Before you wonder, no, there’s still no official word on iPhone 8. But there’s still plenty to wow and be amazed by. Here’s all you need to know of what’s to come as announced at the Apple WWDC 2017.
1. HomePod
– It’s under 7 inches tall and delivers amazing audio quality and more
– One of the ‘more’ is being able to use spatial awareness to sense its location in a room and automatically adjust the audio
– It doubles as a home assistant so users can send messages, get updates on news, sports and weather as well as control smart home devices by asking Siri
– With six built-in microphones, users can interact with HomePod even from across the room with loud music playing. At the same time, Siri can answer questions like “Hey, who’s the drummer in this?” Or tell Siri you like the song and it will learn your music preferences.
– Hold an iPhone next to HomePod and it will be ready to start playing music
– It’s built with an Apple-designed upward-facing woofer, seven beam-forming tweeters (each with its own amplifier), and an Apple-designed A8 chip
– HomePod will be available in the US, the UK and Australia beginning December before entering international markets next year
2. iOS 11
– Siri gets upgraded. It can translate phrases into different languages and its speech sounds more natural and expressive. Additionally, it uses on-device learning to suggest actions and topics based on personal usage.
– Portrait Mode images looks even better with optical image stabilisation, True Tone flash and HDR.
– Live Photos now come with new Loop and Bounce effects for continuous video loops
– There is a Long Exposure feature
– The file size of photos taken with iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is reduced with a new technology called High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF)
– Do Not Disturb While Driving is another new feature where the iPhone can detect if you may be driving and automatically silence notifications to keep the screen dark. There’s even an option of sending an auto reply to Favourite contacts to let them know you’re driving
– For the iPad, it offers a new customisable Dock and Files app to keep everything in one place and make moving images and text easier. There’s even a Split Screen feature
– Apple Pencil is more deeply integrated with support for inline drawing and a new Instant Notes feature that can open Notes from the Lock Screen just by tapping the Apple Pencil on the display
– ARKit is a new platform for developers to help build high-quality AR experiences for the iPhone and iPad
– The iOS11 update will be available for download this fall
3. App Store
– Redesigned from the ground up, it’s packed with original stories and editorial content such as interviews, helpful tips and collections of must-have apps and games
– There are new tabs: Today (updated daily), Games and Apps
– The new App Store will be includes with iOS 11
– iPad Pro has a new model size of 10.5 inches, having reduced the border by nearly 40 per cent and still weighs just one pound
– There’s also a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro and together with the 10.5-inch model, they feature the world’s most advanced display with ProMotion technology for fluid scrolling, better responsiveness and smoother motion content. This, in turn, helps make the Apple Pencil more responsive. ProMotion also reduces power consumption
– The new iPad Pro models come with the new and powerful A10X Fusion chip for groundbreaking performance that’s faster than even most PC laptops today, making it one of the best devices for complex tasks such as editing photos and 4K video, rendering 3D images or playing games
– The 10.5-inch iPad Pro comes in silver, space grey, gold and rose gold
– The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is available in silver, space grey and gold
– The two models are available to order beginning today from apple.com/my and will start delivering to customers next week.
– Expect more intelligent and fitness features
– There’s a new Siri watch face that displays all the info (Activity, Alarms, Calendar, headlines from the new Apple News app for Apple Watch, etc) you need throughout the day based on the time of day
– The Activity app delivers intelligent coaching and tailored encouragement to help users close the Activity Rings such as personalised notifications and suggestions on how to reach their goals before the end of the day
– There will also be unique Monthly Challenges
– New music experience that automatically syncs playlists and most listened to music, making it even more ideal for workouts or on the go
– The updated Workout app now includes auto-sets for pool swim workouts and new motion and heart rate algorithms for HIIT workouts
– Introducing GymKit where users can pair their Apple Watch with cardio equipment (from global manufacturers such as Life Fitness and Technogym)
– There are new Toy Story watch faces and a Kaleidoscope watch face
– watchOS 4 will be available this fall
6. iMac
– Apple has updated its iMac line with up to three times more powerful graphics, faster processors, Thunderbolt 3, faster storage options and brighter Retina displays
– The entry-level 21.5-inch iMac gets a Retina 4K display and discrete graphics
– The updated iMac is available to order today on apple.com/my, and available to buy in Apple Stores starting on Wednesday, June 7
7. iMac Pro
– It’s the most powerful Mac ever made
– Features a gorgeous 27-inch Retina 5K display, up to 18-core Xeon processors and up to 22 Teraflops of graphics computation into a stunning new space gray enclosure
– Delivers incredible performance for advanced graphics editing, virtual reality content creation and real-time 3D rendering
– It’s scheduled to ship in December with a starting price of $4,999 (US). More details can be found at apple.com/imac-pro
– A similar update has been given to Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro, giving them faster Kaby Lake processors
– There’s a new 13-inch MacBook Pro
– The 15-inch MacBook Pro now comes standard with more powerful discrete graphics and more video memory
– MacBook now features up to 50 percent faster SSDs and supports up to twice the memory
– The updated MacBook and MacBook Pro are available to order today on apple.com/my, and available to buy in Apple Stores starting on Wednesday, June 7
– Offers an all-new file system that makes copying files and directories instantaneous, protects data from power outages and system crashes and keeps files safe and secure with native encryption
– Supports High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) for video streaming and playback of 4K video files at incredible quality
– Photos, Safari and Mail are now more refined
– macOS High Sierra will be available this fall as a free software update from the Mac Apple Store
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