After today's keynote event that saw the introduction of iOS 17, the AR/VR headset, a range of new Macs, and more, Apple has brought its online store back up so that customers can begin preordering the new devices.
Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air is priced starting at $1,299, while the Mac Studio is priced starting at $1,999. The M2 Ultra Mac Pro is priced starting at $6999.
The 15-inch MacBook Air, M2 Max and M2 Ultra Mac Studio, and M2 Ultra Mac Pro can be preordered starting today, with a launch to follow next week.
Apple's AR/VR headset, which also debuted today, is not going to be available for purchase until early 2024.
Apple today announced that iOS 17 is compatible with the iPhone XS and newer, meaning that support has been dropped for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. The first iOS 17 beta will be available to members of Apple's Developer Program for testing later today, and a public beta will be released in July, according to Apple.
Likewise, the first developer betas of iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, and watchOS 10 will be available today, followed by public betas next month.
Apple says iOS 17 will be released to the public in the fall — likely in September alongside new iPhone 15 models. Read our iOS 17 announcement coverage for more details about what's new in the software update.
Apple today revealed the "Vision Pro" headset, its first mixed-reality headset device, and visionOS, an all new operating system for the device.
Apple describes the Vision Pro headset as "a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world." The device features an all-new operating system that features a three dimensional interface. Experiences in Vision Pro aren't constrained to the boundaries of a display, users can make apps any scale, and place apps wherever they wish. Users use a combination of their eyes, hands, and voice to control the device.
Apple's Vision Pro starts at $3,499 and it will be available early next year. It will be sold in Apple retail stores in the U.S. only at first.
Design
The entire front of the headset is made of polished glass that flows into a lightweight aluminum frame. The top of the headset features a button and a Digital Crown that lets a user control how present or immersed they are in an environment.
The headset has a modular system to achieve an optimal fit. Its battery is separate and links via a magnetic connection to the side of the headset.
A singular piece of three-dimensionally formed and laminated glass is polished to create an optical surface that acts as a lens for the wide array of cameras and sensors needed to blend the physical world with digital content. The glass flows into the custom aluminum alloy frame that gently curves around the user’s face, while the modular system allows for a tailored fit to accommodate a wide range of people. The Light Seal is made of a soft textile, and comes in a range of shapes and sizes, flexing to conform to a user’s face for a precise fit. Flexible straps ensure audio remains close to the user's ears, while a Head Band — available in multiple sizes — is three-dimensionally knitted as a single piece to provide cushioning, breathability, and stretch. The band is secured with a simple mechanism, making it easy to change to another size or style of band.
Those who wear glasses must use magnetic prescription ZEISS glass inserts with the Vision Pro headset.
Hardware
Vision Pro features an ultra-high-resolution display system with 23 million pixels across two micro-OLED displays – more than a 4K for TV for each eye.
Vision Pro uses high-speed cameras and a ring of LEDs that project invisible light patterns onto the user's eyes to track gaze. The headset also contains the M2 chip paired with a new "R1" chip, dedicated toward real-time sensor processing.
These groundbreaking innovations are powered by Apple silicon in a unique dual-chip design. M2 delivers unparalleled standalone performance, while the brand-new R1 chip processes input from 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones to ensure that content feels like it is appearing right in front of the user's eyes, in real time. R1 streams new images to the displays within 12 milliseconds — 8x faster than the blink of an eye. Apple Vision Pro is designed for all-day use when plugged in, and up to two hours of use with its external, high-performance battery.
It also has a new Spatial Audio system with two individually amplified drivers inside each audio pod, which deliver Personalized Spatial Audio based on the user's own head and ear geometry. It can match the sound to an environment using audio ray-tracing. The headset is capable of running for up to two hours on a single charge.
Features
The headset is controlled by a user's eyes, hands, and voice. Users can browse through apps by simply looking at them, tapping their fingers to select, flicking their wrist to scroll, or using voice to dictate. It also supports Apple's Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad.
The headset features passthrough video of a wearer's eyes in a feature that Apple calls "EyeSight," displaying the user's eyes to surrounding people. It uses a lenticular OLED display to show the correct perspective to anyone viewing the wearer.
Vision Pro can transform a space into a personal movie theatre and watch immersive videos. With Environments, a user's world can grow beyond the dimensions of a physical room with dynamic landscapes that can help them focus. Vision Pro also allows users to connect to their Mac and expand its display in a virtual space, including alongside apps running on Vision Pro itself.
