MacRumors

Apple and Canon today announced the development of a new mirrorless camera lens designed to capture spatial video for the Vision Pro headset.

Canon's RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens is specifically intended to capture spatial video content, tailored for use with Apple's Vision Pro headset. The new lens is designed for the Canon EOS R7 camera and features dual optics, mimicking the human field of view.

The RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens features a high-speed autofocus mechanism, ensuring that even in challenging lighting conditions, videographers can capture clear spatial video. After recording, the footage can be processed using Canon's EOS VR Utility app, which transforms the video into spatial content optimized for the Vision Pro.

The announcement marks a significant step in the effort to create more content for the Vision Pro. The RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens is set to be available later this fall, with pricing details yet to be announced.

Elon Musk has threatened to ban Apple devices from his companies over Apple’s newly announced ChatGPT integration.

Apple Intelligence in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia allows Siri to utilize ChatGPT to handle complex queries, but only when explicit user permission is provided. The feature is designed to provide users with richer, more contextual responses without requiring them to open the ChatGPT app.

During Apple's keynote event, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, emphasized that users will have full control over when ChatGPT is used and that data shared with OpenAI would not be logged or stored. "You are in control over when ChatGPT is used and will be asked before any of your information is shared," Federighi said.

Despite these assurances, Musk expressed strong opposition to the integration on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter). Musk said, "If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies. That is an unacceptable security violation." He continued, "Visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage." He also repeatedly questioned Apple's ability to ensure data security, stating, "Apple has no clue what's actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They're selling you down the river."

Apple and OpenAI have both emphasized that user data will only be shared with explicit consent and that these interactions are designed to be secure. OpenAI noted in a new blog post that "requests are not stored by OpenAI, and users' IP addresses are obscured." Users can also choose to connect their ChatGPT accounts to access paid features, but this is an opt-in feature.

Apple has been clear in its messaging that the new AI capabilities are designed with user privacy at the core. Apple's approach leverages a combination of on-device processing and cloud computing, ensuring that data is not stored in the cloud. Apple's integration of ChatGPT into its operating systems is part of a broader strategy to enhance the AI capabilities of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

With iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple has replaced the Private Wi-Fi Address option for Wi-Fi networks with a new Rotate Wi-Fi Address option that's aimed at better minimizing tracking.

Available when accessing the settings of any Wi-Fi network, Apple says the opt-in Rotate Wi-Fi Address feature changes your Wi-Fi address at random times.

A rotating Wi-Fi address helps reduce tracking by changing your Wi-Fi address at various times. Tracking can happen when your address always appears the same to other devices and people using the same network as you.

The prior Private Wi-Fi Address setting assigned a different MAC address to a device for each Wi-Fi network it connected to.

Rotate Wi-Fi Address, like Private Wi-Fi Address, is separate from the additional Limit IP Address Tracking option that can be turned on for Mail and Safari.

macOS Sequoia is still compatible with several Intel-based Macs, but it does drop support for 2018 and 2019 models of the MacBook Air.

macOS Sequoia is compatible with the following Macs, according to Apple:

• MacBook Pro: 2018 and later
• MacBook Air: 2020 and later
• Mac mini: 2018 and later
• iMac: 2019 and later
• iMac Pro: 2017
• Mac Studio: 2022 and later
• Mac Pro: 2019 and later

The upcoming "Apple Intelligence" suite of AI features will require an Apple silicon Mac with an M1 chip or newer. The new AI features can help you write faster, categorize mail, prioritize notifications, and more. A smarter version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence will also be limited to Macs with an M1 chip or newer.

iPhone Mirroring will be available on both Apple silicon Macs and Intel-based Macs with the T2 security chip, letting you control your iPhone from your Mac's screen:

A user's custom wallpaper and icons appear just like on their iPhone, and they can swipe between pages on their Home Screen, or launch and browse any of their favorite apps. The keyboard, trackpad, and mouse on Mac also let a user interact with their iPhone, and audio even comes through. Users can seamlessly drag and drop between iPhone and Mac, and a user's iPhone remains locked, so nobody else can access or see what the user is doing. It also works great with StandBy, which stays visible, so users can get information at a glance. Additionally, users can review and respond to iPhone notifications directly from their Mac.

As for iPadOS 18, the update drops support for the first-generation 10.5-inch iPad Pro, second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and the sixth-generation low-end iPad.

iPadOS 18 is compatible with the following iPads, according to Apple:

• iPad Pro: 2018 and later
• iPad Air: 2019 and later
• iPad mini: 2019 and later
• iPad: 2019 and later

macOS Sequoia and iPadOS 18 are now available in beta for Apple Developer Program members, and the updates should be released in September.

