This story is part of WWDC 2022, the full coverage of CNET by and for Apple’s annual developer conference.
What is happening
Apple’s annual WWDC developer conference is where the company is showing the next versions of its operating systems and sometimes remarkable new hardware to run them.
Why it matters
Knowing what’s next for Apple’s popular product lines is essential when deciding whether to buy now or wait for the next model.
As usual, Apple’s WWDC 2022 was full of something for everyone, from the latest version of Apple’s flagship iPhone, iOS 16, and its latest chip, the M2, to the latest hardware that includes it ( or includes) your hands – in this case the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13. The new high-profile features include a safety check designed to help people at risk of domestic violence.
Want game by game, detailed summary? Check out our archived live blog. Read about the highlights and links to all our stories.
Now playing: Watch this: Watch everything announced at the Apple WWDC 2022 event
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The latest version of the iPhone operating system focuses on customization. This includes an updated lock screen with customizable fonts and colors, Apple Watch-style widgets, and rotating photos. Notifications will also appear at the bottom of the screen so as not to obscure your photo, and live activities such as music playback can be expanded to fill the locked screen.
Messages will allow you to edit, cancel sending, and mark messages as unread. SharePlay has been improved for easier sharing in FaceTime and Messages. Dictation is mixed with text and touch on the go, so you can use any type of input at any time. Similarly, Live Text (Apple’s response to Google Lens) extends to video, allowing you to pause each frame and interact or retrieve text from the video.
Apple says it will be able to intelligently extract images from the background and automatically place them in applications such as Messages.
The changes to Wallet include more wireless key partners, such as carmakers, iPhone touch payments for contactless payments and Apple Pay Later, which divides the purchase price into four payments.
You will also see cycling, high-resolution images and extended detail for landmarks, and particularly detailed coverage for specific cities. It will also show the balance of the transit card.
Apple News receives expanded sports coverage in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. TV Plus receives Family Sharing for up to five members, with parental controls for apps, movies, books and music. Photos also enhance sharing – new shared libraries via iCloud allow you to collaborate – and offer rules and automatic sharing based on proximity.
In terms of privacy, iOS 16 introduces a new feature called Security Check, which can help you quickly revoke access to someone who threatens you, exit iCloud on all devices, and restrict messaging to one device at hand.
CarPlay has been redesigned to integrate car and iPhone screens, including powering your entire instrument cluster.
The Fitness app comes on the iPhone and from the watch.
If you use Apple’s Spatial Audio, you’ll be able to use the depth camera to customize it.
Now playing: Watch this: Apple has updated the privacy controls on iOS 16
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Now playing: Watch this: Apple unveils new MacBook Air powered by M2 chip
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MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13
For the first time in many years, Apple changed the design of the Air and has in mind the M2 chip. It is still an aluminum body, but is now uniformly thin by 11 mm and weighs 2.7 pounds. Plus new colors! MagSafe is back, leaving your two Thunderbolt ports available and saving the audio jack. It finally gets an upgrade to a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, with a maximum brightness of 500 nits and a P3 range. The 1080p webcam equates it with its siblings, along with a four-speaker system (with Spatial Audio support) and an array of three microphones.
Thanks to the improved graphics processor in the M2 and the focus on watt performance, Apple says that Air provides the same battery life and better performance. Finally supports fast charging, and the new adapter has a second USB-C port.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro also gets an M2 chip, with better performance thanks to an active cooling system. However, it has not been revised.
The MacBook Air starts at $ 1,199 (£ 1,249, AU $ 1,899). The MacBook Pro starts at $ 1,299 (£ 1,349, AU $ 1,999). Both begin shipping next month and offer a $ 100 discount for students and faculty.
Apple also retains the M1 MacBook Air, offering a computer priced below $ 1,000 ($ 999, 999 British, 1499 Australian dollars), again with a $ 100 discount on education.
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Management of clustered windows is improved in Stage Manager, which also includes multitasking with drag and drop. Better Spotlight searches include sports and web images, full-window search results, and more detailed music and movie information. (In iOS, Spotlight moves to the home screen.)
Mail Search adds instant suggestions and synonyms, also on mobile devices. It naturally gets the same updates as iOS for messaging. Safari Shared Groups means you can send your friends and family the latest shopping choices. Goodbye passwords and hello passwords – Touch ID and Face ID come in Safari to log in to sites. Also on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, of course.
Improvements to its Metal graphics API include MetalFX upscaling for faster game playback and an added API for faster loading of game assets. Resident Evil Village and No Man’s Sky are ported to the Mac for the first time; Resident Evil Village comes later this year.
Handoff comes to FaceTime so you can jump from device to device, and Continuity Camera finally lets you use your iPhone’s camera as your webcam. It will support split view for straight view and desktop.
Now playing: Watch this: Continuity Cam turns your iPhone into a webcam on your Mac
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New dials are on the way, including a variety of calendars, the ability to hang apps at the top of the docking station, new banner notifications and support for …
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