In FaceTime calls, everyone on the call is reflected in life-size tiles. Users wearing Vision Pro during a FaceTime call are shown as a Persona — a digital representation of themselves.
Optic ID uses a wearer's iris to authenticate users and unlock the Vision Pro headset. Vision Pro is also "Apple's first 3D camera," showing depth in video with Spatial Audio.
visionOS
visionOS offers an infinite canvas for apps and a three-dimensional user interface. Apps react to lighting and cast shadows. Upon putting on the headset, a Home view floats in the world in front of you to feel "truly present" in your room.
visionOS introduces an all-new platform for developers to create app experiences. iPhone and iPad apps can run in visionOS to provide a large number of apps upon the device's launch. It will feature a brand new App Store to discover apps built for visionOS as well as compatible iPhone and iPad apps.
Apple today announced tvOS 17 which brings FaceTime to the Apple TV 4K for the first time, includes a new Control Center, and lets you use your iPhone to locate a misplaced Siri Remote.
Control Center now displays system status, including the time and active profile, and expands with other helpful details based on a user's personal activity.
Users will be able to launch the Apple TV remote inside Control Center on iPhone to find their Siri Remote (2nd generation or later). As users get closer to the remote, an onscreen circle grows in size to guide their movement.
Apple TV 4K users can take advantage of the new FaceTime app on Apple TV and initiate calls directly from Apple TV, or start calls on iPhone or iPad, and hand them off to Apple TV. FaceTime on Apple TV takes advantage of Continuity Camera support to wirelessly connect to the user’s iPhone or iPad, and leverages the device's camera and microphone to bring participants together on the TV.
Center Stage keeps everyone in the room framed on the screen, even as they move around, while new gesture-based reactions allow callers to use their hands to generate onscreen effects, such as hearts or fireworks. The introduction of Split View for Apple TV lets users enjoy watching shows or movies together during a SharePlay session while also seeing everyone on the FaceTime call.
Apple says that video conferencing apps like Webex by Cisco and Zoom will launch on tvOS later this year, bringing their communications capabilities to Apple TV 4K. In addition, Apple Music Sing – which lets users sing along to their favorite tracks – will integrate Continuity Camera, so users can see themselves onscreen and add entertaining filters.
There are also enhancements to screen savers, so users can now view curated Memories from their personal library, shared library, or both on the big screen. Aerial screen savers will also feature a collection of new locations, including Arizona's Monument Valley and California's coastal redwoods.
Additional features coming in tvOS 17 include:
Enhance Dialogue, which lets users more clearly hear what is being said over effects, action, and music in a move or a TV show (Apple TV 4K and HomePod 2nd generation required).
Dolby Vision 8.1 support, offering Apple TV 4K users a more cinematic visual experience with dynamic metadata.
Apple Fitness+ enhancements, including "Custom Plans," a new way for Fitness+ users to receive a custom workout or meditation schedule based on day, duration, workout type, and more; "Stacks," which allows users to select multiple workouts and meditations to seamlessly do back to back; and "Audio Focus," which gives users the ability to prioritize the volume of the music or the trainers' voices.
Third-party VPN support, which enables developers to create VPN apps for Apple TV.
"tvOS 17 transforms the biggest screen in the home with FaceTime and new video conferencing capabilities, giving Apple TV 4K users the ability to easily connect with anyone right from their living room," said Bob Borchers, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "New features and enhancements make Apple TV simpler to use and even more enjoyable, reinforcing it as the absolute best option in the living room for Apple customers."
The tvOS developer beta is available for Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting today, and a public beta program will be available to Apple TV users next month at beta.apple.com.
Apple today at WWDC announced that it is simplifying the voice command to invoke Siri across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, HomePod, and other devices. Instead of "Hey Siri," users will now simply be able to simply say "Siri" to activate the voice assistant.
After activating Siri, users can issue multiple commands in succession without needing to reactivate the assistant, according to Apple.
The shorter "Siri" command will be supported on any iPhone and iPad that can run iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. For the Mac and AirPods, however, Apple says the feature will be limited to Macs with Apple silicon and the second-generation AirPods Pro.
The shorter "Siri" command is one of several new features introduced across iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma. The software updates will be available as developer betas starting today, and will be publicly released later this year.
Apple today announced that FaceTime is launching on Apple TV as part of tvOS 17. The feature will take advantage of Apple's Continuity Camera feature, allowing for people to use a wirelessly connected iPhone or iPad camera to participate in a video call.
