Following the conclusion of today's keynote event that saw the unveiling of new versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, Apple has made the first betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 available to developers for testing purposes.
Registered developers can download the iOS and iPadOS 16 profiles from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the betas will be available over the air. Given that this is a first beta, it is best to install iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 on a secondary device. Early software is often riddled with bugs, and rumors have suggested that iOS 16 could be buggier than usual.
Over the course of the iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 beta testing period, Apple will refine the newly introduced features and work out bugs. Developers have been provided with the software to prepare their apps ahead of a fall launch.
The software is limited to registered developers at this time, but Apple is expected to provide a public beta for public beta testers in July.
The beta testing period will last for several months, and we are expecting to see iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 released to the public in September alongside new iPhones.
With iOS 16, Apple will bring support for opt-in web notification support later in 2023, allowing users to receive notifications from websites through Safari and, presumably, other supported browsers on iOS.
Apple mentions the feature on the iOS 16 features page, saying it will be coming to iOS in 2023. Safari on iOS 16 is also gaining other new features, including Shared Tab Groups, new web extension APIs, and more.
iOS 16 will be available to developer beta testers later today and public beta testers in July. iOS 16 is a significant release with major customization features and major improvements to stock apps.
With iPadOS 16, Apple is finally bringing a native Weather app to the iPad, taking advantage of the larger iPad display. Apple is also introducing WeatherKit for developers on the platform.
The iPad's lack of a Weather app has been a long-running joke with iPad users. While iPadOS 16 brings a Weather app to the iPad, it does not seem the iPad is gaining a Calculator app. iPadOS 16 will be available to developers for beta testing later today and to public beta testers in July.
Following today's keynote event that saw the introduction of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, and new M2 Macs, Apple has brought its online store back up with information on the new machines.
The M2 MacBook Air and M2 13-inch MacBook Pro cannot be purchased at this time, but the product listings are live. Apple plans to make them available starting next month.
The M2 MacBook Air features a redesigned chassis that does away with the tapered design, and it is quite similar to the MacBook Pro. It comes in Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, and Midnight. Contrary to rumors, it does not feature white bezels or a white keyboard, and there is a notch.
Pricing on the new MacBook Air starts at $1199 for an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, with a 10-core GPU option available for $1499.
Apple today also refreshed the 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 chip, and pricing starts at $1299. There are no design updates for the 13-inch model, and it continues to be the only Mac notebook with a Touch Bar.
Apple today announced a series of iPadOS 16 features exclusive to iPads with the M1 chip, including support for virtual memory swap, windowing via Stage Manager, improved external display support, and more.
Virtual memory swap expands the amount of memory available to all iPad apps, with up to 16GB available to the most demanding apps on some iPad Pro models. iPadOS 16 includes a new way to scale the iPad's display to increase pixel density to see more inside apps, improving the multitasking experience.
Stage Manager provides an all-new way to manage windows on the iPad, with support for groups of up to four windows. When using an external display, iPadOS will display a full dock and switch to Stage Manager. When using an external display, up to eight apps can run simultaneously between an iPad and an external display.
Reference Mode allows creators to exactly match color requirements in workflows like review and approve, color grading, and compositing.
These iPadOS 16 features are exclusive to iPads with the M1 chip, including the fifth-generation iPad Pro and fifth-generation iPad Air. Reference Mode is only available on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Liquid Retina XDR display.
Apple today unveiled iPadOS 16, which includes several new features common to iOS 16 in addition to new collaboration and multitasking features and a dedicated Weather app.
Collaboration is a set of new features available in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, allowing users to work together on projects in Apple's apps in more ways than ever and in real time.
New features in Messages allow users to start collaborating and manage shared content across Files, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, Notes, Reminders, and Safari, as well as third-party apps.
For example, when users send an invitation to collaborate via Messages, everyone on the thread is automatically added to the document, spreadsheet, or project. When someone makes a change to a shared file, everyone can see updates right at the top of the Messages thread. And when a user is working on a collaborative project, they can jump into the associated Messages conversation or tap to start a FaceTime call with their collaborators.
Apple will also in future bring a new Freeform app to iPadOS 16. It's like a digital whiteboard that Apple says is perfect for brainstorming sessions, and gives users the ability to see, share, and collaborate all in one place, with full support for Apple Pencil. Users can view others' contributions as they add content or make edits in real time. Freeform also allows collaborators to start a session from FaceTime and see the updates from others right in the Messages thread.
