Contents

Apple WWDC keynote

Based on a reading of https://www.anandtech.com/show/15870/the-apple-wwdc-2020-keynote-live-blog.

TLDR: Apple saved their big ARM macOS announcement for the end, dwarfing the rest of their OS(es) announcements, basically.

iOS 14

  1. “App Library”, a revamped home screen. Also: widgets for iOS, finally.
  2. New “Translate” app, translates voice/text between 11 languages. Includes a conversation view, for two people to use on a single device.
  3. Messages app updates, including pinned conversations, Memoji is back [ed: were they ever gone?], inline replies, Mentions.
  4. Maps: cycling directions, albeit not for Singapore (yet), electric vehicle (EV) routing to account for EV charger access.
  5. Carplay: unlock and start your car with your iPhone, perhaps using the U1 chip in cars starting next year.
  6. “App Clip”, an (up to) 10MB in size; i.e., part of a (much bigger) app.

iPadOS 14

  1. Sidebar UI element for apps such as Photos, Notes, and Files.
  2. Calls are merely notifications, rather than full-screen events, and for iOS too!
  3. Pencil support: Auto shapes when drawing, handwriting recognition (e.g., in text fields).

AirPods

  1. Seamless transitions between Apple devices.
  2. Spatial audio for AirPods Pro.

watchOS 7

  1. Multiple complications, displaying several complications on a watch face?
  2. Cycling directions on Maps.
  3. Workout app renamed to “Fitness”.
  4. Sleep tracking, no further details?
  5. “Wind Down” feature, to help users transition towards going to bed; e.g., turn on Do Not Disturb.
  6. Handwashing detection.

macOS

  1. “Big Sur”, very iOS-ish in its outlook at least.
  2. Latest version of Catalyst seems much improved; e.g., Maps for macOS.
  3. Safari, 50% faster than Chrome?

ARM-based SoCs transition

  1. Specifically built for Macs.
  2. All of Apple’s own apps have already been ARMed.
  3. Universal 2: x86 and ARM binaries.
  4. Demos for M$ Word/Excel, Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Docker!, Maya, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Linux VM using Parallels Desktop!
  5. “Apple Development Platform”, A12Z-based dev box in a Mac Mini chassis (16GB memory, 512GB SSD).
  6. iPad/iPhone apps, running natively on macOS!
  7. First customer Mac by the end of this year, 2-year transition.

PS: I’ve skipped over tvOS and Homekit:

https://media.tenor.com/unFf-IWvWuEAAAAC/doesnt-look-like-anything-to-me-westworld.gif