Table of Contents
Introduction
Apple, every year comes up with its WWDC event, around this time of the year. Just like we covered WWDC 2020, we are also here to discuss what’s announced in the WWDC 2021 event. We have already discussed, what we expected at the WWDC 2021 event, but let’s see whether our expectations matched the announcements
Here’s Our WWDC 2021 Event Summary
iOS 15 Summary
In WWDC 2021, Apple announced several new features for iOS 15, if you want to take an in depth look then do go through out detailed coverage on iOS 15. Now lets summarize iOS 15:
Facetime Changes
With iOS 15, Apple has seriously improved FaceTime with several improvements starting with features like:
- Spatial Audio
- Voice Isolation
- Grid View
- Portrait Mode
- Facetime Links
Shareplay
Apple has now introduced Shareplay, allowing you to listen to music or watch a movie together while on a FaceTime call.
Shareplay also enable the user to share his/her screen with the participants in the FaceTime.
Spotlight
Spotlight can now search for photos in your library and, with the help of AI can find texts in the pictures. If you Spotlight search any contact, it will now bring the option to call FaceTime and show shared photos, location, etc.
Live Texts
Live Texts can recognize texts within the pictures and copy them anywhere you want. Live Text can also identify the art, pets, books, etc., in the image and show information about it.
Memories
In your photos app, there is a memories section, which shows your memories with music that suits it. Memory mixes feature mixes your memories with different songs with an intelligent filter to give your memories a new feel.
Notifications Summary
With iOS 15 all your notifications that don’t need your immediate attention are kept together as your Notification Summary.
Do Not Disturb Changes
Do Not Disturb stops all notifications from coming in iOS 15, but it indicates others about it so that they don’t disturb you while working. But if there is an important thing, there is a way to notify you as well.
iMessage Changes
Shared with You
Now the news, music, and photos shared to you via iMessage is present in the news, music, photos app in a section called Shared with you.
Apple Wallet
Apple wallet now integrates your Apple card, car keys, home keys, hotel keys, and personal ID in one app for a seamless experience.
New Weather App
The weather app is getting a redesign with a more accurate representation of sun position, precipitation. It has even more information baked into it like wind speed, wind direction, UV Index etc.
Apple Maps
The all-new Apple Maps is now being introduced to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Australia, and the US, UK, Ireland, and Canada.
Apple maps can also show you which way to go after you come out of a station by scanning the building (this feature is available in London, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Washington DC).
Read | iOS 15 Released in WWDC 2021
AirPods Features
Conversation Boost
This feature focuses the AirPods Pro on the person talking in front of you, helping those with hearing difficulties. Additionally, you can reduce the ambient noise while using Conversation boost for a crystal-clear conversation.
Announce Notifications
If you aren’t close to your iPhone or don’t want to reach for it, you can now ask Siri to read out your notifications.
Spatial Audio
Apple announced that Spatial Audio support is coming to AirPods pro and AirPods Max connected to the M1 Macs and Apple TV.
iPad OS 15 Summary
The iPad OS 15 has been announced in WWDC 2021, and we have covered it in detail. But let’s quickly summarise what all was announced with regards to iPad OS 15.
In iPad OS 15, Apple has brought in new widgets, which are more integrated with the iPad, and can be placed in between apps. Features like the App library and Apple Translate have come to the iPad OS 15, which were earlier only available on iOS devices. This year, the iPad OS 15 is mainly focused on multitasking, and significant enhancements have been made to make it super easy to multitask on the iPad.
The all-new Apple Notes, the re-designed Safari app, and the improved Swift playground app are notable upgrades in the iPad OS 15.
For a detailed insight on iPad OS 15, here’s the full post.
Read | iPad OS 15 announced in WWDC 2021 | Here’s all you need to know.
Privacy Enhancements
In WWDC 2021, Apple has made some advances towards privacy. Apple has now introduced mail privacy protection into its mail app. Essentially this hides your IP address, location and protects you from web-activity crawlers, to secure your data. This is also available in Safari.