Apple Mail is also getting several enhancements in iPadOS 16, including the ability to cancel the delivery of a message and schedule emails. A new Remind Later feature re-surfaces messages at a specified time, and users can get notified if they forget to include an important part of the message, like an attachment or recipient.
In addition, Apple says an all-new search experience delivers more complete and accurate results by correcting typos and using synonyms for search terms, and allows users to see a richer view of contacts, shared content, and more.
Apple is also bringing a new iCloud Shared Photo Library to iPad that allows up to six family members to collaborate and share photos in Memories, Featured Photos, and the Photos Widget. Users can share all their past photos, or use setup tools to contribute specific photos based on a start date or people in the photos. Photos can be added to the collection manually, or through Bluetooth proximity or sharing suggestions in For You. When anyone in the Shared Library adds, edits, or deletes photos, the library is updated for everyone.
Elsewhere, Safari is gaining new customization and collaboration options. Shared Tab Groups allow users to collaborate on a set of tabs with friends and see updates instantly while they work together, share tabs and bookmarks, and start a conversation right from Safari. Tab Groups also get dedicated start pages that can be customized with a background image, bookmarks, and unique sections everyone can see and edit.
Safari on iPad is also gaining passkeys, which Apple says is an easier and safer sign-in method designed to replace passwords on the web and in apps. Passkeys are kept on iPad to prevent hackers from leaking them or tricking users into sharing them. They are specific to the sites users create them for, and users can sign in to websites or apps on Apple and non-Apple devices with their saved passkey by scanning the QR code with iPad, and using Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate.
Stage Manager is a new multitasking experience that automatically organizes apps and windows to make it quicker and easier to switch between tasks. For the first time on iPad, users can create overlapping windows of different sizes in a single view, drag and drop windows from the side, or open apps from the Dock to create groups of apps. The window of the app users are working on is displayed prominently in the center, and other open apps and windows are arranged on the left-hand side in order of recency.
Available on iPad Pro and iPad Air with the M1 chip, Stage Manager comes with full external display support with resolutions of up to 6K, so users can work with up to four apps on iPad and four apps on the external display.
In other feature additions, Live Text is coming to video, making text completely interactive in paused video frames, Display Zoom allows users to increase the pixel density of the display so they can view more in their apps, a new Reference Mode enables the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Liquid Retina XDR display to match the color requirements in workflows, and Virtual Memory Swap lets iPad storage be used to expand the available memory for all apps.
Lastly, Apple is bringing a dedicated Weather app for the iPad. With just a tap, users can see the most important weather information, or explore maps to check precipitation, air quality, and temperature. Users can also be notified when a severe weather alert is issued in their area, or check the air quality using a color-coded scale. WeatherKit is also coming for developers to tap into the Weather app's features.
The developer preview of iPadOS 16 is available to Apple Developer Program members starting today, and a public beta will be available to iPadOS users next month.
Apple today previewed an all-new app called Freeform to work collaboratively on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The Freeform app offers a flexible digital canvass to work collaboratively in real-time via FaceTime, featuring full support for the Apple Pencil when using an iPad. Users can add images, notes, scribbles, documents, web links, PDFs, and more, and view others' contributions as they add content or make edits.
Collaborators can start a session from FaceTime and see the updates from other users directly in a Messages thread. Freeform will come to iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura later this year.
Apple today during its WWDC 2022 keynote announced that the first betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16 will be available to developers starting today, and the first public betas of both updates will be released in July.
Apple did not outline a specific day in July when the public betas will become available.
Those interested in installing the developer betas on their devices can sign up for an Apple Developer Program membership, which costs $99 per year in the United States. Those who do not want to register as a developer can join Apple's free Beta Software Program for access to the public betas when released in July.
iOS 16 is compatible with the iPhone 8 and newer, while watchOS 9 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer. iPadOS 16 is compatible with the iPad (5th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), and all iPad Pro models, and here is a macOS Ventura compatibility list. tvOS 16 is compatible with all Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models.
As part of its iOS 16 presentation at WWDC, Apple today revealed that iPhone users now have access to the Fitness app regardless of whether they have an Apple Watch or not.
Previously, the Fitness app was only accessible on iPhones that are paired with an Apple Watch, but no more.
