Those individuals waiting to see if Apple would unveil anything earthshattering at its Worldwide Developer Conference were sorely disappointed. Despite the perfunctory announcements around enhancements to its mobile phone, tablet, watch and desktop operating systems, the event had a “rinse and repeat” flavor. True, the company did announce a new iteration of its Apple Silicon, the M2, and refreshes of its MacBook Air and 13” MacBook Pro that will use this new chip. But overall, the event registered a 3.5 on the technology Richter scale.
That’s not to say that weren’t any attention-grabbing technology improvements to its platform operating systems. In all fairness to Apple, WWDC isn’t the typical forum that the company uses to unveil brand new category product offerings. But I suspect that this year’s WWDC will have a more receptive effect on those users already part of the Apple ecosystem rather than attract disaffected Windows and Android users.
As in previous events, the individual feature enhancements, both small and large, made at WWDC measure in the hundreds. Let me dedicate some commentary on the ones that I believe rise above the fray.
Next-gen version of CarPlay will take over all the screens in your car
While rumors still swirl around whether Apple will build its own car, the company is focused on the next best thing: taking over everyone else’s cars.
At WWDC, Apple teased the next generation of CarPlay, which will break away from the walls that restrict it to the central infotainment screen and take over the additional screens in your vehicle. For the first time, CarPlay will access real-time vehicle data to display critical driving information like fuel level, engine temperature, and the ability to control climate and radio (or satellite radio) settings.
It’s still not clear how many of the major automakers will get entirely on board with this next iteration of CarPlay. The car manufacturers view the dashboard as an opportunity to generate additional service revenues and differentiate their “driving experience” brand. Apple is acutely aware that automakers don’t excel in the ease of use and human interface areas, so this is a blatant (and logical) land grab for Apple. Given the success of the current version of CarPlay (try to find a new car that doesn’t offer CarPlay or Google Auto support), I guess that Apple will continue to extend its reach inside the interior of the vehicle, regardless of the concerns that automakers have.
iOS 16 will let you modify and even “unsend” texts in Messages
This counsel might sound obvious, but I’ve always advised others never to underestimate the value of small, collective steps in technological progress. Of all the software and hardware developments Apple unveiled at WWDC, the capability to edit iMessages after sending them will probably get the most plaudits from regular people. iPhone users will undoubtedly celebrate this new feature who can finally fix a message faux pas caused by Apple’s wonky autocorrect.
According to the fine print in Apple’s press release, users will now have the ability to edit or “unsend” a message within a 15-minute window. Once a message is deleted, a user can recover it for up to 30 days after deletion.
While not a revolutionary feature as other communications platforms like Slack has been able to do this for years, this feature is a welcome update nonetheless.
Here comes the M2, Apple’s flagship new processor
Apple also used WWDC to announce the M2, its latest and fastest chip utilizing the company’s custom silicon. The processor is built on a 5nm process with 20 billion transistors, a 25% improvement over the original M1. Apple is pledging a respective 18% and 35% improvement in CPU and GPU performance over the M1.
The first Mac to get the M2 chip is the newly designed MacBook Air. The iconic “wedge” shape of the MacBook Air has been modified for a squarish but thinner form factor that features MagSafe charging, a godsend as it preserves the two Thunderbolt 3 ports for other peripherals and accessories. The new MacBook Air utilizes a fanless design, an updated 1080p FaceTime HD camera and Touch ID. The 13” MacBook Pro is also getting M2 support and retains the Touch Bar above the keyboard for more robust performance. Interestingly, the new MacBook Air and 13” MacBook Pro can only support a single external display (with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz), which might be an issue for some professional users who require multi-display support.
Apple calls out its commitment to the Matter smart home initiative and redesigns its Home app
Apple has had a “hit and miss” history with the smart home. Still, it used WWDC to reinforce its commitment to the Matter smart home initiative, which promises to provide complete inoperability with smart home devices, regardless of whether it’s been designed for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple Siri. This shoutout at a high-profile event like WWDC is significant. Matter-supported devices are scheduled to show up later this year (after multiple delays) and presumably around the same time iOS/iPadOS 16 gets released. With 24% of smart home owners reporting that they’ve hired a professional to install their devices, a simplification of the smart home installation, setup and general user experience is badly needed.
