This story is part of WWDC 2022, the full coverage of CNET by and for Apple’s annual developer conference.
What is happening
Apple is expected to announce new software for its iPhones, iPads and Macs at its annual WWDC developer event, which begins on Monday.
Why it matters
The new software offers Apple a chance to upgrade its devices without relying on production that has been hit hard by the pandemic.
What it means to you
Software updates can extend the life of your device, giving people flexibility in times of economic uncertainty.
The most important part of Apple’s upcoming announcements on Monday may include an iPhone that is already in your pocket.
At the company’s annual global developer conference, or as it is called WWDC, Apple is expected to announce a set of software upgrades for its iPhone, iPad and Mac, in addition to a potentially new performance-focused Mac Pro and a fresh TV. related functions.
For the iPhone, the new software is expected to include small apps for gadgets on the lock screen, according to reports from Bloomberg and others. Apple is also expected to add features to improve multitasking and launch applications side by side, especially on the iPad. These changes to Apple’s tablet will be welcomed by CNET reviewer Scott Stein, who criticized the device for lacking computer-like features.
“The hardware looks almost perfect,” Stein wrote in a review of last year’s iPad Pro, which is now powered by the same M1 chips as the company’s MacBook laptops. “If Apple starts updating its iPadOS to add new features, more multitasking and monitor support, more Pro apps and maybe even some Mac compatibility mode using the M1 chip it now shares with all these new Macs, that’s can be an amazing machine “
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
Although Apple may be showing some hardware at this year’s WWDC, the event is focused primarily on the company’s plans for the future. This is an opportunity for Apple to annoy ideas that will power key new features in its devices. In the past, the company has used WWDC to announce the updated look of its iPhone software, new coding languages for its devices, and new initiatives such as the move to home-made chips to power its Macs.
Apple has also expanded its subscription offerings over the past few years. They now include $ 5 a month for Apple TV Plus for movies and TV shows, $ 5 a month for Apple Arcade for games and $ 10 a month for Apple Fitness Plus. People have responded well to them so far, Apple said, citing 825 million paid subscription accounts on its platform in late March. This is an increase of 17% over the previous year.
“The pandemic has further highlighted how much we rely on these things,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies.
Apple’s next major iPhone software update is expected to be called iOS 16.
CNET
More more more
There is a chance that Apple will announce new computers at WWDC this year, especially its already annoying next Mac Pro desktop with performance. But even if the company doesn’t create an amazing moment, Milanese said, it will keep an eye on the seemingly small software changes that Apple will no doubt announce over time to major changes in the way its devices work.
For example, the company began experimenting with widgets or small apps in 2014 with iOS 8. At the time, these widgets were limited and only visible in the Notification Center. After six years of refinement, Apple has added gadgets to the iOS 14 home screen.
These software upgrades, which Apple has freely provided for iPhones and iPads made in the last five years, are unusual. Most other companies do not continue to add features years after the sale of their devices.
The new software also offers an opportunity for Apple to introduce something fresh that does not rely on production, which struggles to meet demand and which is not strongly affected by the price of inflation.
“With software, Apple has a unique ability to update products in a way that others don’t,” Milanesi said.
Apple is constantly expanding the devices with which its products can interact.
James Martin / CNET
Big apple
Another set of changes that Apple is increasingly offering for its smartphones, tablets and computers is how well they work with other devices that the company does not. Over the years, for example, Apple has added software technology that allows the Apple Watch to communicate with training equipment. The company has also expanded its near-field communications technology, designed primarily for wireless payments with Apple Pay credit cards to serve as car keys and soon airport driver’s licenses.
“All of this means that Apple is playing better with its devices, but also with other devices,” said Bob O’Donnell, an analyst at Technalysis Research.
This year in particular, O’Donnell will follow up on any mention of industry-wide initiatives that Apple will support. In the last few years, Apple has partnered with Fast Identity Online or FIDO to improve network security. He has also joined Matter, a consortium of device makers including Amazon, Samsung and Google, which hopes to make smart home devices easier to talk to.
“There you go beyond the basics: ‘Here’s a new version of iOS with X, Y and Z features,'” O’Donnell added.
Apple still has a chance to pull a surprising announcement about its long-standing rumors of AR glasses, which are expected to go on sale next year. But analysts say that at a time when production is struggling and the wider economy is volatile, it’s a good opportunity for Apple to focus on software that helps its devices stand out.
“With an unparalleled base of 1 billion iPhones worldwide and 1.8 billion iOS devices for Cupertino, this remains Apple’s unique advantage over other technology-stable people,” Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives wrote in a recent press release. is Apple’s hometown of Cupertino, California.
Ives added that although a quarter of these phones have not been upgraded in more than three years, demand for Apple devices is still strong, in part because of these regular software upgrades. “The stickiness of the iPhone upgrade cycle is underestimated,” he said.
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