On an iPhone with iOS 16 installed, the Fitness app will use the iPhone's motion sensors to track things like steps, meaning all the activity that your iPhone tracks can be put toward closing your rings. You can set up a daily Move goal in the Fitness app and see how your active calories will help close your Move ring.
The iPhone's motion sensors can track steps, distance, flights climbed, and workouts from third-party apps, which can be converted into an estimation of active calories to contribute to your daily Move goal. You can also share your Move ring with friends for additional motivation.
Apple today announced the next version of macOS, called macOS Ventura, with several new features, including Stage Manager, Continuity Camera, new security updates, and more.
Stage Manager helps you focus on the app you're using without any distractions by arranging all unused apps on the side, with the main and active app in the middle.
Continuity Camera gives macOS users the ability to use their iPhone as a webcam. Using the Continuity feature, Mac can automatically recognize and use the camera on iPhone when it's nearby.
When connected, Continuity Camera offers existing features like Center Stage, Portrait mode, and more. It'll also use the iPhone's Ultra Wide camera to enable Desk View, showing the user's face and an overhead of their desk.
For FaceTime, you can now start a FaceTime call on one Apple device and transfer it to another using Handoff.
In Safari, Tab Groups will let friends and family share their favorite sites and see what tabs others are looking at live. The group can build a list of bookmarks on a shared Start Page, and even start Messages conversations or FaceTime calls right from Safari.
Similar to the updates coming to iOS 16, Messages on the Mac will let users edit or undo a recently sent message, mark a message as unread, or recover accidentally deleted messages.
macOS Ventura also improves Spotlight with Rich Results, coming to iOS and iPadOS, letting users take actions right from within Spotlight. Spotlight also now indexes more apps, including Photos and Live Text, and more.
As part of macOS Ventura, Apple is also adding big improvements to the Mail app on Mac. Undo Send will let users undo a sent email a few moments after it's sent. Users will now also be able to schedule emails and add reminders to follow-up.
iCloud Shared Photo Library will let family members create and share a photo library among up to six people. Everyone in the library can add, delete, or edit photos, and they can select which photos from their library they want to add into the shared library.
In a bid to enhance security, Apple has introduced "Passkeys" in Safari. Described as next-generation credentials that are more secure than passwords, Passkeys are unique digital keys that stay on device and are never stored on a web server.
Users can easily create Passkeys using Touch ID or Face ID, and iCloud Keychain saves all Passkeys to sync across devices with end-to-end encryption.
Apple also highlighted Metal 3, the latest version of the software that powers gaming experiences across Apple devices. Combined with Apple silicon, the company noted that "even greater gaming experiences" will be arriving on Macs.
Other macOS Ventura updates:
Live Text now supports paused video frames and can detect Japanese and Korean text.
Visual Look Up can recognize animals, birds, insects, statues, and more landmarks.
Weather and Clock apps have been optimized for Mac.
New accessibility tools include Live Captions for all audio content, Type to Speak on calls, Text Checker, and more.
System Preferences has been renamed to System Settings, and features a streamlined design similar to iPhone and iPad Settings app.
macOS Ventura will be available to all supported Macs later this year, with a developer beta available later today and public beta testers in July.
Apple today unveiled an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro featuring Apple's next-generation custom M2 chip.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is essentially a processor bump, with the design and other hardware features identical to the previous model.
Built using second-generation 5-nanometer technology, Apple's M2 chip improves upon the M1 in every respect, with a 18 percent faster CPU, a 35 percent more powerful GPU, and a 40 percent faster Neural Engine. It also delivers 50 percent more memory bandwidth compared to M1, and up to 24GB of fast unified memory.
With a faster 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, working with RAW images in apps like Affinity Photo is nearly 40 percent faster than the previous generation, and up to 3.4x faster for users who are upgrading from a model without Apple silicon, according to Apple.
Apple says playing graphics-intensive games like Baldur's Gate 3 is also nearly 40 percent faster than the previous 13-inch MacBook Pro and up to 3.3x faster for users upgrading from a model without Apple silicon.
With support for ProRes encode and decode in the media engine of M2, users can play back up to 11 streams of 4K and up to two streams of 8K ProRes video, and they can convert their video projects to ProRes nearly 3x faster than before, according to Apple.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro offers up to 20 hours of video playback on a single charge. Due to the M2 chip, the 13-inch MacBook Pro also supports up to 24GB of unified memory, along with 50 percent more memory bandwidth.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro will be available to order from next month, with prices starting from $1,299.
