Apple’s WWDC 2017 conference was held yesterday, with the company using its annual event in order to make a slew of new hardware and software announcements. While these conferences are typically made with developers firmly in mind, this time around Apple had plenty to reveal for the audience at home, from updates to their current products to brand new hardware and software.
A key focus of the WWDC 2017 presentation was the upcoming iOS 11, which will see Apple making significant improvements to its mobile operating system, along with broadening its ecosystem. Apple Pay received a major update that sees it making bigger strides towards overtaking traditional payment methods, new camera features were introduced that threaten to kill off existing photo apps, and Siri will also receive some significant improvements.
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Elsewhere, the newly unveiled HomePod looks to muscle in on Google and Amazon’s turf as Apple’s first smart speaker, while the iMac Pro was also debuted in order to give legs to the ailing iMac family. While we’ll still have to wait a few months until we see our first glimpse of the iPhone 8, there was still plenty to be excited about at WWDC 2017, and we’ve compiled all the biggest announcements in the gallery below:
Featured Image Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Apple WWDC 2017
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AirPlay
AirPlay has now been made open for developers, and along with this new change Apple has also made it able to control multiple speakers at once.
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ARKit
Apple made a big step towards augmented reality with its ARKit, a new API that will allow developers to freely make better augmented reality apps for iOS. The success of Pokemon Go saw a slew of companies forcing AR onto their radars, and Apple is hoping that developers will take full advantage of their new tools, with them including support for Unreal Engine, Unity and SceneKit.
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Apple Pay your friends
iOS 11 will allow users to send and receive money to and from their friends via iMessage using Apple Pay. This money is then stored in a virtual Apple Pay card that is stored in your Wallet app, with you able to cash the money out to your bank account, or use it anywhere that Apple Pay is accepted.
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Apple TV
The Apple TV won't receive a major tvOS update this year, but Amazon Prime Video will be coming to the platform. Though we'd have hoped for more news about Apple's streaming device, at least users will be able to watch American Gods now.
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watchOS 4
The Apple Watch's watchOS 4 update will launch this fall, and at WWDC Apple unveiled a brand new "Siri face" for the smartwatch. This new display will see the Apple Watch utilizing machine learning in order to analyze its users' daily routines, displaying their most frequented apps during the times they're most likely to use them. It's kinda creepy, but undoubtedly useful.
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HomePod
The biggest announcement of the conference was the HomePod, Apple's new "Siri speaker." The HomePod is basically Apple's answer to Amazon Echo and Google Home, though the tech giant wants to up the ante by introducing improved speakers that make it more enticing for audiophiles. At $349 the HomePod's more expensive than its competitors, though $150 cheaper than the Sonos Play 5. We're not too sold on its marshmallow design, though.
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iMac Pro
A new iMac! Apple has long neglected its iMac product line, but WWDC 2017 brought with it some major new announcements for its desktop range, with the introduction of the iMac Pro being chief among these new revelations. The iMac Pro will start at $4,999, boast an 18-core Xeon processor in its top-end model along and finally let creators edit 8K video. Good stuff.
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iMac update
The iMac rarely receives any love, but Apple has decided to change that by bumping its RAM (32GB for the 21.5-inch model, 64GB for the 27-inch) along with faster SSD drives and more competent AMD GPUs. The price of the 21.5-inch 4K iMac has also been driven down to $1,299.
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iOS 11
Apple will launch iOS 11 in September, which includes the return of iMessage Maps, a smarter Siri with a wider range of voices, and a new camera feature that allows an image to "bounce" which is basically just Boomerang. Apple is also going to make Control Center customizable, with multiple tabs appearing on the same screen, making it look a bit like the Resident Evil series' inventory screen. Apple Maps will also receive maps for malls and airports, with a "do not disturb" mode being added for drivers that will see iOS send an auto-reply to let the sender know you're traveling.
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Macbook Pro update
The Macbook Pro will receive a small update with the introduction of Kaby Lake processors and faster SSDs. The 15-inch pro will receive faster graphics, while the 13-inch Pro will also receive an upgrade and a starting price point of $1,299, as opposed to its previous $1,499 price.
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macOS High Sierra
It might not have the most inventive name, but macOS High Sierra boasts some improvements over the last macOS update. Now supporting VR headsets, macOS High Sierra also includes Metal 2, along with support for APFS and HEVC. It also brings with it an improvement to Safari, disabling autoplaying videos by default and banning intrusive advertising cookies to improve users' web browsing experience.
Image Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
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App Store redesign
The App Store is set to receive a complete redesign, introducing a new Today tab along with new Games and Apps tabs, too. The new look shares its appearance with Apple News, with the Today tab hosting a wide selection of original stories and editorial, curated daily by a global team of editors.
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iPad changes
iOS 11 will bring with it a major change to the iPad, with it now boasting a dock that will bring it more in line with macOS. This will allow you to access your most used apps from the bottom of the screen, while files can also be dragged to these icons in order to open them in a specific app.
The iPad Pro will also get a bigger display, with it being bumped from 9.7 inches to 10.5. Though the device itself won't get bigger, it'll look a lot easier on the eyes. An improved A10X chip will also make it snappier.
Image Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