In addition, Apple’s HomeKit app is getting a makeover. Users will now be able to “see” their entire homes in the Home tab, making it easier to find, organize and manage devices. A new Categories section for lights, climate, TVs, speakers, water (e.g., faucets and sprinklers) and security provides access to all devices in a single place. The upside of this approach is that it will make it much easier to turn off all the lights or lock every door in the home, even though they are located in different rooms.
macOS Ventura will now let you use your iPhone as a Mac webcam
As a frequent video podcast creator, one feature that I was delighted to see announced at WWDC is the ability to use an iPhone camera as a webcam. It’s always disappointed me that MacBook (or Mac) users could not take advantage of the excellent resolution and video quality that recent vintage iPhone models offer.
That limitation changes with macOS Ventura, a new operating system update coming in the fall. Dubbed Continuity Camera, this feature allows MacBook users to clip their iPhone to the top of their laptops and use the camera to improve video calls in Microsoft Teams, Zoom, FaceTime and other video applications.
Continuity Camera takes the rear camera feed from your existing iPhone and transforms it into a webcam used in any macOS app. Moreover, Continuity Camera comprehends Center Stage and Portrait Mode support, which makes it quite flexible for use in various video calls and applications. Apple pointed out during its WWDC presentation that the company is working with Belkin on supported stands that will be released later this year to make it easy to secure an iPhone display above a MacBook’s display. Hopefully, we’ll see stands that can be used with external display monitors. While third-party solutions have provided the ability to use a smartphone or DSLR camera as a webcam for several years, it’s a game-changer that Apple is now formally comprehending this capability into macOS. How third-party video app developers might take advantage of native support for iPhone support as a webcam will be fascinating to see.
iPadOS offers big multi-tasking changes
Over the past several years, Apple has been evolving iPadOS for years to allow the iPad to be an attractive alternative to a Mac or a PC.
During WWDC, Apple revealed iPadOS 16, which provides an advanced multitasking system, full external display support and new collaboration tools. Multitasking capability, known as Split View, was first introduced in 2019. Still, the feature had a well-deserved reputation for being difficult to learn and not easily discoverable by the average tablet user.
Similar to its functionality in macOS Ventura, iPadOS 16 will utilize Stage Manager to use overlapping windows and advanced multitasking in a much more visual and accessible manner. For fast task switching, recently accessed apps are viewed in a scrollable side panel. Stage Manager is available only on iPads featuring an M1 processor.
M1-equipped iPads, coupled with an external display, can now run up to eight apps simultaneously (four on the iPad and four on the external display). This approach represents a significantly new way to multitask, and it will optimize the iPad’s potential for facilitating more meaningful interactions across multiple apps.
Some closing thoughts
This year’s WWDC was also interesting for something utterly absent from the presentations: no mention of Apple Glasses, its rumored entry into the AR/VR space. The rumor mill appears to be convinced that the world won’t see anything like Apple Glasses until late 2023. That’s a good bet as the success of any new AR/VR solution will require a new OS and copious third-party app support, which presumably would need to be kicked off at WWDC 23 next June. Some well-placed rumors indicate that Apple might be experiencing battery-related issues with early prototypes. Any successful AR/VR solution from Apple will have to live up to its vaunted reputation for beautiful industrial design. It must have strong processor horsepower to run demanding AR/VR apps in a highly-quality fashion. Battery life must be best in class, and it can’t have a bulky design. These significant product design challenges will test Apple’s engineering team on multiple fronts.
Putting that omission aside, this year’s WWDC offered much that will please Apple’s existing customer base. Apple’s tried-and-true success formula focuses on fine-tuning and modifying its current OS offerings, though necessary, with enhancements that are designed to make its ecosystem more appealing. But as I mentioned to ABC News earlier in the week, nothing was announced that would compel most Windows and Android users to consider Apple’s devices. I don’t think Apple minds that a bit.
Mark Vena is the CEO and Principal Analyst at SmartTech Research based in Silicon Valley. As a technology industry veteran for over 25 years, Mark covers many consumer tech topics, including PCs, smartphones, smart home, connected health, security, PC and console gaming, and streaming entertainment solutions. Mark has held senior marketing and business leadership positions at Compaq, Dell, Alienware, Synaptics, Sling Media and Neato Robotics. Mark has appeared on CNBC, NBC News, ABC News, Business Today, The Discovery Channel and other media outlets. Mark’s analysis and commentary have appeared on Forbes.com and other well-known business news and research sites. His comments about the consumer tech space have repeatedly appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, TechNewsWorld and other news publications.
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