Apple today at WWDC 2022 announced the next-generation MacBook Air with the all-new M2 chip, a redesigned unibody enclosure, a brighter display with a notch, new color options like Starlight and Midnight, MagSafe charging, a 1080p camera, and more.
The new MacBook Air looks similar to the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. The notebook features a slightly larger 13.6-inch display with up to 500 nits of brightness, a fanless design, a MagSafe connector and two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left side, a headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones, four speakers, three microphones, and more. The notebook is 11.3mm thick and weighs 2.7 pounds.
With an M2 chip, the new MacBook Air is available with an 8-core GPU and up to a 10-core GPU. The notebook can be configured with up to 2TB of SSD storage, along with up to 24GB of unified memory. Apple says the new MacBook Air achieves up to 18 hours of battery life.
The new MacBook Air is equipped with a Magic Keyboard that includes full-size function keys and a Touch ID button for fingerprint authentication.
The new MacBook Air will be available next month, but no specific date was provided during Apple's keynote. Pricing will start at $1,199 in the United States, with all color options including Silver, Space Gray, Midnight, and Starlight. The previous-generation MacBook Air with the M1 chip will remain available for $999, according to Apple.
watchOS 9 has officially dropped support for the Apple Watch Series 3, as it will only be compatible with the Apple Watch Series 4 and later.
watchOS 9 includes several refinements to the Workout app, sleep tracking, and new and updated watch faces. watchOS 9 developer beta will be available later today and for public beta testers in July.
Apple today announced the M2 chip, the second-generation Apple silicon chip for the Mac, offering improved efficiency and performance, as well as support for up to 24GB of memory.
M2 is built using second-generation 5nm technology with 20 billion transistors, 25 percent more than the M1 chip. M2 features a 18 percent faster CPU, a 35 percent more powerful GPU, and a 40 percent faster Neural Engine compared to the M1 chip.
The M2 supports up to 24GB of LPDDR5 unified memory and features four performance and four efficiency cores. The chip supports 100GB/s of unified memory bandwidth, up 50 percent from the M1.
Apple says the M2 is significantly faster at lower power usage levels than the competition. The M2 offers 18 percent greater performance at the same wattage and has up to a 10-core GPU, with two more cores available over the M1 chip. The M2 delivers 87 percent of the peak performance of a 12-core PC laptop chip with just one-quarter of the power usage.
M2 also includes an improved media engine with a higher-bandwidth video decoder, supporting 8K H.264 and HEVC video, a ProRes video engine to playback multiple streams of 4K and 8K video, Apple's latest Secure Enclave for enhanced security, and a new image signal processor (ISP) that delivers better image noise reduction.
Apple's newly announced iOS 16 operating system is compatible with many of the iPhones that are able to run iOS 15, but it does drop support for some older devices, including the iPhone SE, the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 6s Plus, the iPod touch, and the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
According to Apple, iOS 16 will be available only on the iPhone 8 and later, with a full compatibility list below:
Apple today announced watchOS 9 for the Apple Watch, which will include more watch face options with more in-depth customization options, updates to notifications, new features in the Workout app, and more.
Similar to iOS 16's new lock screen, the new watch faces in watchOS 9 let users personally style each face. There are four new faces: Lunar, Playtime, Metropolitan, and Astronomy; classic watch faces have been updated as well to showcase enhanced depth effects of watchOS 9.
In regards to specific apps, the Workout app has been updated with more detailed metrics for measuring performance and a new training experience to help you reach your fitness goals. You can see different Workout Views by rotating the Digital Crown, changing between different training styles during a workout.
Heart Rate Zones help monitor the intensity of a workout, and Custom Workouts allow for work and rest intervals throughout a workout. Additionally, new alerts include pace, power, heart rate, cadence, and more, can be added to guide you through the workout.
Runners will be able to track metrics like stride length, ground contact time, and vertical oscillation. These appear in the Fitness app summary and in the Health app, allowing runners to track trends over time and learn from their patterns.
Frequently used routes allow runners to race against their own ghost times, including their best or last results, and receive alerts during the run for being ahead or behind their ghost. Lastly, there are a few updates to swimming workouts, like kickboard detection as a new stroke type.
