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Apple has unveiled a whole host of new developments at WWDC, including new desktop and iPhone operating systems as well as a completely redesigned Mac Pro.
iOS 7
While some critics have implied Apple has lost its edge to the likes of Samsung in the smartphone market, the firm believes its latest OS update is the most important refresh so far in the iPhone’s history.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of software engineering, said: "iOS 7 is the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone. To create it, we brought together a team with a broad range of expertise from design to engineering. With what we’ve been able to achieve together, we see iOS 7 as an exciting new beginning."
Features include:
Control Centre: This new feature provides users with access to Airplane Mode, wi-fi, Bluetooth, screen brightness and more. It’s accessible with one upwards swipe from the bottom of the screen.
Notification Centre: This is now available from the lock screen. The new Today feature offers a summary of events for the day ahead, such as meetings and so on.
Airdrop: This sharing solution detects when contacts are close by, allowing the user to select content and make a P2P transfer without network or set-up required. The likelihood is that this is designed to eliminate demand for NFC.
Camera app features filters: A move BlackBerry made with BB10, which will undoubtedly have been inspired by Instagram. Users will be able to make real-time photo effects and switch between four camera options with a swipe.
Safari redesign: Supports full-screen browsing, while iCloud Keychain stores all passwords and credit card details securely across all devices.
Siri: New male and female voices and Twitter search integration, so users can ask what people are saying on the social network. Wikipedia and Bing are also integrated.
iTunes Radio: Internet steaming service, which features over 200 stations.
OS X Mavericks
Apple also announced the latest version of OS X, ‘Mavericks’, which will be available towards the end of the year.
Features include:
iCloud Keychain: A password manager which stores your website user names and passwords on the devices you’ve approved, protects them with robust AES 256-bit encryption and keeps them up to date on each device.
Tabbed Finder: Just like in your Web browser.
Document tagging: A new feature to make searching for documents easier.
Multiple screens: The new OS X gives each monitor its own menu bar, dock or the ability to run individual apps at full screen. You can also wirelessly turn an HDTV into a normal display via AirPlay or Apple TV.
Notifications Interface: Like iOS, OS X has a new notifications interface, which now displays email, news updates or iMessages from a locked login screen.
Mac Pro
Apple has shrunk down its desktop into a sleek black cylindrical case.
"With the latest Xeon processors, dual FirePro GPUs, ECC memory, PCIe-based flash and Thunderbolt 2, all built around a revolutionary thermal core, the next generation Mac Pro is the most radical Mac yet," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
"All this performance and expandability is packed into a dramatic new design that’s one-eighth the volume, and best of all, it will be assembled here in the USA."
Features include:
12-core, 256-bit Intel Xeon E5 processor
1,866MHz DDR3 RAM
Dual AMD FirePro GPU, which supports 4K displays
PCIe-based flash storage
Four USB 3.0 ports
Six Lightning 2.0 ports
HDMI-out 1.4
Dual gigabit Ethernet jacks
Wi-Fi 802.11ac
Bluetooth 4.0
3.5mm audio in and out ports
Measures 9.9-inches tall and 6.6-inches wide
MacBook Air
As is tradition every June, Apple has updated its MacBook Air line. The new 11- and 13-inch Airs include fourth gen Intel Core processors, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and an ‘all day battery life’.
"MacBook Air is the industry leader for thin and light notebooks, and now with longer battery life, we’ve set the bar even higher," said Schiller.
Features include:
Intel Core i5 and i7 processors
12 hours battery life for 13-inch model, 9 hours battery life for 11-inch model
802.11ac Wi-Fi
Intel HD Graphics 5000
New flash storage with speeds of up to 45 per cent faster than the previous generation
FaceTime HD camera
Thunderbolt port
Two USB 3.0 ports
Dual display support
