Apple Worldwide Developers Conference Day 1: WWDC Highlights

Apple introduced sweeping adjustments to its products on Monday, the primary day of its annual Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC).

Notably, the iPhone maker confirmed rumors that it’s altering the way it names its software program updates. As an alternative of utilizing a model quantity, Apple will use a system with a quantity that represents the 12 months after the replace is launched. Apple’s subsequent replace might be iOS 26, arriving in the fall for many Apple customers.

The naming change applies to all Apple merchandise. For instance, the following iPad replace might be named iPadOS 26, and the following MacBook replace might be known as macOS 26.

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Apple introduced different adjustments, like a brand new design and AI options. The corporate has made all the new options out there for testing beginning on Monday by means of the Apple Developer program, with a public beta model to be launched subsequent month and a broader replace rolling out this fall.

“We proceed to advance every of our platforms with extra methods to harness the ability of Apple Intelligence, in addition to a gorgeous new design, our product experiences develop into much more seamless and gratifying,” Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner stated throughout the occasion keynote.

Listed here are some attention-grabbing new capabilities Apple debuted on Monday.

1. A brand new design with Liquid Glass

Apple made its greatest design replace ever, with a brand new design aspect known as Liquid Glass. The translucent aspect, which Apple used to craft new buttons, switches, tab bars, and notifications throughout its merchandise, seems like glass on the display screen and takes on the colour of its setting.

“That is our broadest software program design replace ever,” Alan Dye, Apple’s vice chairman of Human Interface Design, stated in a press release. “It combines the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity solely Apple can obtain, because it transforms relying in your content material or context.”

Apple has built-in Liquid Glass parts into its redesign, together with translucent menus that reply to a person’s perspective of the display screen and a brand new lock display screen with a Liquid Glass time.

^{Liquid Glass time on the lock display screen. Credit score: Apple}

Apple’s new Liquid Glass design applies to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS for a unified look.

2. Stay Translation might be built-in into the iPhone

Apple is bringing Stay Translation to Messages, FaceTime, and Telephone to translate textual content and audio on the spot. The AI-powered characteristic is backed by Apple-built AI fashions that run solely regionally, so private conversations are by no means uploaded to the cloud.

Stay Translation implies that customers can speak to one another in numerous languages, and have the interpretation seem on the display screen in real-time. For instance, when a person receives an iMessage in one other language, they will go for that message to be translated into their most popular language. On FaceTime, a person can hear somebody speaking in one other language whereas following together with translated dwell captions.

^{Stay Translation on FaceTime. Credit score: Apple}

Stay Translation might assist overcome language limitations for enterprise calls and private calls alike.

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3. Visible intelligence will get sharper

Apple is bringing extra AI capabilities to the forefront with visible intelligence. Customers can faucet into their iPhone cameras and use what they see to ask ChatGPT questions. They will additionally search Google or Etsy to search out merchandise much like what they’re taking a look at.

Visible intelligence additionally acknowledges when a person is taking a look at a poster of an occasion, and might extract the information so as to add as an occasion on their calendar.

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4. Exercise Buddy on Apple Watch

Apple is including an AI exercise companion to the Apple Watch known as Exercise Buddy.

Exercise Buddy considers metrics tracked by the Apple Watch, like coronary heart price, tempo, distance, and former exercises, and leverages this data to encourage customers throughout their exercises with verbal encouragement.

For instance, when a person begins their run, Exercise Buddy might say, “Nice job beginning your run. That is your second run this week.”

Exercise Buddy might be out there for exercise varieties like indoor run and outside cycle.