Apple WWDC 2024 live blog: Big news on AI, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, Siri 2.0, and more

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WatchOS isn't getting much attention heading into WWDC, but fitness editor James Frew suggests it might deserve some attention — and a big reason for that is Siri.

The Siri overhaul due this year is expected to affect not just the iPhone, but a range of Apple platforms, including the Mac and Apple Watch. It's the latter device that has our fitness editors most interested. A smarter Siri could make the Apple Watch the ultimate AI wearable.

Open AI and the Apple logo

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AI is expected to play a major role in iOS 18. OpenAI is in power Many of the generative AI features that Apple plans to offer. Of course, bringing third-party companies on board opens up a whole host of discussions about privacy and security, two areas that Apple has been focusing on for the past few years. Thankfully, there's a very simple solution.

OpenAI features on iPhone (and iPad) will be opt-inThat way, anyone with concerns about what type of data OpenAI can access or how it uses that data can avoid these features entirely: simply turn them on and your device will have no connection to OpenAI whatsoever.

You'll miss out on all the features the new AI features have to offer, but you can continue to use it as normal if you choose to wait until Apple develops its own system.

We don't expect Apple to announce a successor to the Apple Vision Pro at WWDC 2024, but that doesn't mean the headset will be completely ignored during the keynote. Rumor has it that Apple will The company is preparing to launch Vision Pro outside the US.This means that overseas buyers may not have to rely on buying from scalpers for much longer.

Apple has reportedly flown “hundreds of employees from stores around the world” to its Cupertino headquarters to provide all the training they need on the Vision Pro, in the hopes that this will help the company bounce back from sluggish Vision Pro sales and prepare them to demo the headset to potential customers around the world.

The next countries where Vision Pro will be launched are Germany, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and China. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether the headset will be expanded to other major countries in the future.

The main benefit is that potential buyers can demo the Vision Pro at an Apple Store and then order a headset configured for their face shape, without having to pay the markup that resellers often charge — and when the device in question is $3,500, you certainly don't want to pay more than you have to.

iOS 18 logo on iPhone in lap

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big iOS 18 Questions Heading into WWDC, the big question is which AI features will run on which iPhones.

The best experience iPhone AI requires iPhone 15 Pro or laterSo basically, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max — Or you'll need to upgrade to a new iPhone due out this fall. The idea is that only phones with the A17 or newer chipsets will have the processing power and Neural Engine to handle iOS 18's new AI features.

But there's something unclear about this: does it suggest that only these phones will be able to process AI on-device, and older iPhones will have to offload data to the cloud? Or will older iPhones be shut out of AI entirely? Recent Comments Bloomberg's Mark Gurman column It seems to suggest the latter:

Given the AI's processing requirements, users will need an iPhone 15 Pro or one of the models launching this year.

We're talking about on-device AI here, and I believe older iPhones will be able to utilize cloud-based servers to assist with AI. We'll know for sure later today.

WWDC is an exciting event, but it often takes a back seat to fall iPhone announcements on Apple's event calendar (Apple hasn't announced the date yet, of course, but if we had to guess, September 10th would be ideal). iPhone 16 release date) But this year may be different.

That's the honest opinion of Mark Spooner, editor-in-chief of Tom's Guide. iOS 18 may surpass the iPhone 16 There are several changes coming to the iPhone this year, most notably: iPhone 16 Pro As for the model, we don't expect any dramatic changes, at least not in the way of the AI ​​features Apple has planned for the iPhone.

So, if you want to know what the highlights of the next iPhone will be, today's iOS 18 preview might give you a pretty good clue.

Every year, just before the WWDC keynote, everyone loves to guess what new versions of macOS will be named (at least for me). As we all know, since macOS 10.9, Apple has been naming its Mac software after different places in California, where the Mac manufacturer is based. Let's take a trip down memory lane. Here are some nicknames for macOS 11 and later:

  • macOS Big Sur;
  • macOS Monterey;
  • macOS Ventura, the current version,
  • macOS Sonoma

So what's in store this year? We're already familiar with the coastline (Mavericks), mountains (Sierra), desert (Mojave) and national parks (Yosemite and El Capitan). My guess is that the names reflect the introduction of AI capabilities to macOS, with an improved Siri taking center stage.

Guys, I think macOS 15 will be announced as macOS Hollywood, and the good people of Hollywood, Florida will have no choice but to accept it.

WWDC 2024 is sure to be packed with content, but rumors suggest we won't hear about any new hardware during the keynote, although there are rumors that a new Apple TV set-top box may be announced. Instead, Apple is expected to use the keynote to detail this year's software updates in general, and the role that AI will play in particular.

Here's what we've heard about the Apple Software Preview expected to be announced today. Apple will likely release a developer version of the software at WWDC this week. A public beta is usually released by July, with a full version by the fall. At least, that's what Apple has done so far.

WWDC 2024: Most Anticipated Announcements

iOS 18 logo on iPhone home screen

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iOS18 Update: Apple's phone software should benefit the most from the focus on AI, with iPhones set to include summarization tools and generative photo editing features. We've heard that you'll need the iPhone 15 Pro or later to support the AI ​​features, but it's unclear if that means on-device AI or something related to the AI ​​features Apple plans to explain.

Aside from AI, the iOS 18 update is expected to introduce a new interface that will let you place apps wherever you want on your home screen. We've heard that the Control Center and Settings apps will also get a new look, and that it could add a variety of features to existing apps, such as tighter Calendar/Reminders integration and customized routes for Maps. Apple may also introduce its own password manager.

iPadOS 18: If it's coming in iOS 18, we expect it'll also come in iPadOS 18, the software update that brings AI capabilities to Apple's tablets. Additionally, iPad users will finally be able to have their own built-in calculator app. Features related to the rumored Apple Pencil 3 could also be part of the new iPad software, though this may not be revealed until the stylus actually ships, meaning we may have to wait until the fall to learn more about the rumored “squeeze” feature that activates the device's eraser.

macOS 15: Like iOS 18, macOS 15 is expected to be heavily focused on AI, and many of the features Apple is mentioning will also be coming to Macs with the M1 chipset. Rumored changes include a revamped System Preferences and the same overhaul of Siri that's happening on the iPhone. Calculator, Notes, Safari, and Voice Memos are all expected to be updated with features that are primarily focused on AI.

WatchOS 11: Rumours about the next version of Apple's smartwatch software have been fairly rare in the run up to WWDC, but there are reports of changes to the Siri interface and fitness app.

tvOS 18 and visionOS 2.0: Apple is also expected to announce new versions of tvOS, the software that runs Apple TV devices, and visionOS, the software in the Vision Pro headset. The latter update will likely introduce new environments as well as cover the Vision Pro version of the iPad app. In other words, don't expect a major overhaul of the Vision Pro software this time around.



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