Key Takeaways
- Apple WWDC June 2024 unveiled major updates across the entire Apple ecosystem: visionOS 2, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, tvOS, and AirPods.
- Apple Intelligence — Apple's new AI platform — brings writing support, smart commands, message prioritization, image modifications, and a smarter Siri with ChatGPT integration, running on-device from the A17 Pro chip.
- iOS 18 introduces flexible home screen customization, an overhauled Control Center open to third-party developers, stronger privacy controls, and iMessage enhancements including scheduled sending and text effects.
- iPadOS 18 finally brings a native Calculator app with Apple Pencil support, variable handling, graph creation, and Notes integration — alongside SmartScript for improved handwriting.
- macOS Sequoia introduces iPhone Mirroring, letting users control their iPhone directly from the Mac while the iPhone stays locked, plus drag-and-drop between devices.
- visionOS 2 adds over 2,000 spatial apps, spatial photo conversion from existing photos, new hand gestures, higher Mac display resolution, and availability in Germany from 12 July.
- watchOS 11 brings a new Vitals app for health data monitoring, training intensity measurement with overtraining tips, and smarter SmartStacks with live activities.
- Safari on macOS Sequoia delivers 4 hours more battery life than Chrome during video playback and gains Highlights, an updated Reader with automatic summaries, and a better video player.
- Apple Intelligence processes data on-device for privacy and requires at minimum an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPad with M1 chip, running iOS/iPadOS 18 or macOS Sequoia.
- A new standalone Passwords app debuts in macOS Sequoia with autofill support and Windows compatibility via iCloud for Windows.
This has just been presented by Apple:
Apple TV Plus
- New series and episodes
- new movies
visionOS 2
- Over 2,000 special apps
- plus 1.5 million iPhone apps
- Photos
- Existing photos can be converted into spatial photos
- Shareplay in the photo app
- New hand control gestures
- Higher screen resolution for display on Mac
- Tension support (so that it no longer wobbles so much)
- More options for developers
- 3D models
- Anchoring objects to surfaces
- Enterprise APIs
- Easier creation of spatial videos
- new Spatial Lenser for Canon DSLR
- Editing in Final Cut Pro
- Editing in vimeo
- Immersive video
- Partnership with Blackmagic Design
- New movies
- available in Germany from 12.7.
iOS 18
- Home screen customization
- Apps can be arranged more flexibly
- dark mode
- color
- larger apps
- Control center
- several groups
- Gallery - similar to widgets
- Open for app developers
- Customizable sizes
- on home screen and accessible with action button
- Data protection
- Apps can be blocked
- also not available for other apps
- Apps can be hidden
- Configurable which app can see which contacts
- Paired devices can also be hidden
- iMessage
- More tapbacks
- Send later
- Text formatting
- Text effects
- iMessages via satellite from iPhone 14 - encrypted
- Mail
- Categories on the device
- E-mail digest per sender
- comes later
- Cards
- New topographic maps
- Wallet
- Tap to cash
- Send money from device to device
- New event guide and information on tickets
- Journal
- new search
- Gaming
- Game mode comes to the iPhone
- Photos
- Filter - e.g. filter out screenshots
- Automatic collections
- Overview
- Divisible
Audio & Home
- Airpods
- Siri yes/no by nodding/shaking your head
- Voice isolation for Airpod Pro
- Personalized spatial audio for games
- TV OS
- Insight: Information about the actors and the film music
- clearer language
- Subtitles come when you need them
- 21:9 projector support
- New screensaver with integration of own photos
WatchOS 11
- Sport
- Intensity measurement
- with tips for overtraining
- Dashboard customizable
- Vitals app
- Health data over time
- Display of outliers
- Alarms when critical
- Cyclustrcking also supports pregnancy monitoring
- smartStacks get smarter with live activities
- Check-ins
- also accessible for developers
- new dials
- AI-supported photo selection for photo dial
iPadOS 18
- iOS features - see above.
