting an upgrade to do app stuff. You could tell her to take a selfie while you pose, save it, and share it. She can also dig into your photos for specific ones (like vacation selfies), pull info from pics (like ID numbers), and fill in web forms when you need. Siri's enhancements extend beyond the iPhone to Mac and iPad and include a new type-to-Siri feature for those who prefer text communication.

Apple Intelligence also aids users in writing by offering proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing features. Additionally, the AI system can control applications, allowing users to ask Siri to retrieve specific files or photos and understand the context around their activities.

Privacy remains a top priority for Apple in the implementation of AI features. Most AI models are processed on-device, with 'Private Cloud Compute' serving as a backup for more powerful models. Apple has also partnered with OpenAI to enable users to write text using ChatGPT and access its real-world knowledge, with user permission.

Apple Intelligence powers numerous AI features across the company's apps in iOS 18, such as email summarization and response generation, custom emoji creation (Genmoji), and an AI image generator in the Photos app. These AI-driven enhancements aim to provide a more personalized and efficient user experience while maintaining Apple's commitment to privacy and security. Siri will be popping up more in third-party apps down the road, bringing in new actions and responses that are spot-on with the context.

Overall, we are satisfied because Apple exceeded what we expected, namely an improved user interaction with their devices, and now we will have an even smarter Siri assistant that will truly become a true helper. The big deal is that Apple won't let us down, right? Meantime, we are waiting and planning how to incorporate the new features and interact with them into everyday life.