Apple is kicking off its Worldwide Developers Conference today, during which it is expected to announce a host of new products and major updates, along with a long-awaited and potentially game-changing headset. The event is happening at the companys Cupertino, Calif. headquarters.
Please follow along this afternoon as we share the companys latest announcements.
New Mac Pro
Apple announced that its new Mac Pro, with the M2 Ultra chip, will start retailing at $6,999. The M2 Ultra is a new chip that has eight Thunderbolt ports and six PCI expansion slots. Apple says the new chip will be up to three times faster than the Pros old Intel chip. This is the Mac Pros first major update in four years.
The new Mac Pro model will be available for purchase on June 13.
iPhone Standby mode
Standby is a new feature that makes use of an iPhone when its not being actively used. Standby activates when an iPhone is propped on its side, showing backgrounds such as the time, weather, sport scores, photo albums and more, depending on user preference.
iOS updates
Apple released iOS 17, which includes updates to the phone, FaceTime, iMessage and contact apps. The update allows users to create a custom poster, a contact photo that automatically pops up for every call made. iOS 17 will also provide a live transcription for calls.
For FaceTime, callers can now record a message, like a visual voicemail for a declined call. Apple is updating iMessage too. Audio messages in the app will now be automatically transcribed, and there will be a catch up button to jump to the last read text in a group chat.
Apple also introduced a check in notification feature, which allows contacts to track each other when traveling from place to place. You can now receive a notification that your friend got home safely, or if their journey was interrupted.
The stickers app also received an update, adding the option to create personalized stickers of the user completing various actions, such as dribbling a basketball.
macOS Sonoma
The newly-released macOS Sonoma, or macOS 14, is introducing improvements such as aerial screensavers. It also allows improved personalization with desktop widgets. As long as the users iPhone is nearby or on the same WiFi network, it can share its widgets with a Mac. This allows people to control other devices from their desktop, such as cooling their car from their computer.