- Better Apple Pencil support
- New floating tab bar - which becomes a sidebar and is customizable
- revised animations
- Shareplay
- Painting on the screen
- Remote control of iPads
- Freeform optimization
- Calculator finally on the iPad
- Pencil support
- Calculations can be saved
- Supports variables
- creates graphs
- History
- also integrated in notes
- SmartScript
- improves the handwriting
- Copy and paste also possible
MacOS Sequoia
- Continuity
- iPhone Mirroring - incl. operation of the iPhone
- iPhone notifications come to the Mac - then you jump straight to the iPhone remote control
- iPhone remains locked
- Standby remains on the iPhone
- Drag and drop between Mac and iPhone
- Better automatic window arrangements
- Video conferencing
- Green screen function without green screen
- Presenter preview
- Password Manager
- incl. Windows for iCloud for Windows app
- with autofill
- Safari
- 4h more battery life than Chrome with video playback
- Profiles
- Tab groups
- Highlights, to emphasize important information on pages
- revised reader, incl. automatic summary
- better video player
- Gaming
- easier to bring Mac games to iPhone and iPad
Apple Intelligence
- Possibilities
- Prioritization of messages
- Writing support
- also in third-party apps
- Image modifications
- Smart commands
- understands the personal context
- Siri is getting smarter
- Chat GPT integration in Siri
- Data protection
- On-device processing
- From A17 Pro Chip
- From iOS / iPadOS 18 and Sequoia
- From iPhone 15 Pro and iPad from M1
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Apple Intelligence and which devices support it?
Apple Intelligence is Apple's new AI platform announced at WWDC 2024 that offers writing support, message prioritization, image modifications, smart commands, and a ChatGPT-integrated Siri. It runs on-device from the A17 Pro chip and requires an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPad with at least an M1 chip, running iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS Sequoia.
What new features does iOS 18 bring to the iPhone home screen?
iOS 18 allows apps to be arranged more flexibly on the home screen and introduces dark mode, color tinting, and larger app icon options. The Control Center is also redesigned into multiple groups with customizable sizes and is now open for third-party app developers.
What is iPhone Mirroring in macOS Sequoia?
iPhone Mirroring is a Continuity feature in macOS Sequoia that lets users view and fully operate their iPhone directly from the Mac. The iPhone remains locked during mirroring, iPhone notifications appear on the Mac, and files can be dragged and dropped between the two devices.
What does visionOS 2 add for Apple Vision Pro users?
visionOS 2 expands the app library to over 2,000 spatial apps plus access to 1.5 million iPhone apps, enables conversion of existing photos into spatial photos, introduces new hand control gestures, higher Mac display resolution, and tension support to reduce wobble. Apple Vision Pro becomes available in Germany from 12 July.
What Calculator improvements does iPadOS 18 introduce?
iPadOS 18 finally brings a native Calculator app to the iPad with full Apple Pencil support, the ability to save calculations, support for variables, graph creation, and a calculation history. The Calculator is also integrated directly into the Notes app.
How does watchOS 11 improve health and fitness tracking?
watchOS 11 introduces a new Vitals app that displays health data over time, highlights outliers, and sends alarms when values become critical. Sport tracking gains intensity measurement with tips to prevent overtraining, and cycle tracking is expanded to support pregnancy monitoring.
What privacy improvements come with iOS 18?
iOS 18 strengthens privacy by allowing individual apps to be locked or hidden from the home screen, preventing other apps from seeing them. Users can also configure exactly which contacts each app is allowed to access, and paired Bluetooth devices can be hidden as well.
What new iMessage features are included in iOS 18?
iOS 18 enhances iMessage with more tapback reactions, a scheduled message sending feature, rich text formatting, and animated text effects. Additionally, iMessages can be sent via satellite from an iPhone 14, and these messages are encrypted.
How does macOS Sequoia improve Safari's battery efficiency?
Safari on macOS Sequoia delivers up to 4 hours more battery life than Chrome during video playback. The browser also gains new Highlights to emphasize important information on pages, a revised Reader mode with automatic summaries, and an improved video player.
What is SmartScript in iPadOS 18?
SmartScript is a new iPadOS 18 feature that automatically improves and tidies up handwriting entered with the Apple Pencil. It also supports copy and paste of handwritten content, making it easier to work with handwritten notes across apps.
Tools & Resources Mentioned
- iPad & iPadOS – iPadOS 18 with Calculator, SmartScript, and Pencil improvements
- Apple Intelligence (AI) – Apple's on-device AI platform with ChatGPT integration in Siri
- Final Cut Pro – mentioned for editing spatial videos on visionOS 2
- Vimeo – mentioned as a platform for editing spatial videos
- Blackmagic Design – partnership with Apple for immersive video production on visionOS 2