Apple Watch will now be able to track more sleep insights with the new sleep stages feature. Using signals from the accelerometer and heart rate sensor, watchOS 9 can detect when users are in REM, Core, or Deep sleep. All of these stats will be available in the Sleep app upon waking up.
Anyone diagnosed with AFib can use the new AFib History feature in watchOS 9 to access important information. This includes an estimate of how frequently a user's heart rhythm shows signs of AFib, and more, and this feature has been cleared by the FDA.
Next, there's a new Medications experience on watchOS 9 and iOS 16 that can track a user's medications, vitamins, and supplements. They can create a medications list, set up schedules and reminders, and view information on their meds in the Health app.
The Health app tracks all of the medications, and can even alert users if it sees potential critical interactions between two meds that were added (for people in the United States). Otherwise, it'll let users create schedules to remind themselves to take their meds.
Other watchOS 9 updates:
Notifications have been redesigned to be less interruptive, similar to iOS 16.
Family Setup now supports the Home app, letting kids be invited to control Home accessories.
Quick Actions let users do even more with a double-pinch gesture, like ending a phone call or taking a photo.
Apple Watch Mirroring helps users with physical and motor disabilities control Apple Watch via iPhone.
QWERTY keyboard adds support for French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Mexico, Spain, Latin America).
Redesigned Dock features apps that are actively in use ahead of others.
Reminders app lets users add or edit key details like dates and time.
Calendar app lets users create new events directly on Apple Watch.
Cardio Recovery tracks cardiovascular health after walks and runs.
watchOS 9 is now available as a developer beta to Apple Developer Program members, and a public beta will arrive next month. It'll launch to the public this fall as a free software update for Apple Watch Series 4 or later, paired with iPhone 8 or later and iPhone SE (second-gen) or later, running iOS 16.
As part of its iOS 16 presentation at WWDC today, Apple unveiled an all-new Lock Screen for iPhones that provides users with a wealth of customization options, including the ability to add widgets.
In iOS 16, you can now edit and switch between different styles for your Lock Screen, with the option of applying filters to photos. With a new multilayered effect, the subjects of photos are set in front of the time on the Lock Screen, creating a sense of depth. You can also change the look of the date and time with expressive type styles and color choices.
You can also add custom widgets to the Lock Screen, similar to complications on Apple Watch. Available system widgets include battery levels, alarms, time zones, Activity ring progress, and more.
A new Lock Screen gallery features a range of options for inspiration, such as Apple collections, which include Pride and Unity to celebrate special cultural moments, a Weather wallpaper to see live weather conditions as they change throughout the day, and an Astronomy wallpaper for views of the Earth, moon, and solar system.
Apple is also bringing Focus modes to the Lock Screen, allowing your iPhone to display a different Lock Screen depending on what you're doing.
Meanwhile, Live Activities is a new feature that helps users stay on top of things that are happening in real time, such as a sports game, workout, ride-share, or food delivery order, right from the Lock Screen
Developers will also be able to tap into the new Lock Screen features using a new WidgetKit system. The developer preview of iOS 16 is available to Apple Developer Program members starting today, and a public beta will be available to iOS users next month.
Apple today at WWDC 2022 announced the "next generation" of CarPlay, which will support multiple displays within a vehicle, offer built-in climate controls for adjusting the temperature of the A/C or heat within the CarPlay interface, and more.
The next-generation CarPlay experience will be able to provide content across multiple screens within a vehicle, and deeper integration with a vehicle's hardware will allow users to control the radio, adjust climate controls, and more directly within CarPlay. Apple said the new version of CarPlay will also seamlessly display a vehicle's speedometer, fuel level, temperature, and more on the instrument cluster.
Apple added that CarPlay users will be able to personalize their driving experience by choosing different gauge cluster designs, and widgets will provide at-a-glance information from the Weather and Music apps right on a vehicle's dashboard.
Apple said the first vehicles to support the new CarPlay experience will be announced in late 2023, with committed automakers including Ford, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti, Honda, Acura, Jaguar, Land Rover, Audi, Nissan, Volvo, Porsche, and more. Apple said it will share more information about the new CarPlay experience in the future.
Introduced in 2014, CarPlay is Apple's in-vehicle software platform that can be accessed through a vehicle's infotainment system when an iPhone is connected to the vehicle with a Lightning cable or wirelessly in vehicles that support wireless CarPlay.