Apple is improving privacy in iOS 18, introducing a feature that allows apps to be locked or hidden, which makes them inaccessible without a Face ID scan.

If someone is using your phone and you've locked an app, when they try to open that app, they'll see a popup that says it can't be accessed without secondary authentication. Locking an app can be done by long pressing on it and selecting the Require ‌Face ID‌ option (or Touch ID on the iPhone SE).

Not all apps can be locked, with Apple not providing an option for innocuous apps like Maps, Clock, Calculator, and Stocks, but almost every other app can be locked, including third-party apps. When you lock an app, you have the option to hide it as well, which moves it into a locked, hidden apps folder that requires authentication to open.

Locked or hidden apps are not only unable to be opened, but also hidden from search, notifications, and other places across the operating system. Enabling a lock on an app also shows the apps that have access to it, such as apps that are able to write images to the Photos app. Hiding an app means that you will not receive incoming notifications or calls from it, and it will only be available from a "Hidden" folder in the App Library.

If you want to turn off the locking feature, you can long press on an app icon and choose the "Don't Require ‌Face ID‌" option. Turning the lock on and off requires a ‌Face ID‌ scan, so it can't be turned off without your knowledge. Locking and hiding apps is also a feature that works on the iPad.

One of the interesting new features coming in iOS 18 will let you automatically record and transcribe your live phone calls through the Phone app.

After answering a call or placing a call, you can enable recording. All call participants are notified that the call is being recorded, so there are no surprises and everyone is aware of the recording from the start. As the call is recorded, the iPhone is also able to provide a transcript.

The upcoming Apple Intelligence features can generate a summary of key points that were included in the call, so you can look back at what was important at a glance.

Phone call transcription will be available in English (U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), French (France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan), Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong), and Portuguese (Brazil).

Other new features for the Phone app include a search interface for call history, autofill for a number when you start typing in digits, and the option to seamlessly switch SIM cards.

Apple also plans to bring the same audio and transcription features to the Notes app, so you can record audio and get a live transcript on the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and later.

iOS 18 introduces a host of new features for the iPhone’s Journal app, including an all-new insights view, advanced search and sort functionalities, and integration with the Health app.

The all-new insights view offers a comprehensive overview of journaling activities. This includes tracking writing streaks, displaying a calendar with existing entries, and providing fun statistics that encourage users to write more frequently.

The updated Journal app now includes advanced search and sort functionalities. Users can easily locate specific entries and organize their journal for easier accessibility.

Time spent journaling can now be recorded as mindful minutes and users can log their state of mind directly within the Journal app.

Apple has introduced new widgets for the Journal app, available on both the Home Screen and Lock Screen. These widgets allow users to quickly start a new entry, view their current streaks, and receive writing prompts throughout the day.

The Journal app also gains automatic transcription for audio recordings, allowing users to capture their thoughts and ideas verbally, with the app converting spoken words into text entries.

The app now supports exporting of journal entries, allowing users to save entries offline or share them in printed form.

The Journal app made its debut on the ‌iPhone‌ in December 2023, but it remains unavailable in iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.

All four iPhone 15 models feature a setting that prevents the devices from charging beyond 80% while toggled on, which can potentially improve an iPhone battery's lifespan by reducing the time that the battery is fully charged. And with iOS 18, Apple has taken this feature a step further by adding new 85%, 90%, and 95% charging limit options.

The feature can be found in the Settings app under Battery → Charging.

The charging limit feature remains exclusive to the iPhone 15 lineup on the first iOS 18 beta, with the option not found on the iPhone 14 Pro or older.

The first iOS 18 beta is now available for Apple Developer Program members, and a public beta will follow in July. Following beta testing, the update should be widely released to all users with an iPhone XS or newer in September.

iOS 18 allows users to change the two shortcut buttons on the Lock Screen to an action of their choice for the first time.

Users can now swap out the two controls at the bottom of the Lock Screen for a different action of their choosing. Shortcuts to functions like Translate, Notes, and music recognition in Shazam, and more are available. The full list of actions is as follows:

These new controls can also be accessed via the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max.

The ability to change these Lock Screen controls is part of a wave of new customization features in ‌iOS 18‌, which includes app icon color-changing capabilities and more. The first developer beta of ‌iOS 18‌ is now available, with the public beta set to follow in July and the official release scheduled for the fall.

Here is something that Apple TV HD owners probably didn't expect when they purchased the device all the way back in 2015: it continues to receive software updates.

