Apple Just Announced Big New iPhone And iPad Software Updates — Here’s What’s New

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, is the company’s annual showcase for its software. The company revealed iPhone, Mac, iPad, Watch, and Apple TV software and updates to iCloud but did not announce any new hardware products.

Here are the most important announcements:

1)      iOS 15 for iPhones

2)      iPad OS 15 for iPad

3)      watch OS 8 for Apple Watch

4)      mac OS Monterey for Macs

5)      Big changes to Apple Maps

6)      Privacy updates

7)      iCloud+

Beta versions will be available to developers Monday, and the public can test the software beginning in July. The final versions will be available to everyone this fall.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the new beta software will be available for developers and early adopters in the coming month, and they will be released to the public in the fall.

Apple says App Store has 600 million weekly visitors, updates product pages. Apple has paid $230 billion to developers since it launched, the company said. 600 million people visit it per week.

Apple will allow developers to maintain multiple product pages to test which graphics and text work best to gain customers. Apple will also market key apps on the App Store through a new feature called Events.

Apple’s App Store rules and fees have been under intense scrutiny from developers and lawmakers. It’s the only way for most people to install apps on an iPhone. Apple has introduced a tool to turn photos into 3D models, which will be important for augmented reality

Apple’s conference is designed to give tools to developers to encourage them to work on Apple phones and computers.

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One of the biggest new technologies announced on Monday allows developers to turn 2D images into a 3D model. Apple’s example was a sneaker. This allows users to take a bunch of photos on the iPhone and then convert them into a model that can be used in augmented reality apps.

The ability to create models quickly will be important for online commerce — one example was furniture vendor Wayfair — but will also be an essential tool for building AR experiences and apps.

Apple is working on virtual and augmented reality in its Technology Development Group but has not announced a hardware headset. Currently, Apple’s AR products are software features in the iPhone and iPad.

Apple also announced Mac OS Monterey, which can share a mouse and keyboard with an iPad

The latest version of Mac OS is named Monterey after the scenic beach town on California’s central coast. It has new features that allow users to use the same mouse and keyboard across a Mac or an iPad.

The mouse cursor can move back and forth between the iPad and a Mac laptop or desktop, turning the iPad into functionally a second screen. It even works between Mac computers. The feature is called Universal Control.

iOS devices can also beam their screen to a Mac computer through a feature called AirPlay.

Apple added a bunch of new Shortcuts to the Mac interface. Shortcuts is an automation app for power users. Apple’s Safari browser also got a redesign with new features including tab grouping and tab bookmarking.

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Courtesy of CNBC