Woah! That was one jam packed event!
Gone are the days when WWDC keynote used to be a nerdy OS X event. This year we got not one, not two, but four OS releases! No wonder it took Tim Cook & team two hours to run through all the updates.
We sat through the fanatic release of features, stayed awake during the boring demos, and even watched the technical bit in the end, just to compile this quick summary of all the announcements. So here, read on, and thank us later!
watch OS
Interestingly, Apple kicked off the event by talking about the watchOS.
While there weren’t any radical changes in design or functionalities, watchOS 3 brings in some important updates that will greatly improve the user experience.
Key features
Faster App Launch: Any Apple Watch user will confirm that its ability to launch apps is painfully slow. Apple has finally addressed the issue and, going by the demo, the speed increase is dramatic – almost 7 times faster!
Message Scribbling: You can now ‘scribble’ the reply to a message by drawing the letters of the alphabet. All other iOS10 message updates are also supported by the new WatchOS.
Activity & Fitness: You can now share your activity data and take up challenges with friends. Few more fitness parameters have been added, along with a relaxation app called Breathe.
Mac Unlock: In collaboration with the new macOS, Apple Watch can now be used to automatically unlock your Mac, just by walking close to it.
More Watch Faces: There are a couple of new watch faces, and more importantly you can now switch between faces with just a swipe.
tv OS
Just like watchOS, Apple TV’s software got small, but significant, additions. Many of them aren’t applicable to India but we are still listing them for your knowledge.
Key features
Single Sign-on: You no longer need to separately sign into different subscription apps. Apple has added a common login method which links back to all installed apps.
New Remote App: The Remote app on iPhone has been redesigned to replicate Apple TV’s Siri remote. It gives the perfect mix of Siri search and text inputs.
Smarter Siri: Siri’s search functionalities have been expanded, including the support for the new Home app that controls appliances supported by Homekit.
mac OS Sierra
NO, we didn’t mistype the heading – OSX is now macOS. We like the new name, it’s a logical move. Mac’s operating system was a bit of mixed bag. A couple of the features are really cool, while others are snooze worthy.
Key features
Hey Siri: Siri is making its Mac debut with macOS Sierra. Yay! It’s built right into the system and its functionalities can be best described as a combination of Mac’s Spotlight feature and Siri on iPhone.
Universal Clipboard: Another thing that made us jump with excitement was the ability to copy paste text, images, and even videos between Mac and iOS devices.
Optimized Storage: Apple is giving us the solution for its self-created problem of low storage space on Macs. The new macOS optimises storage by cleaning out redundant files and moving rarely used files to the cloud.
Apple Pay on Safari: You can now use Apple Pay for online shopping on Mac. However, the Touch ID authentication from iPhone or Apple Watch is still needed (until Apple adds Touch ID to Macs).
iCloud Drive & Tabs: The scope of tapping and iCloud Drive features have been further expanded in Sierra. These might not be fancy updates, but are important nonetheless.
Read our detailed article about macOS features: Say Hello to macOS Sierra
iOS 10
This was by far the most anticipated software release and it didn’t disappoint. Apple started by calling iOS 10 their biggest iOS release and went on unleash a bag full of amazing updates.
Key features
Lock Screen: The iPhone and iPad are finally getting the long-awaited facelift. The notifications are much more interactive, you have multiple control center screens, and 3D Touch supported Notification Centre.
iMessages: iMessages got a plethora of updates including new ways to send messages (like handwritten, emoji prompts), sending interactions (like animations, full screen effects), and even a Messages app for developers to create new interactions.
Siri : Apple has opened up Siri for developers and it will soon support third party apps. Also, Siri has been integrated with iMessages to give better typing suggestions.
Phone / Calling: You can now place VoIP calls (WhatsApp, Skype etc.) from contact cards, and they also get saved in call logs.
Redesigned Music App: Apple Music app has been completely redesigned and the new version looks a lot better and easier to use.
Improved Photos: Photos get additional features like saving memories. Editing tools have also been enhanced for photos and videos both.
Swift Playgrounds
This is where things got a bit technical. Swift Playgrounds is an offshoot of Apple’s developer language Swift. It’s an iPad app that breaks down coding into fun games and challenges. It’s a nice initiative by Apple to encourage students to learn coding, especially considering they have made the app free to use.
And with this Tim Cook took the stage for one last time and signed off by thanking the developer community.
Peace out!