In Pics: Apple’s 5 big announcements at WWDC

Apple on Monday launched a bunch of refinements in its all four platforms – tv, watch, mac and iOS – with iOS 11, watchOS 4 and updates to its Mac line of desktops and notebooks.

Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing announces the new Apple HomePod during the annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, California, June 5, 2017. (Reuters)

Apple nodded to several up-and-coming technology trends, unveiling a new "smart" home speaker and device features touching on virtual reality, online privacy and a form of artificial intelligence called machine learning.

HomePod and Siri with new voice

The speaker unveiled on Monday is similar to devices from rivals, some of which have been on the market for years. Like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, Apple's HomePod speaker will play music while also helping people to manage their lives and homes.

The HomePod speaker is photographed in a a showroom during an announcement of new products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference Monday, June 5, 2017, in San Jose , California. (AP)

The HomePod speaker is photographed in a a showroom during an announcement of new products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference Monday, June 5, 2017, in San Jose , California. (AP)

Unlike those other smart speakers, Apple is positioning the HomePod primarily as a way to listen to and discover new songs and artists.

Siri, a digital assistant that has been on Apple's iPhone since 2011, will be voice activated to respond to requests for information and other help around the house.

New iMacs

Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President Software Engineering speaks under a projection image of an iMac computer . (Reuters)

Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President Software Engineering speaks under a projection image of an iMac computer . (Reuters)

Apple says that makes the Mac a great platform for developing virtual-reality experiences.

John Knoll of Industrial Light & Magic, right, speaks about virtual reality . (AP)

John Knoll of Industrial Light & Magic, right, speaks about virtual reality . (AP)

High Sierra

Apple's latest operating system for Mac computers, called High Sierra, recognizes more faces automatically, which should make it easier to organize photos, and will offer more photo editing tools.

Craig Federighi at the 2017 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). (AFP)

Craig Federighi at the 2017 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). (AFP)

New iPhone and iPad features

New features in iPhones and iPads include messages that sync to Apple servers in the cloud. iPhones will only keep the most recent messages on the device to save storage.

Tim Cook, CEO, holds an iPad Pro (Reuters)

Tim Cook, CEO, holds an iPad Pro (Reuters)

Apple is also bringing the ability to pay back a friend or other individual through its payment service, Apple Pay. Before, transactions had been limited to products and services from businesses and institutions.

An Apple pencil is demonstrated in a showroom during an announcement of new products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference Monday, June 5, 2017. (AP)

An Apple pencil is demonstrated in a showroom during an announcement of new products at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference Monday, June 5, 2017. (AP)

Apple is trying to make augmented reality a reality with new tools for iPhones and iPads. Augmented reality is the blending of the physical and virtual worlds.

Craig Federighi speaks about 'Augmented Reality' . (Reuters)

Craig Federighi speaks about 'Augmented Reality' . (Reuters)

Apple is making software tools available for outside app writers to design apps with augmented reality. The tools will make hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads capable of the technology. This will be part of the iOS 11 software update for iPhones and iPads. It's expected in September.

Watch the watch

Kevin Lynch, VP of Technology at Apple, speaks near a projection of an Apple Watch (Reuters)

Kevin Lynch, VP of Technology at Apple, speaks near a projection of an Apple Watch (Reuters)

Apple Watch is bringing Siri front and centre. The smartwatch promises to learn about your routines to figure out what information to display. That could include a reminder to make a call or a flight reservation.

Apple's Kevin Lynch speaks about the Apple Watch announcement of new products. (AP)

Apple's Kevin Lynch speaks about the Apple Watch announcement of new products. (AP)

The operating system for Apple Watch is also being updated, including new watch faces, more personalized alerts that use machine learning to tailor information to you based on your routines and tastes.