Apple event – live: ‘AI iPhone’ revealed at pivotal WWDC event
Every platform updated – with a major focus on ‘Apple Intelligence’
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Your support makes all the difference.Apple showed off the future of the iPhone, and the rest of its products, at its annual developer conference on Monday.
The company began its Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, in California, showing off software updates for all of its platforms. It welcomed iOS 18 as well as new versions of the operating systems for the iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and its Vision Pro headset.
There was a lot of hype surrounding artificial intelligence in the build-up to the event, with Apple facing questions about what it plans to do with the technology.
While the term ‘artificial intelligence’ was barely referenced in the 100-minute keynote, a new term called ‘Apple Intelligence’ was mentioned more than 50 times.
It will be integrated into a host of Apple’s products, including its popular voice assistant Siri.
Follow all the latest news from the conference and watch a full live stream of the event below.
WWDC gets underway with Apple execs skydiving into event
Apple normally goes big on its intro videos, and today is no exception. Apple execs are parachuting into Apple Park, as Tim Cook waits for them on the roof of the company’s headquarters.
“We’ll introduce profound ne intelligence capabilities,” he says.
Apple TV announcements
First up are Apple TV announcements.
Among the highlights are a new season of Silo, a new season of Severance and Slow Horses, as well as a new Matt Damon film.
“I hope you’re excited about these new Apple Originals as I am,” Cook says.
What to expect today
Here’s the order of events for WWDC 2024:
‘Intelligence’ seems to be Apple’s AI branding
Apple hasn’t said “AI” yet. But it’s saying “intelligence” a lot. It seems like that might be the way it’s branding its artificial intelligence features.
(Apple has always been very specific about what it calls AI. At last year’s WWDC, with AI hype in full flow, it didn’t use the term at all, instead favouring machine learning and similar.)
Vision Pro updates
There’s already 2,000 apps made or adapted specifically for the Apple Vision Pro headset, which was first unveiled at last year’s WWDC.
As expected, Apple is announcing a new operating system for the headset called VisionOS 2.
One interesting feature is the ability to turn normal 2D photos and transform them into “spatial photos” that can be viewed through the Vision Pro.
Camera giant Canon is also diving into the immersive video space with a brand new lens.
Here are all the new features for Apple VisionOS 2:
Apple Vision Pro finally coming to the UK
Apple Vision Pro is finally coming to the UK. Tim Cook notes that it will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom from 12 July.
Onto iOS
Apple’s Craig Federighi is out of his jumpsuit and into a button-down shirt to tell us about all the new iOS updates.
There’s new privacy updates for the new iOS 18, such as the ability to hide installed apps that you don’t want others to know that you have on your phone.
New Message updates brings in features that have been in WhatsApp and Telegram for years, like the ability to italicise text or respond to a message with any emoji.
Mail also has new features that you might recognise from popular rivals like Gmail. They include sorting your emails into Promotions and Social notifications.
Maps, Gaming, Journal and Apple Pay will also get new updates in iOS 18, though each only gets a brief mention.
The new Apple Photos app gets a more indepth run through, with mention of that “intelligence” word once again. There’s a new ‘Trips’ section, as well as a new customisable space for Favourites and Featured Photos.
All the new iOS features
Here’s a round-up of all the new iOS features, neatly in one place:
Onto Audio and Home
We’re moving onto Audio and Home now.
There’s a new update to Apple’s AirPods which means it can now recognise head shakes and nods while interacting with Siri. This could be handy when in public spaces.
Still no mention of ‘artificial intelligence’, but there is a reference to “machine learning for greater vocal clarity” for Apple TV.
WatchOS gets big updates
Onto Apple WatchOS. There are new ways to customise the smartwatch, as well as tools that will be useful if you’re pregnant.
There’s also a new app for the wearable called Vitals. It allows you to check metrics at a glance, showing how your activity has changed in recent days or weeks.
More mention of machine learning (and not AI) to personalise watch faces.
Here’s an infographic of all the new updates:
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