EVERYTHING APPLE ANNOUNCED AT WWDC 2020

On Monday, June 22 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time Apple started a fully digital WWDC. It streamed directly from Apple Park with some exciting announcements. If you missed watching the entire keynote. Don’t worry, we have condensed everything for you in this post.

Let’s get a quick recap with us…

• iOS14

New Translate App with support for 11 Languages

With iOS 14, comes an all-new Translate app for translating conversations, with support for 11 different languages including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Also, it provides the offline mode for private voice and text translation.

Picture-in-Picture Mode for iPhone

This very feature allows users to watch TV shows and movies while navigating elsewhere on their devices. It is similar on iPad, letting users swipe to the side and the audio would keep playing while the video remains hidden.

Siri has got a subtle design

Now Siri would not take the entire screen on the phone. Also, Siri has expanded its knowledge and will send an audio message, and translation support to a number of new languages.

iPhone and Apple Watch becoming Digital Car Keys

Just like credit cards and boarding passes, digital car keys are stored in the Wallet app. Here, users can unlock their vehicle, by bringing their iPhone near the driver’s side door. Inside the vehicle, users need to place their iPhone on a reader or wireless charger to start vehicle and drive.

This feature will sooner be available to BMW customers next month, with support for the new 2021 5 Series at launch.

On the other hand, BMW has announced that Apple’s digital car key feature will support a wide range of its vehicle models manufactured after July 1, 2020. Also, the compatible devices would be iPhone XS/XR or newer and the Apple Watch Series 5 or newer.

App Clips to see a small part

The “App Clips” is one of the most engaging features, letting users check the information from relevant apps throughout the ‌iOS 14‌ interface. And they don’t require to download the entire app. Also, App Clips can be discovered and accessed by scanning Apple’s new “App Clip codes,” or by using NFC and QR codes. They can also be shared in Messages and Safari.

iMessage in iOS 14

There are new features added to iMessage in iOS 14, such as:

• Mentions- With this feature, users can type a name to direct a message to someone. On the other hand, when you are mentioned, your name is highlighted. Here, you can customize an active group to receive notifications of when you are mentioned.
• Pinned conversations- Users can pin up to nine conversations to the top of their conversation list.
• Inline replies- Users can reply directly to a specific message in a group conversation. Group photos- As a user, you can give your group conversation a visual identity by adding a photo or Memoji, or choose an emoji.
• New Memoji styles and stickers- There is an integration of new age and face-covering options, plus over 20 new hair and headwear styles.‌

Will iOS 14 compatible with older iPhones?

Apple’s new iOS 14 operating system is compatible with many older iPhones, including the original iPhone SE as well. Let’s take a quick look at the compatible Apple’s devices:

• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone XS
• ‌iPhone XS‌ Max
• iPhone XR
• ‌iPhone‌ X
• ‌iPhone‌ 8 and ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus
• ‌iPhone‌ 7 and 7 Plus
• ‌iPhone SE‌
• ‌iPhone‌ 6s and 6s Plus
• iPod touch (7th-generation)
• All ‌iPad‌ Pros
• iPad‌ (7th generation)
• iPad‌ (6th generation)
• ‌iPad‌ (5th generation)
• ‌iPad‌ mini 5
• ‌‌iPad‌ mini 4
• ‌iPad Air (3rd generation)
• ‌‌iPad‌ Air 2

iOS and iPadOS 14 will be limited to registered developers at launch, but Apple plans to make a public beta available later this summer. iOS and iPadOS 14 will launch to the public in the fall.

Find My App got support for third-party products

With this new update, the new accessory program will let third-party products and accessories to work with the ‌Find My‌ app. This will ensure users to track items directly on their Apple devices using the ‌Find My‌ app.‌

Emoji search in iOS 14

Now, users can search emoji from iOS using the search option. As a user, you can search the perfect emoji by putting the word or phrase, and get the full list of available emojis.

Subscriptions available for family sharing

With iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and macOS Big Sur, developers can get subscriptions available for all members of a Family Sharing group for the very first time.

Also, the App Store search has been improved with spell check enhancements and editorial collections in search results. With Apple Arcade, users can get a new feature to see what games are popular with Game Center friends, as well as support for Continue Playing. The redesigning approach has allowed users to easily discover and experience games with friends.

• iPadOS 14

iPadOS 14 Features Enhanced UIs for Native Apps, Universal Search, New Handwriting Support with Apple Pencil, and More

‌iPadOS 14‌ is all set to deliver new capabilities helping customers to enhance productivity. There are new toolbars and drag and drop functionality, consisting of Photos, Files, Notes, Calendar, and Apple Music.

Now, in iOS 14, incoming FaceTime and phone calls would appear as a lightweight banner, and they don’t consume complete screen, so users can easily tap to answer the call or flick to dismiss. ‌

Also, Siri‌ appears at the bottom of the screen on being activated, letting users reference information onscreen while making a request.

The search feature in iPadOS is also redesigned and helps in finding practically anything, from locating and launching apps to accessing contacts, files, and quick information, to getting answers to common questions about people or places.

Further, Handwriting on the ‌iPad‌ will let users to hand-write in any text field and for it to be automatically be converted to text.