Users will be able to start a FaceTime call directly from the new FaceTime app on Apple TV, or hand off a FaceTime call from an iPhone or iPad to your TV. The feature requires a second-generation Apple TV 4K or newer updated to tvOS 17, as well as any iPhone or iPad model updated to iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 for camera and microphone functionality.
FaceTime on the Apple TV supports Center Stage, an existing feature that keeps people perfectly framed on the screen, even as they move around. New gesture-based reactions allow callers to use their hands to initiate on-screen effects, such as hearts or fireworks. FaceTime calls can be transferred back to an iPhone or iPad as needed.
tvOS 17 and iOS 17 are available in beta starting today, and the software updates will be released to the public later this year.
Apple today at WWDC announced new AirPlay abilities coming in iOS 17, including on-device intelligence to learn your AirPlay preferences around the home, as well as AirPlay support coming to more hotel rooms.
In terms of on-device intelligence, AirPlay can learn how and when you listen to certain content, for example by displaying a nearby AirPlay-supporting speaker to select depending which room you're in. You'll also be able to ask Siri to start an AirPlay session in a much more fluid way.
AirPlay will also work with supported televisions in hotels, allowing users to easily enjoy their favorite content on the TV when traveling. Built with a foundation of privacy and security, this capability will be available before the end of the year in select hotels, starting with brands from IHG Hotels & Resorts.
The developer beta of iOS 17 is available to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com starting today, and a public beta will be available next month at beta.apple.com.
Apple today announced watchOS 10, a major update to the operating system for the Apple Watch, introducing a new widgets view, redesigned apps, improvements to workouts, mood tracking, and more.
watchOS 10 features a new way to view information from any watch face with widgets. Simply scroll with the Digital Crown to reveal a dynamic Smart Stack of widgets below the watch face that changes based on the user's needs at any given time of day. watchOS 10 also includes two new watch faces: "Palette" and an animated "Peanuts" face with Snoopy and Woodstock.
Apps across watchOS 10 have also been redesigned. For example, World Clock now features background colors that reflect the time of day in different timezones. The Activity app now features corner icons to navigate, a redesigned trophy case, and a new full-screen view of each individual Activity Ring.
The update also introduces new cycling workout features, including Power Zones, new metrics like Functional Threshold Power, a full-screen view on iPhone, and more. Hiking now integrates Compass and Maps, and watchOS 10 includes a Workout API for developers to integrate.
A new mood tracking feature in the Mindfulness app allows users to scroll through a selection of moods and log metrics. The Health app will then provide insights based on this data on the iPhone. A new feature seeks to decrease risk of myopia using the ambient light sensor to show Time in Daylight, which is also displayed in the Health app.
Apple today announced three new features coming to AirPods Pro 2 in the fall: Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume, and Conversation Awareness. Additionally, the entire AirPods lineup is gaining new and improved features to make calls and Automatic Switching easier to use.
Starting with Adaptive Audio, this feature dynamically blends Transparency mode and Active Noise Cancellation together to deliver the best audio experience in the moment. Apple says that it can tailor the noise control while you move through your environment.
This way, loud or distracting noises surrounding you will be automatically reduced, while other noises will still be audible. Apple gave the example of leaf blowers getting reduced but sudden traffic noises coming through on the user's AirPods.
Similar to Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume uses machine learning to fine-tune your listening experience by understanding environmental conditions and listening preferences.
There's also a new Conversation Awareness feature that will lower your music and focus on voices around you when you start talking. Adaptive audio helps when you're on a call as well, reducing noise around you while you speak.
For all models of AirPods, Apple is making it easier and faster to move between your Apple devices with updates to Automatic Switching. Additionally, a new mute and unmute feature is coming to AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max that allows you to quickly mute/unmute yourself by pressing the stem, or Digital Crown on AirPods Max.
Apple at WWDC today announced Game Mode, a new gaming feature for Macs that's exclusive to macOS Sonoma.
With Game Mode enabled in macOS 14, the Mac prioritizes CPU and GPU power for the running title, thereby improving gaming hardware performance across the board. For example, Game Mode makes gaming on Mac even more immersive by dramatically lowering audio latency with AirPods.
Apple says it has also doubled the Bluetooth sampling rate for paired Xbox and Playstation controllers, while a new Game Porting toolkit for developers makes it easier to port games from other platforms.
Game Mode works with any game, including all of the recent and upcoming Mac games, according to Apple.
The developer beta of macOS Sonoma is available through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com starting today, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. The release will be available as a free software update this fall.
