Finally, on June 7, 2021, Apple’s WWDC 2021 was held and Apple revealed their vision for the future. After Apple’s iPhone launch event that takes place in Autumn every year, WWDC is their second biggest event. Below in this article, we will cover everything announced in WWDC 2021. But before moving to the main thing let us answer another common question that What Is WWDC?
What Is WWDC?
WWDC is an acronym for Worldwide Developers Conference. It is an in-house event of Apple for the benefit and development of its developer partners i.e. those who create apps, experiences and software for iPhone, Mac and other Apple platforms.
This event is organised every year and lasts for a week. On the first day of WWDC in a keynote presentation featuring Tim Cook and other Apple staff announce the major software updates and the new features and development coming in the future versions of tvOS, macOS, watchOS, iOS, and iPadOS.
Technically, this event has importance from the developer’s point of views, but Apple device holders also watch and stay updated about the details of the event as the new features will be announced for the Apple devices launching in future but many existing Apple devices will also grace with these features.
Talking about the previous versions of WWDC, in 2017 Apple announced new products like the new Mac Pro and the new iMac Pro. Later in 2019, a new display was announced. Although, WWDC 2021 is mainly focused on software and software development only.
What Is Timeline For WWDC 2021 Keynote?
This year WWDC is started on 7 June and ends on June 11, 2021.
Major Announcement In WWDC 2021
iOS 15
The upcoming version of the iOS operating system for iPhones is bringing a flood of new features, changes to the layout and most important security improvements.
Craig Federighi with his entire team goes through the details of new features that are coming with iOS 15. More advanced offline Siri support, Focus, Notifications Summary, Live Text, New Night Mode for Apple Maps, ID & Key cards with Wallet, Photos with Interactive Memories, and Links to FaceLinks. We will cover all these separately later.
For developers just after the opening WWDC events, a pre-release beta version of iOS 15 was made available. While for the public, the first public beta will be released in July.
Luckily if you are using iPhone 7 or above, then you are eligible to install the new iOS 15 update for free on your devices in September when the final version hits the market.
iPadOS 15
iPadOS is in the middle of an interesting part of updation. Recently in 2019, iOS and iPadOS got separated but still, the two OS has so much in common so far. But the changes and development plans for the iPadOS presented in the segment of iPadOS 15 clearly shows that from now on Apple is going to separate iPadOS by bringing different aesthetics and user experience. These changes are best suited for iPads of the medium and small-sized screen. A new larger widget size was also introduced.
Now iPads also gets App Library, as a new multitasking feature with which quick navigation between split view and Slide Over can be done. Quick Notes can be dragged in and can be flicked off from the corner of the display.
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macOS Monterey
News about Apple is doing testing of macOS 12 is in the air since January 11, 2021. So it is expected from everybody that we will get to see an upgrade in WWDC 2021.
From the WebKit code earlier we got a hint that the new version of macOS is not named macOS 12 but macOS Monterey.
Talking about new features, then Shortcuts, AirPlay, Spatial Audio support with AirPods Pro, an improved Safari with more flexible and nano tab management and Universal Control (the feature of attraction) is coming to macOS. However, there is much more expected in this version like customisation in Control Centre, Health App for Mac and much more.
In a segment, Federighi display gestures of the trackpad and how to efficiently use the MacBook’s keyboard and trackpad to navigate across the screen and on the iPad display next to it. Drag and drop file sharing with just a single click with the help of Universal Control.
watchOS 8
To improve and revoke the watch and health experience watchOS 8 is here. A new Portrait watch face is on board since Photos watch face is popular among the users. This mode will give a more cohesive look by study background and foreground objects in photos shot on iPad/iPhone.
However, a hiking app is expected in watchOS 8 but this version is dedicated to health experience and certain mindfulness apps are there that integrates with Breath App and suggests certain exercises and practice as per the need.
Sharing with a message is made seamless and Feature photos and memories are now coming in the watchOS.
tvOS 15
Recently Apple launched a new Apple TV and there are so many things also to focus on the Apple TV. There are some interesting rumours also that future developments of Apple TV may double up as a game console.
Though there is no new hardware related to Apple TV was seen in WWDC 2021, but tvOS is discussed a lot in different segments throughout the keynote. tvOS is getting tons of new features to create an ecosystem by improving the connectivity of different products.
New multi-window views for security camera when connected with HomeKit is displayed in the keynote. Spatial Audio with AirPods is now a reality, and as a part of iOS 15 Share Play, screen sharing and Watch Together are now supported to tvOS.
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AirPods
One of the important segments of the WWDC keynote is about the development and more functionality in AirPods.
For those who find it difficult to hear voice and conversation using AirPods in the real world, Conversation Boost will make it easier for them by amplifying speech and lowering the background noises. Moreover, AirPods Max and AirPods Pro now also work with Find My network of Apple
iCloud+
iCloud+ is less of a new service as this is nothing but the rebranding of Apple’s paid cloud. Now iCloud is known as iCloud+ but with that, there are certain new perks for users.
Hide my email (countless temporary email addresses for mailing lists and newsletters), more safe and encrypted online browsing are some of the benefits of iCloud+. Addition of unlimited cameras with HomeKit Secure Video support.
New subscription services
At last, let us talk about Apple’s subscription services. For the last few years, Apple is trying well to pivot from being a seller of top-class hardware to being a seller of different services like Apple Music, TV+, Apple Arcade, News+ and more. And this fact makes sense that in WWDC 2021 many new services may be launched from Apple’s end.
Few analysts are also predicted that subscription services like Health+, Stocks+, Maps+, and Mail+ may be launched.
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