Apple's developer website confirms that the tvOS 18 update unveiled today is compatible with all Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models.

tvOS 18 compatibility list:

• Apple TV HD (2015)
• Apple TV 4K (2017)
• Apple TV 4K (2nd Generation) (2021)
• Apple TV 4K (3rd Generation) (2022)

tvOS 18 introduces a new InSight feature, includes updates to Enhance Dialogue and subtitles, adds new screen savers, supports 21:9 video playback for playing movies and shows on projectors, and more, as outlined in our coverage of the update.

The first tvOS 18 developer beta is available for Apple Developer Program members starting today, and Apple said that a public beta will follow in July. The update should be widely released to all users with a compatible Apple TV in September.

With iOS 18, Apple is expanding the Emergency SOS via satellite feature to introduce Messages via satellite, a feature that will let you send texts even when you don't have a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.

Available on the iPhone 14 or later, you can send and receive iMessages or SMS messages using a satellite connection. The feature works with all iMessage features such as emoji and Tapbacks, plus with iMessage, conversations are end-to-end encrypted.

Messages via satellite will work on the ‌iPhone 14‌ and later, aka the same devices that support Emergency SOS via satellite. Apple did not specify whether there will be a cost for Messages via satellite, but Emergency SOS via satellite is still free for all ‌iPhone 14‌ users for a total of three years.

Apple has said it eventually plans to charge for satellite services, but no pricing has been unveiled. The iPhone 15 models also came with two free years of satellite access.

Apple today confirmed that it plans to implement support for Rich Communication Services, or RCS, in iOS 18 this fall. Apple software chief Craig Federighi confirmed ‌RCS‌ support when introducing new features for the iPhone at the WWDC keynote event.

We've known about Apple's plans to adopt ‌RCS‌ since last November, but Apple only gave a vague "later in 2024" timeline for adoption so it was unclear exactly when the feature might roll out. ‌RCS‌ replaces SMS/MMS as the default communication protocol on the ‌iPhone‌.

‌RCS‌ has already been adopted by Google, U.S. smartphone carriers, and other companies, so Apple is a little late to the party. It doesn't change much for iMessage, but it does overhaul the way iPhones interact with Android devices. ‌RCS‌ improves texting with Android users, adding support for features that have previously been limited to iMessage. Some of the additions:

• Support for higher resolution photos and videos.
• Support for larger file sizes and file sharing.
• Audio messages.
• Cross-platform emoji reactions.
• Real-time typing indicators.
• Read receipts.
• Ability to send messages over cellular or Wi-Fi (SMS is cellular only). There is no cost to send an ‌RCS‌ message over Wi-Fi.
• Improved group chats.

It is not clear if Apple will introduce ‌RCS‌ support during the ‌iOS 18‌ beta testing period or hold the feature until the fall public launch of the update, but we do know that it is indeed tied to ‌iOS 18‌ at this point.

iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia feature a new, dedicated Passwords app for faster access to important credentials.

The Passwords app replaces iCloud Keychain, which is currently only accessible via a menu in Settings. Now, passwords are available directly via a standalone app for markedly quicker access, bringing it more in line with rival services.

The Passwords app consolidates various credentials, including passwords, passkeys, and Wi-Fi passwords, into a single, easily accessible location. Users can filter and sort their accounts based on various criteria, such as recently created accounts, credential type, or membership in shared groups.

Passwords is also compatible with Windows via the ‌iCloud‌ for Windows app, extending its utility to users who operate across different platforms.

The developer beta versions of ‌iOS 18‌, ‌iPadOS 18‌, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ are available today with official release to the public scheduled for the fall, providing an early look at the Passwords app.

Apple today released new beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, including both the Lightning and USB-C versions. The updated firmware has a build number of 7A5220e, and it is available to developers at the current time.

At today's keynote event, Apple introduced several new features that are coming to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 as part of iOS 18, including head gestures, and these features may be included in the firmware update.

With head gestures, users can control Siri on the ‌AirPods Pro‌ with a shake or a nod of the head. If you get a phone call, for example, you can shake your head no if you don't want to answer it, or nod to accept the call. ‌Siri‌ interactions can be used for responding to incoming messages, calls, and notifications.

Apple is adding Voice Isolation to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ to cut down on loud background sounds to make you easier to hear, and there is a new Personalized Spatial Audio feature specific to gaming. Game developers will be able to incorporate spatial audio into their games for a more immersive audio experience.

As was rumored, watchOS 11 drops support for the Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Series 5, and first-generation Apple Watch SE, according to Apple's website.