ARKit 4 has come along with ‌iPadOS 14‌, delivering a brand new Depth API letting developers access depth information by the new LiDAR Scanner on iPad Pro. iOS developers can utilize the Depth API to drive new features in their apps. There is an integration of Location Anchors for iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ apps, bringing higher resolution data of the new map in Apple Maps.

The developer preview of ‌iPadOS 14‌ is accessible to Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. Further, the public beta will be available to ‌iPadOS‌ users next month at beta.apple.com.

• macOS Big Sur

macOS ‘Big Sur’ has brought updated design and new features 

macOS brings early access to control right from the desktop, also, Notification Center has received the update with interactive notifications and redesigned widgets in different sizes. Now, opening Safari, users can browse a new start page, that can customize this area with a background image and sections like a Reading List and iCloud Tabs.

Also, in ‌Messages‌, Apple has brought the pinned conversations with a refined search function. And, in conversations, there is going to be a new photo picker and #images support, helping users to share GIFs on the macOS ‌Messages‌ app without integration third-party app.

The group messaging brings conversations with inline replies and @mentions, that makes it easier for users to address someone, or a specific text, amid a large group.

New privacy tools, built-in translation, improved tabs, and much more

Yes, now Tabs have been redesigned, letting navigation smooth and seamless. There are more tabs onscreen, displaying favicons by default. This helps users to easily identify open tabs, and they can give a quick preview to them by hovering over the tab.

Also, all new Privacy Report button lets the users get a closer look into how sites are using their connection, and which trackers are blocked.

Further, extensions support for Safari is adopting a new standard, allowing users to bring over extensions from other browsers.

Also, the native-translation capabilities are built into Safari, and the browser can detect and translate entire webpages from seven languages.

The beta release of macOS Big Sur for developers to test

In WWDC, Apple has announced the newest version of macOS, the operating system that runs on the Mac. macOS 11.0 Big Sur is now available in a beta version for registered developers, so they can test the features. Developers can download the macOS Big Sur beta from the Apple Developer Center.

However, ‌macOS Big Sur‌ will be available in later summer to public beta testers so they can test the software before it goes launched in the fall.

Apple includes WebP image support in Safari 14

The latest macOS Safari version will come along with iOS 14 and macOS 11 Big Sur. Further, Apple has included WebP image support for the very first time in Safari. It is a new image format developed by Google, letting 25-35% smaller file sizes compared to JPEG but with the same quality. The addition of animation makes it an alternative for GIFs.

• watchOS 7

Hand-Washing feature with a 20-Second countdown 

On watchOS 7, users can use its motion sensors and microphone, letting Apple Watch automatically detects hand washing and starts a 20‑second timer. This is the only treatment to escape the COVID-19 virus and will encourage users to continue for the full 20 seconds.

Apple releases first beta of new watchOS 7 updates

Apple has brought the newest version of the watchOS software designed to run on the Apple Watch, which has released the first beta of the ‌watchOS 7‌ updates to developers for testing purposes.

‌watchOS 7‌ introduces a new sharing feature letting users watch faces to be shared with others. Also, there is a new Sleep Tracking feature for the first time utilizes the ‌Apple Watch‌’s accelerometer to detect micromovements. This enables users to get information about how well a person slept, charts sleep quality over time, and offers a Wind Down feature for helping users get ready for bed.

The new sleep tracking feature lets users make recommendations about waking up and when to go to sleep. A “Wind Down” feature minimizes distractions to create a personalized evening routine.

watchOS 7 compatible with Apple Watch Series 3 

The watchOS 7 has brought new features like Sleep Tracking, handwashing tracking, and a new watch face sharing option. Though it is compatible with a limited number of Apple Watch models.

• tvOS 14

Apple brings the first Beta of tvOS 14

tvOS 14‌ has also introduced the Home app for the ‌Apple TV‌, letting native HomeKit integration to control smart home products right from the TV.

This will allow users to view ‌HomeKit‌ Secure Video footage on the TV, either full screen or in a windowed mode while you view other content.

Also, Apple Arcade games can support multiple users, on switching profiles, letting users keep the game progress even if others in the home are playing the same game.

Get Apple TV support for AirPods Audio Sharing 

tvOS 14, users can watch YouTube videos in 4K resolution, which was not possible earlier.

Apple brings Audio Sharing for AirPods to the ‌Apple TV‌, letting two sets of ‌AirPods‌ to be connected to an ‌Apple TV‌ 4K at the same time.

• Apple Silicon Chips

Apple transitioning macs to custom chips

Apple has got the vast majority of Mac apps to be quickly updated to be “universal” with support for both Intel-based Macs and those with Apple’s custom silicon.

Further, to help developers prepare for the Mac transition from Intel processors to Apple Silicon. Apple has also launched a Universal App Quick Start Program, it includes every tool, resource, and support to build, test, and optimize the next-generation Universal apps for macOS Big Sur.

• AirPods

AirPods can switch automatically between Apple devices

The second-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Solo Pro are here finally. That can automatically switch between Apple devices, such as iPhone, iPad, and Mac without any hassle.

There is also the integration of a new “spatial audio” feature, offering a theater-like surround sound experience.

Our takeaway

This year’s Apple’s WWDC 2020 was unique due to its online event. Some bigger announcements have left everyone surprised. Techugo will have coverage of each new feature as we delve further into the updates through different modes.

Keep watching this space for more information. Stay tuned to Techugo.