WWDC 2023: From iOS 17 to Apple Vision Pro, Know the BIGGEST announcements from the Apple event

The Apple WWDC 2023 keynote session made a wide range of hardware and software announcements. From iOS 17, Apple Vision Pro to MacBook Air, know the biggest announcements from the event.

Know the biggest announcements from the Apple WWDC 2023. (AP)

Apple CEO Tim Cook began the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023's keynote session with a line that will be in people's minds for a while. He said, “Today we're going to make some of our biggest announcements ever at WWDC”. And big they were. In a show that ran for a little over two hours, Apple presenters were rushing as they showcased software and hardware products that were simply superb and could have headlined any event in a different year. We saw iOS 17 with a journal app, a standby display and customization features, the new M2 Ultra chip, Mac Pro getting Apple silicon for the first time, and more. And the reason for the unseemly rush became apparent by the time the second hour of the keynote session began. Apple gave almost an hour to the announcement of its newest product, the Apple Vision Pro.

If you were one of those who could not match up to the lightning speed of the announcement made by Apple regarding other products, then do not worry. Let us take a look at the biggest announcements made at the WWDC 2023 keynote session.

The show starts with MacBooks

The first thing to be announced at the event was the new 15.3-inch MacBook Air. The laptop gets a Liquid Retina display, an Apple M2 chip, a battery life of 18 hours (as claimed by Apple), and a six-speaker sound system. Apple also claimed it to be the thinnest laptop in the world with a thickness of 11.5mm. It starts at $1299.

Announcing the product, John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering said, “The new MacBook Air is the world's best 15-inch laptop”.

The next announcement was Mac Studio which received a new performance upgrade. The Mac Studio comes in two variants: one with the M2 Max chip and one with the new M2 Ultra chip. It starts at $1999. The Mac Pro also got a big upgrade and finally featured Apple silicon. The new MacBook Pro will be equipped with the M2 Ultra chip. It has a starting price of $6999.

Then comes the Software announcements

iOS 17: Apple began its software announcements by unveiling iOS 17. Some of the biggest features in this year's iterative software update for iPhones include Live Voicemail, using which users can see a live scrolling text of what the caller is saying before picking up their phone, customizable call screens called Contact Posters, Name Drop that lets you easily share contact cards, and improvements to SharePlay.

Apart from that, the iMessage app also got a bunch of features including filter-based searching, swipe to reply feature, transcribing voice messages, Live stickers, improved emoji stickers, and more. A new journal app and a more capable autocorrect feature have also been added.

iPadOS 17: The iPadOS 17 gets a new personalized lock screen, Live Activities, more widgets, and an easier way to work with PDFs.

macOS 14: Known as Sonoma, the new macOS got a widget-heavy update. It also received a new game mode that limits distractions. There is a new game porting development kit as well.

watchOS 10: The watchOS received the biggest update among all other software. It features new widgets and redesigned apps, a new widget stack that can be accessed through the digital crown, new watchfaces, a new Mindfulness app for mental health care, new cycling features, and more.

Apart from this tvOS 17 and a new visionOS were also announced.

One more thing…

Whenever you hear the phrase, ‘One more thing' during an Apple keynote, you know things are going to get crazy. And just like every other time in the past, Apple did not disappoint. After saying the iconic phrase, Cook unveiled the newest product line of the company, Apple Vision Pro.

The Apple Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset that uses augmented reality and virtual reality elements to create an immersive experience of what the company calls ‘spatial computing'. Users will see a 3D version of the interface and apps in front of them, and it can be interacted with. It works completely on eye tracking and gesture control and it even features a virtual keyboard.

Apple says that there are 23 million micro-OLED pixels across displays, meaning there are more pixels in a postage stamp-sized area than what you can get on a 4K TV! It also houses 5 sensors and 12 cameras. Powering all this tech is a fan-cooled computer with an M2 chip and a new R1 chip. While the M2 chip ensures that you get an incredible performance, the R1 chip makes sure that everything you see in front of you is happening in real-time. It has an external battery that lasts up to two hours and can connect via a woven cable that you can easily put in your pockets.

The Apple Vision Pro has been priced starting at $3499 and will be available to purchase starting in early 2024.