The update is compatible with all other models, including the Apple Watch Series 6 and beyond:

• Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
  

• Apple Watch Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7
• Apple Watch Series 8
• Apple Watch Series 9
• Apple Watch Ultra
• Apple Watch Ultra 2

Even though the Series 5 has an S5 chip, it has the same processor as the S4 chip in the Series 4, so it is not too surprising that Apple dropped support for these models simultaneously. Key changes with the Series 5 compared to the Series 4 included an always-on display option, increased storage, and a compass.

watchOS 11 continues to work with a paired iPhone XS or newer. A developer beta is available starting today, and a public beta will follow in July.

The general public can expect watchOS 11 to be released in September.

At WWDC 2024, Apple introduced an onslaught of Apple Intelligence features that integrate AI into everything from Siri to built-in apps like Mail, Messages, and Photos. Apple Intelligence is still under development, and it won't immediately be available to developers.

Apple plans to debut ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in the iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia betas this summer. When ‌Apple Intelligence‌ officially launches to the public this fall, it will be available in a beta capacity. Some of the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ additions might take even longer to launch, with Apple suggesting that "some features, additional languages, and platforms" will be coming over the course of the next year.

With ‌Apple Intelligence‌, ‌Siri‌ is much smarter, and there are tools for generating custom emoji and images, refining your writing, summarizing content, cutting down on unimportant notifications, and way more. Apple is also partnering with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT 4o to its platforms, with ChatGPT set to be integrated into ‌Siri‌ and Writing Tools. ‌Siri‌ will be able to tap into ChatGPT for some tasks, asking user permission to share information.

‌Apple Intelligence‌ is free to use, but it is limited to devices with the A17 Pro chip or any M-series chip. That means to use these features, you need an iPhone 15 Pro or an ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, but the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup will support ‌Apple Intelligence‌ too.

On the Mac side, you need a Mac with an M1 or later, and for iPads, you need an iPad Pro or iPad Air with an ‌M1‌ chip or later.

Following today's WWDC keynote event that saw the unveiling of new software, Apple has provided the first betas of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, tvOS 18, watchOS 11, and visionOS 2 to developers for testing purposes. Developers have access to the software so they can begin incorporating all of the new features into their apps.

Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app on their device, going to the Software Update Section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta, but Apple allows even free developer accounts to install beta software.

It is a bad idea to install early betas on a main device, and we recommend having a secondary device if you want to try out the software. There are often significant bugs in early versions of iOS and macOS, so if you do install on a main device, make sure to create a backup beforehand.

Over the course of the next several months, Apple will refine the features available in all of its new software, and we will go through several betas before the updates see a public release around September.

While the betas are limited to developers right now, Apple typically provides a public beta in July, which is usually much more stable than the early developer betas.

Apple today released visionOS 1.2, the second major update to the visionOS operating system that launched alongside the Vision Pro in February. visionOS 1.2 comes three months after the launch of visionOS 1.1.

‌visionOS‌ updates can be installed by going to the Settings app on the Vision Pro, selecting the General section, and choosing Software Update. The Vision Pro headset will need to be removed to install new software, with a progress bar available on the front EyeSight display.

visionOS 1.2 adds Persona improvements such as improved hair and makeup appearance, as well as better rendering for Eyesight. Messages supports Contact Key Verification, and Apple made improvements to both the Virtual Keyboard and the Mac Virtual Display. Apple's full release notes are below.

Mobile Device Management
- Enables account-driven device and user enrollment using Managed Apple IDs
- Support for device configuration (Wi-Fi, VPN, email accounts, single sign-on, and more)
- Support for deploying apps in volume including iPhone and iPad compatible apps, visionOS apps included in a Universal purchase, and proprietary in-house visionOS apps
- Support for remote erase via MDM and device inventory data

Messages
- Adds support for iMessage Contact Key Verification

Accessibility
- Closed captions can be anchored to the playback control while viewing Apple Immersive Video

Persona (beta) and EyeSight
- Adds an option to enroll your Persona hands-free
- Improves hair and makeup appearance
- Improves neck and mouth representation
- Improves rendering of the eyes for EyeSight

Virtual keyboard
- Cursor positioning for text input is now more accurate
- Resolves some instances where the virtual keyboard placement obscures the text input field
- Fixes an issue where in some cases, the text preview on the virtual keyboard may appear out of sync with the text field in the app
- Fixes an issue where the edit menu may appear unexpectedly

Mac Virtual Display
- Improves the reliability of discovering and connecting to a Mac using Mac Virtual Display
- Resolves an issue where Universal Control may stop working
- Addresses a connectivity issue that occurs when a previously paired Bluetooth device cannot be found

Captive Network Support
- Ability to set up your device while using a captive WiFi network such as those found at hotels, cafes and airports

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

The first year of the Vision Pro will see plenty of feature refinements, and Apple has already announced visionOS 2 with even more new additions.