Apple today announced macOS Sonoma, the latest version of its Mac operating system. Launching this fall, macOS Sonoma includes several new features, including desktop widgets, Apple TV-like aerial screensavers, enhancements to apps like Messages and Safari, a new Game mode that prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming, and more.
The first feature that Apple detailed was new interactive widgets, which can now be placed right on your desktop. Widgets blend into your desktop wallpaper to not be obtrusive when you're working, and with Continuity you can use the same widgets from your iPhone on your Mac.
macOS Sonoma also introduces enhanced video conferencing features, including Presenter Overlay to allow a user to display themselves in front of the content they are sharing. Reactions let users share how they feel within a video session, and Screen Sharing has been improved with a simplified process.
As is usual with macOS updates, Safari is getting numerous new features within Sonoma. There's an update to Private Browsing that provides greater protection from trackers and from people who might have access to the user's device.
Profiles within Safari offer a way to separate browsing between topics, like having one for work and one for personal browsing. There's also a new way to create web apps that work like normal apps and let you get to your favorite website faster.
When you're not actively using macOS Sonoma, the new screen savers feature slow-motion videos of various locations worldwide. They shuffle between landscape, Earth, underwter, or cityscape themes, similar to what you'll see on tvOS.
For gamers, there's a new Game Mode in macOS Sonoma that delivers an optimized gaming experience with smoother and more consistent frame rates. It dramatically lowers audio latency with AirPods and reduces input latency with game controllers, and it works with any game on Mac.
The beta version of macOS Sonoma is available today through the Apple Developer Program, and a public beta will launch next month. All Mac users can expect a public release of the software sometime this fall.
Apple today at WWDC announced iPadOS 17, bringing several new features to iPads, including updates to widgets and the Lock Screen that bring more parity with iPhones.
For the first time, iPads will support customized Lock Screens, while Home Screen widgets will be interactive. There's also now support for Live Activities, and the Health app is now available on iPad and takes advantage of the device's larger display sizes.
iPadOS 17 includes improvements across the Notes, Messages, FaceTime, and Safari apps. In the Messages app, for example, there is a new consolidated sticker drawer that brings all of a user's stickers into one place, including Live Stickers, emoji stickers, and third-party sticker packs. iPad users can also create their own stickers from photos.
Starting with iPadOS 17, PDFs appear full width on the screen. Apple has also introduced machine learning that can identify fields in a PDF so that users can quickly add details, such as names, addresses, and emails from the Contacts app.
iPadOS 17 is available in beta starting today, and will be publicly released later this year. The update is compatible with the second-generation iPad Pro, third-generation iPad Air, sixth-generation iPad, and fifth-generation iPad mini and newer.
Apple today announced new updates coming to Phone, FaceTime, and Messages in iOS 17 later this year.
With the new update, you'll be able to create your own custom contact poster with your photos or Memoji. This custom creation will then appear on other people's iPhones when you call them.
There's also a new Live Voicemail feature that provides live voice transcription in real time on your iPhone Lock Screen. Apple said that with this, you'll be able to make a more educated decision as to whether you want to talk to someone or not.
In FaceTime, you can now leave video messages if someone doesn't pick up your video call. They'll get a notification about the message and can watch it whenever they have time, like a voicemail.
Lastly, Messages has a ton of updates. There are new search filters, a new "catch up arrow" that quickly jumps you to the first unread message in a long conversation, and easier inline replying with swipe to reply.
Audio messages are also now transcribed right within the messages thread, and there's inline location sharing. Check In provides a way to give updates on your location within a messages thread, and if you're ever delayed it'll send an alert to friends.
Apps within Messages have been moved to a new "plus" button at the bottom left of the app. Stickers have been revamped and you can even create your own stickers and motion stickers from your own live photos.
These updates are a small portion of updates coming to iOS 17, so be sure to read more about the new iPhone software in our main post.
As part of iOS 17, Apple at WWDC 2023 announced a new AirDrop-related feature called NameDrop, a potentially more convenient way of sharing things with another iPhone owner that's in the same physical location as you.
With NameDrop, two people only need to bring each of their iPhones close together, and one can share a file or photos with the other person automatically. NameDrop supports the sharing of contact information (users can select which numbers and email addresses to share), and the feature also works between an iPhone and an Apple Watch as long as they are running up-to-date software.
With the same close-contact phone gesture, you can also share content or start SharePlay to listen to music, watch a movie, or play a game while in close proximity between iPhone devices, according to Apple.
