Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote unveiled a host of exciting updates and features, with artificial intelligence taking center stage through the introduction of Apple Intelligence.
The event showcased significant enhancements across Apple’s operating systems, including iOS 18, visionOS 2, macOS Sequoia, iPadOS 18, and watchOS 11, along with updates to AirPods and various apps.
Apple Intelligence AI System
Apple Intelligence, the company’s new AI system, took center stage at WWDC 2024. This powerful, personalized AI experience is designed to make tasks easier by enabling seamless actions across various apps while prioritizing user privacy and data control.
Apple Intelligence will be available for free on devices with an M1 chip or later, including the iPhone 15 Pro, iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. The AI system offers advanced capabilities like generating images, summarizing text, and creating custom emojis within Apple’s native apps.One of the key features of Apple Intelligence is its integration with Siri.
The virtual assistant will become more natural, relevant, and personal, with the ability to cross-reference information and respond to conversational language. Siri’s enhancements extend to Mac and iPad, not just iPhone, and include a new type-to-Siri feature for those who prefer to communicate via text.
Apple Intelligence also assists users in their writing by offering proofreading, rewriting, and summarizing features. Additionally, the AI system can control apps, allowing users to ask Siri to pull up specific files or photos and understand context around their lives.Privacy remains a top priority for Apple in its 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 allow 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.
iOS 18 and visionOS 2
iOS 18 introduces a redesigned Home Screen and Control Center, offering users greater customization options. The update also brings enhanced privacy controls, such as the ability to lock or hide apps, and new messaging features like scheduled messages and expanded Tapback options. Additionally, iOS 18 leverages AI-powered capabilities for email summarization, response generation, and RCS support for iMessage.
visionOS 2, the first major update for the Apple Vision Pro, introduces new display options for Mac-connected displays, Spatial Photos, and Travel Mode for trains. The update also includes enhanced environments, SharePlay for Photos, and the expansion of Apple Vision Pro to nine more countries, with pre-orders starting June 13 and availability beginning June 28.
macOS Sequoia and iPadOS 18
macOS Sequoia, the latest update to Apple’s desktop operating system, introduces several new features, such as:
- iPhone mirroring, enabling users to control their iPhone notifications and audio playback from their Mac
- A new Highlights feature in Safari that uses machine learning to identify interesting parts of a webpage
- The introduction of a dedicated Passwords app for managing login details across devices
iPadOS 18 brings many of the features announced for iOS 18, along with several iPad-specific enhancements, including:
- A new Calculator app with a feature called Math Notes, which allows users to write equations with the Apple Pencil and have the app solve them
- Improved screen sharing in SharePlay, text effects, and scenes in the Freeform app
- Control Center customization and a redesigned tab bar for several built-in apps
watchOS 11 and AirPods Updates
watchOS 11 introduces a redesigned watch face, an intelligent smart stack, and features to help users stay active and monitor their health. The update offers more insights, adjustable summary tabs, and a new Vitals app. Machine learning suggests suitable watch faces from users’ photos, and advanced games like “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” are coming to the Apple Watch.
AirPods Pro 2 will receive updates later this fall, including:
- Siri interactions through head nods to respond to announcements
- Voice Isolation to enhance voice quality and reduce background noise using machine learning on the H2 chip
- Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking for gaming on AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max
