While some of these features are available now, other software updates will be available later this year. Fortunately, newly-announced MacBook Air and Pro laptops models are available for purchase today. Below we’ll walk through what was announced, from new software updates to new Mac models.
New banner notifications and active apps will be pinned at the top of the watch for easy access and notifications. The watch will also see an expansion of podcast coverage. It will allow users to find new podcasts to listen to without having to search for suggestions. For workout enthusiasts, workout coverage will expand to include workout and recovery time. Users can adjust alerts to make sure athletes keep a target heart rate zone and a power target. If users opt to repeat workouts or running trails, the Workout app will now save past workouts to track training progress. The Fitness app will also be available on all iOS 16 phones, so those without an Apple Watch will still be able to track their fitness journey. Apple Sleep expanded to include how long users slept, the stage of sleep they were in, and for how long. This data can also be used across the Research app to help other users get optimal sleep. Expected to get FDA approval shortly, the aFib heart rate tracker can monitor users’ heart rates and let users know what percentage of their heart beats in the last 24 hours has been irregular. Users can share this data with their doctors, too. Additionally, the watch can help users set reminders to take medications, share health data with family members, and notify if medications may clash with each other. Notifications will also roll in with the latest iOS 16 update rather than take up the entirety of your screen. Additionally, SharePlay extends to messages, so users can share SharePlay experience through messaging. The latest update also allows you to edit, unsend, and mark messages as unread. Dictation also saw some major software updates that allow users to swap seamlessly between voice dictation and the touchscreen keyboard. Dictation automatically will add updates to the text and will include emoji dictation. Apple Pay Later will split the cost of any purchase into four equal payments over six weeks with zero interest. It will be available on most e-commerce platforms, starting with eShopify. Additionally, the company expanded 3D mapping visualizations coverage to eleven new countries, including France and New Zealand. Apple News will also implement sports live coverage, including commentary. This update will be available in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. Users can break out categories and can check cameras with ease. Additionally, users can add a home widget to the lock screen to keep tabs on their home. Personalization settings allow users to curate themes and styles for gauges, so users can get the most out of it when they’re driving. Apple worked with major vehicle retailers to expand on this experience, and vehicles will get this new implementation starting early next year. It will also use a 10-core GPU, delivering up to 25% more power and 35% more performance than the M1 chip. This GPU reduces the power use by up to 20%. The new Air comes with the signature liquid retina display on a 13.6-inch display with a thinner bezel. It’s 25% brighter with 500 nits and will come with over a billion colors for optimal streaming and working. With up to 18 hours of playback, users can get more done in their workday without worrying about charging. The camera comes with 2x resolution on a 1080p camera. Additionally, a three mic array captures users’ voices and playback comes from four integrated speakers on the keyboard. For artists, the image filters and performance will be 20% better, and it will be 38% faster for video editing. The MacBook Air will come with a charging adapter with two USB-C ports. There’s also a fast-charging adapter, which will charge the Macbook up to 50% in just 30 minutes. It will also come with up to 2TB of SSD Storage. MacBook Air enthusiasts can get the MacBook Air starting next month, but it’s available for pre-order now for $1,199 – or $1,099 for those in education. Additionally, the M2 chip still comes with the 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. It will also provide up to 2TB of SSD storage. The MacBook Pro will retail for $1,299 – or $1,199 for those in education. Spotlight also saw a major overhaul. With a tap on the spacebar, Spotlight has been enhanced to help you find queries and information quickly. It can start a timer, find a shortcut, and leverage the full window for richer results. This update will come to iPad and will be available on the iOS. Users can now unsend emails if there is a mistake in Mail. Additionally, the search engine has been enhanced, so it’s now easier to find an email in your inbox. Safari also saw updates. In addition to intelligent tracking, which helps track users’ browsing history, users can also share tab groupings with friends and family. Whether it’s building a vacation or planning an event, sharing tabbed groups can help users keep track of projects involving multiple team members. The most important update announced was the Passkey. Unlike passwords, Apple’s Passkey uses TouchID and FaceID to authenticate. Passkeys cannot be phished, shared, or leaked. They’re synced across Apple devices and are instantly available on all devices. In Apple’s announcement, it was clear that passwords will eventually be phased out, and the Passkey will be the future of Safari’s security. In addition, if a project needs more time to be flushed out, Apple announced Freeform, the latest note-taking app that allows users to build ideas on a blank slate. Users can pinch, move around, sketch, write notes, and do anything else on the canvas – with or without FaceTime. Freeform will be available later this year. Similar to the MetalFX Scaling on the macOS, the iPadOS will also receive an update later this year called Metal, which will help gaming on the iPad, such as when users are playing Divinity: Original Sin. The latest iPad Air and iPad Pro will add a virtual memory swap, which will allow users to add more storage. Similar to the macOS, Stage Manager will also come to iPad–a first for Apple’s tablet line.
