Apple showed it at WWDC 23

Yesterday, Monday, WWDC 23, Apple’s developer conference of the year, officially started. The kick-off was a two-hour keynote, where the Vision Pro was revealed in the grand finale. But before One More Thing, there were new OS releases and plenty of hardware to see – here are the highlights:

Since the new MacBook started at the keynote, the 15-inch version has a higher resolution for the current Air series. Technically, this is the same 13-inch model, only larger. An M2 chip with 8 cores is also used here.

The new MacBook Air 15 will arrive in Switzerland, starting at 1,399 francs.

It looks even more exciting with the new Macs, which are also equipped with a new processor. The M2 Ultra basically consists of two already known M2 Max devices, same as the M1 generation. Technical improvements are to be expected accordingly.

The new wizard is being used for the first time in the new Mac Studio similarly. Thus, the double-deck version of the Mac mini gets a major upgrade.

The Mac Studio with the popular M2 Max processor will cost CHF 1,099, while the M2 Ultra variant comes in at CHF 1,199.

Last but not least, a new Mac Pro has been announced. The PC also comes with the new M2 Ultra and it’s now even more powerful. It also means that the entire family of Macs is now equipped with Apple processors and Apple can definitely outpace Intel.

The new performance king among Macs will cost no less than CHF7,199. All devices are expected to go on sale early next week.

In terms of software, there were definitely no innovations at this year’s WWDC. Instead, there are some new features and improvements. For example, live voicemail allows you to see what someone is saying on the answering machine in real time. Depending on your mood, the call can still be accepted.

Speaking of answering machines: now there is such a “combox” for Face Time, only in video format. The Drop Name feature also makes it easy to share contact information.

With the new standby feature, your iPhone can also act as a smart display when placed on a charging stand.

Last but not least, with iOS 17, Siri will be even more sensitive. The language assistant now interacts directly with your name, the word “hello” is no longer necessary.

There are fewer innovations on Apple’s tablet operating system. Essentially, this is where some of the existing iPhone features find their way to the iPad. The lock screen on iPad can now be customized and given widgets.

Moreover, iPads will also be able to edit PDF files in the future.

This year, Apple will also provide the Mac operating system with practical tools. It can be placed anywhere on the desktop and adapt to the background when a window is opened.

The Safari web browser is also getting a profile feature. This can be useful for different people or for different purposes.

Apple has also developed new overlays for video calls, which should make virtual conferences feel more natural.

With the announced tvOS release, the design will be completely revised. In addition, it is now possible to find the remote control using the iPhone. Face Time is also finding its way to TV with iPhone cameras. WatchOS is also getting a major design upgrade with some new features.

Last but not least, the AirPods get Adaptive Sound and Custom Volume. Features constantly adjust the volume and cancel noise for the environment. There’s also a new “Conversation Mode”, as is already known from other popular in-ear headphones.

As usual, all features shown are still previews. As usual, iOS 17 and Co won’t be released until the fall. Until then, developers now have time to work on new versions.