This year Apple also introduces App Privacy Report, which gives you an overview on how your privacy is maintained in each app.
Lastly there’s on-device audio recognition, so your Audio doesn’t leave your device.
iCloud and iCloud +
The regular iCloud now brings in a new method of account recovery, where a code is shared with your specified contact. This is faster and simpler than before. There’s also a new feature called Digital Legacy, where your info can be passed on to selected legacy contacts, in your absence.
iCloud + , is a newer addition at the same price, with more features. There’s features like privacy relay, which basically secures your browsing even more. Then there’s hide my email, which creates instant temporary emails, which can be used at any place. These emails forward the emails to your original email, so your real id stays secure.
Lastly, with the help of iCloud +, various smart home devices can be added to the network, to enhance the functionality, and security.
Apple Health App
There have been multiple additions to the Apple Health App. Let’s discuss them is bullet points below.
- Focusses on Mobility
- New Walking Steadiness metric is added
- Analyses Lab data and gives users detailed charts and trends on their lab reports.
- Trends are a new addition, which tracks various metrics like respiratory rate, heart rate, etc. to show a general trend of the user.
- Now users can directly share their Health data with their Doctors securely and privately.
- Family members can also be tracked through the Health Sharing Feature.
Apple Home
There have been multiple additions to the Apple Home. Let’s discuss them is bullet points below.
- Apple TV can be used hands free, with the help of SIRI
- Share-Play is also available on Apple TV
- Homepod mini can now be used as speakers for Apple TV
- Siri can be used to control even more smart home devices, seamlessly.
WatchOS 8
Design Changes in WatchOS 8
- Portrait Watch face: Now in WachOS 8, you can add portrait images from your iPhones as your watch face and play around with the time placement to customise your watch face.
- Redesigned Photos App: WatchOS 8 brings a brand-new Photos App with memory highlights, and you can now share pictures through the photos app on the Apple Watch with your friends and family.
Health Changes in WatchOS 8
- New Breath App: The new breathe app now has a slower and gentle animation for you to be mindful and breathe better from now on.
- New Sleep App: WatchOS 8 now monitors your respiratory behaviours while you are asleep.
- Reflect: It is a positive message accompanied by a pleasing animation to increased positivity and well-being.
Fitness Changes in WatchOS 8
- All new workouts
- Apple Fitness+ Changes: Apple is now adding Jeanette Jenkins fitness workout to Apple Fitness+ and adding artist Spotlight series. Each playlist features a series of exercises with the music from your favourite artists, helping you work on your fitness, allowing you to keep active and fit.
Read | WatchOS 8 launched in Apple’s WWDC 2021
Mac OS Monterey
This year, the macOS Monterey has been announced. This version has some small yet very handy changes.
- Universal Control, is announced. This is a feature that enables Apple users to use the same pair of keyboard and mouse with both Mac and iPad, also enabling cross-platform file transfers. For a detailed outlook, click here.
- Airplay is now also available on Mac
- Shortcuts app comes to Mac.
- Safari is re-designed with better tab grouping. Privacy and Speed have been improved, along with a new floating tab bar for iPhones.
Read | Mac OS Monterey announced in WWDC 2021
Key Announcements for Developers
- New APIs have been announced ( Share play, wide-spectrum audio, always on, etc.)
- Cinema 4d can now generate 3d models from pictures, clicked through the iPhones
- Swift has now a new feature called concurrency, which makes writing codes simpler.
- App Store now has product pages, and the option to have different app icons for testing
- App Store, now also has in-app events to keep users updated and engaged with ongoing events is popular apps.
- Xcode Cloud has been announced, which brings in new features to make app building easier. Key highlights include team support, app-building in the cloud, parallel test running, test-flight for mac, and beta app release to testers.
Conclusion
This was the complete summary of WWDC 2021. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to comment below.
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Here’s a video from verge for a complete video summary