Apple’s WWDC: A retrospective

Good outline from our own Nathan Parker, @parkernathan:

WWDC 2020 Bottom Line

WWDC 2020 recently wrapped up with its first online-only event. While no new consumer hardware was announced during the event, major updates are coming to the operating systems that power Apple devices this fall, and Apple has also kicked off a major processor transition that will affect Mac users for years to come. Here is the WWDC 2020 “bottom line”.

iOS 14:
• Will run on all devices compatible with iOS 13
• Widgets can be pinned to Home Screen (including widgets that swap out at different times)
• New App Library (similar to app drawer in Android, although it still categorizes apps)
• More compact call notifications (both from phone and CallKit apps)
• Picture in Picture arrives for videos and FaceTime calls
• Messages adds: pinned conversations, group images, mentions, inline replies, and new Memoji and stickers
• Maps adds: cycling directions, electric vehicle routing around charging stations, travel guides
• New built-in Translator app, includes offline mode for privacy
• Siri adds: compact interface, improved knowledge and web search, sending audio messages
• Home adds: suggested automations, home status icons at the top of the Home app, adaptive lighting, activity zones, face recognition for HomeKit Secure Video cameras
• Safari adds: built-in translation, performance enhancements, password monitoring, website privacy reports
• CarPlay adds: wallpaper backgrounds, and support for parking, electric vehicle, and food ordering apps
• CarKeys: Use iPhone to unlock and start select car models, arriving first to BMW 5 Series
• AirPods enhancements (to firmware, not hardware): spatial audio support on AirPods Pro, battery notifications, adaptive charging, automatic device switching, accommodations to account for hearing differences, Apple TV audio sharing
• App Clips: Use a part of an app without downloading the entire app
• Privacy enhancements: App Store lists privacy information, recording indicator, migrate existing accounts under Sign In with Apple, share approximate instead of exact location
• App Store now allows app developers to offer the ability to share in-app subscriptions on Family Sharing
• Apple Arcade: New Game Center app (also works with non Apple Arcade apps) and Game Center integration, continue playing feature across devices for games
• ARKit 4 now includes location anchors
• Camera app adds the ability to lock exposure values
• Health enhancements: sleep tracking, sound data collected from headphones, health checklist, new data types for ECG, symptoms, mobility, and health records
• Now includes the ability to set the default web browser and email app to third party apps
(finally!)
• Weather app now includes some integration from the acquisition of Dark Sky
• Apple Music offers a new Listen Now home tab

iPadOS 14:
• Will run on all devices compatible with iPadOS 13
• Will include most but not all new features of iOS 14
• Also includes a new search feature that feels similar to Spotlight on Mac
• Also includes the ability to write in text fields with Apple Pencil (known as Scribble)
• Also includes the ability to copy and paste handwriting
• Also includes data detectors on handwriting

macOS Big Sur:
• Changes release number to 11 (early developer betas show 10.16, but release will be 11)
• Compatible with these Macs (some Catalina Macs will be left out)
• New design for apps, dock, and icons with taller, more translucent menu bar and redesigned sheets, all based on iOS
• New design for Notification Center and widgets
• New Control Center similar to iOS
• Safari adds: Chrome to Safari extension porting, the ability to import Chrome settings, customizable start page, new dedicated extensions category in App Store, new tab design, built-in translation, password monitoring, privacy reports for websites, increased performance and power efficiency
• Maps adds: cycling directions, electric vehicle routing around charging stations, travel guides, look around, indoor maps
• App Store adds additional app privacy information
• Photos adds improved ML photo editing
• AirPods support adds automatic device switching
• Home adds: activity zones and face recognition to HomeKit Secure Video cameras
• Apple Music adds new Listen Now home tab
• Siri enhancements include increased Siri knowledge
• Optimized battery charging and usage history comes to all Mac notebooks
• macOS System now signed
• Faster macOS updates
• Return of the Boot Chime, new tweaked system sounds

watchOS 7:
• Available for Apple Watch Series 3 or later
• New watch faces, complications, and the ability for app developers to offer more complications for third-party apps
• Adds the ability to share watch faces
• Ability to download watch fasces from the App Store or online
• Workouts adds: dance, functional strength training, core training, and post-workout cooldown
• Maps adds bike routes
• New automatic handwashing timer and reminder to wash hands when arriving home
• Siri adds: translation, on-device dictation, and Siri Shortcuts
• New hearing features: Safe weekly listening threshold when using earphones, weekly listening summary, reduce loud sounds
• Drops support for Force Touch

tvOS Enhancements:
• Multi-user gaming
• HomeKit Secure Video feeds from cameras
• Picture-in-picture
• AirPods audio sharing
• YouTube and AirPlay now supports 4K on the Apple TV 4K

HomePod gains support for third-party music services

Apple Silicon Transition:
• Apple announced it is transitioning its Macs from Intel processors to processors based on its A Series chips used in other Apple devices (also based on ARM)
• First Mac with Apple Silicon ships by year end, Mac Mini Developer Transition Kit based on A12Z available now for developers to lease, more Intel Macs arriving this year
• Transition to likely be complete within two years
• macOS upgrades for Intel Macs supported for “years”
• Apple Silicon Macs will natively run iOS and iPadOS apps
• First Apple Silicon Mac will run macOS Big Sur
• Developers can build “Universal 2” apps that run on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs (similar to “Universal” apps during the PowerPC to Intel transition)
• “Rosetta 2” runs Intel-only apps on Apple Silicon Macs while developers work to port their Macs to “Universal 2” (works similar to “Rosetta” during the PowerPC to Intel transition, although with faster performance than the older “Rosetta” technology), virtualization with Linux works but not for Windows apps or Boot Camp at the moment
• Boot and recovery mode and Mac sharing (Target Disk Mode replacement) streamlined on Apple Silicon Macs