NameDrop is compatible with iPhones running iOS 17 and will be supported on Apple Watch models running an update that Apple says will be available "later this year."
Apple today announced iOS 17, the next major operating system for the iPhone, introducing a range of new communication and sharing features.
iOS 17 features personalized contact posters with photos, Memojis, and eye-catching typography that appear during calls and in the updated address book. A new Live Voicemail feature brings live-transcription in real-time, allowing for old-school call screening. Users can now pick up the phone mid-voicemail and transcription is handled-on device.
Messages now offers improved search features, an arrow to jump to the first unread message in a conversation, easier inline replies with a swipe gesture, inline location sharing, and a new Stickers experience. iMessage apps and the camera have now been moved to a new plus button.
Check In is a new feature that gives updates on your location to let family or friends know when you get home safely. If you're delayed, it can recognize that and check in with you. If you don't respond, it can share an alert with friends, sharing location, battery, and cell service status.
Users can AirDrop content by bringing their iPhones close together and transfers can now occur in the background. It is also now possible to swap numbers with someone new via "NameDrop," enabling users to share contact information when phones are brought close together.
There are updates to keyboard and dictation, bringing improvements to autocorrect via a new "transformer" language model and sentence-level correction.
iOS 17 also introduces a new "Journal" app. The app sources new memories using people, places, activity, music, and photos that users can add to daily journal entries. Users can set reminders to remember to write a daily entry. Journal comes to iPhone later this year.
A new mode called "StandBy" provides a view for displaying the time, widgets, and other information when the iPhone is horizontal. Users can now simply say "Siri" instead of "Hey Siri," and Siri will understand follow-up commands that do not include the trigger word.
Apple today updated its Mac Pro desktop tower with the all-new M2 Ultra chip, which features a 24-core CPU, up to a 76-core GPU, and support for up to 192GB of memory. Apple says the new Mac Pro is up to 3x faster than the fastest Intel-based Mac Pro.
The new Mac Pro has the same overall design as the previous Intel-based model. However, the tower is now equipped with eight Thunderbolt 4 ports instead of four, two higher-bandwidth HDMI ports that support up to an 8K display at 240Hz, seven PCIe expansion slots, dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and a headphone jack that supports impedance headphones. The computer can be configured with up to 8TB of SSD storage.
Like the new Mac Studio, and the latest MacBook Pro and Mac mini models, the Mac Pro now supports faster Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
The new Mac Pro is available to order starting today, and it will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, June 13. In the U.S., pricing starts at $6,999, whereas the previous Intel-based Mac Pro started at $5,999. A rack-mounted version of the Mac Pro remains available from $7,499.
As expected, the M2 Ultra chip is essentially a doubled-up M2 Max chip. It features a 24-core CPU, up to a 76-core GPU, a 32-core Neural Engine, and support for up to 192GB of unified memory. Apple says the Mac Studio with the M2 Ultra chip is up to 3x faster than the previous-generation Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip, released last year.
The new Mac Studio has the same overall design as the original model, but with a higher-bandwidth HDMI port that supports up to an 8K display at 240Hz. The back of the Mac Studio has four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI port, and two USB-A ports. On the front side, there are two USB-C ports and an SD card slot.
As with the new Mac Pro, and the latest MacBook Pro and Mac mini models, the Mac Studio now supports faster Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
The new Mac Studio is available to order starting today, and will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, June 13. Pricing continues to start at $1,999 for the model with the M2 Max chip, while the M2 Ultra model starts at $3,999.
The M2 Ultra is based on the M2 Max chip that debuted in the refreshed 14- and 16-inch MacBook Air earlier this year. It is built using two M2 Max chips connected via "UltraFusion," Apple's custom-built packaging technology.
The M2 Ultra chip has a 24-core CPU that consists of 16 high-performance cores and eight high-efficiency cores. This nets the chip 20 percent faster performance than the M1 Ultra. Users can configure the GPU with 60 or 76 next-generation cores, which is up to 12 more cores compared to the GPU of the M1 Ultra.
The M2 Ultra features a 32-core Neural Engine that is 40 percent faster than the M1 Ultra, and it has improved video processing that can play back up to 22 streams of 8K ProRes video simultaneously.
Every Mac Pro now contains the M2 Ultra chip, supporting up to 192 GB of unified memory – 50% more than M1 Ultra. Apple also noted that with M2 Ultra in the Mac Pro, the transition to Apple silicon is complete across the Mac desktop and laptop lineups.
