iOS 17, AR glasses... See the 5 highlights of this year's WWDC23 in advance

The annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will kick off at 01:00 a.m. on June 6, Beijing time. Apple recently launched an AR easter egg for WWDC23. You can use the Safari browser of your iOS device to enter the Apple Events website, and then click on the LOGO animation in the center of the screen to see this easter egg through the camera.

In addition, Apple Music has also launched the WW DC23 Power UP playlist, go and listen to see if there are any songs you like.

This year’s WWDC23 will still be mainly online events, and some developers and student representatives were fortunate enough to be invited to Apple Park to watch speeches and communicate face-to-face with Apple employees.

However, compared with previous years, the content of WWDC23 seems to be particularly rich. Even the length of the keynote speech may exceed 2 hours, making it the longest WWDC speech in history. And that may include a much-anticipated new product—the Apple head-mounted display device may really be coming.

So what are the revelations about this head-mounted display device, and what other highlights will appear at WWDC23? In this article, Minority will combine relevant domestic and foreign intelligence to provide you with forward-looking content about WWDC23. At this WWDC23 Global Developers Conference, minorities are also invited to go to Apple Park in the United States to report on the ground, bringing you first-hand information and in-depth analysis about WWDC.

▍Reality Pro and xrOS

Despite the expectations of many, every rumor of an Apple headset device has failed to materialize. However, the closer we get to WWDC23, the relevant news becomes more and more real. Bloomberg analyzed the WWDC23 posters and said that Apple conference posters have historically hidden clues about the content of the conference, so we can also get some hints from the WWDC23 posters.

Apple created a number of posters for this WWDC23. One of the posters with an arc pattern is considered to represent Apple Park. However, upon closer inspection, we will find that this is likely to symbolize the commonly used in the optical field. "Fresnel lens".

In addition, the color matching of all WWDC23 posters presents an effect similar to an optical phenomenon. Combined with past news about "Apple will use hybrid Fresnel lenses," these clues seem to further confirm that Apple will release a self-developed head-mounted display device at WWDC23.

Apple’s patent diagram / U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Judging from the information currently available, Apple’s head-mounted display device may be named “Reality Pro” instead of the rumored “Apple Glass”, and has the following characteristics in terms of hardware:

• The device is light and comfortable, the weight (without battery) is kept below 300g, and hopefully less than 200g of a Sony mobile phone, the headband is made of materials similar to Apple Watch straps, and the fit is The facial part is made of mesh breathable material;

• There will be a button on each side to control the device, one of which will be similar to the crown knob of the Apple Watch;

Appearance design (zelbo.nyc)

• Equipped with an M-series processor with powerful performance, which means that Reality Pro can run independently without relying on any external computing power;

• Does not support the 3.5mm headphone jack, but is equipped with an H2 audio chip to form a low-latency connection with second-generation AirPods Pro and newer products;

• According to the news, its internal display components are provided by Sony, including two 1.41-inch 4K Micro-OLED panels. The peak brightness of a single panel may exceed 5,000 nits. The parameters on paper are a bit "ridiculously high";

• The outside of the device will also be equipped with a low-power display provided by Samsung to facilitate interaction with others while wearing the device;

Appearance rendering (9to5Mac)

• Provides a "mixed reality" application that supports both VR and AR effects (seems to be similar to Microsoft HoloLens), and switches display modes through physical knobs;

• Uses a hybrid Fresnel lens combination to provide a maximum field of view of 120°; supports electric interpupillary distance adjustment, eye tracking and focus rendering functions;

• Powered by an external independent battery pack that can be worn around the waist to reduce the user's physical burden and connected to the headset via a MagSafe magnetic cable;

• The device is equipped with several optical cameras and LiDAR components on the outside, which can track facial expressions, capture body movements, and scan 3D environmental data; there is also news that Reality Pro will be equipped with an iris scanning function for authentication (Samsung silently leaked tears).

Leaked Component Photos (MacRumors)

In terms of software, Reality Pro will be equipped with “xrOS” (or “realityOS”) developed by Apple specifically for head-mounted display devices. According to @stroughtonsmith, Apple has not even removed relevant clues about this system from one of its open source projects.

It is reported that the system has a UI interface similar to iOS or macOS and supports running iOS and iPadOS applications in 2D mode. Apple will provide a new development kit for developers to create, and will also build an App Store dedicated to head-mounted devices to provide users with games and applications. According to reports, the audio game “Beat Saber”, which has been extremely popular on the VR platform, may be launched first and become a demonstration content at WWDC23.

xrOS trademark registered in New Zealand (MacRumors)

As a member of the Apple ecosystem, Reality Pro and the system will of course support linking, interaction, data transmission and other functions with various devices, such as typing through iPhone, serving as a display for Mac devices, etc. As a heavyweight product with high hopes, we still have to look forward to the live coverage of WWDC23 as to the true appearance of Reality Pro.

▍iOS 17 and iPadOS 17

Eager for Reality Pro and xrOS but can’t get it? It's better to look at information that is more relevant to you.

The time has arrived in 2023, and iOS is about to undergo its 17th major version update. However, there may not be any major updates to iOS at this WWDC23. One of the reasons is that Apple may have put more focus on Reality Pro and xrOS, so iOS 17 was initially more inclined to bug fixes and detail optimization, but later Apple also added some new features that users need Function.

As for iPadOS, since it comes from the same school as iOS, some of its features are also applicable, so we won’t mention them separately here.

European region supports sideloading, application library or supporting naming

If we were to list the top 10 hot news in the technology circle some time ago, then EU legislation requiring mobile phone manufacturers to support sideloading applications would definitely be among the top three. According to Bloomberg, Apple has planned to open the app sideloading function starting from iOS 17, but it will only be piloted in the EU region at first. Apple has always been opposed to sideloading apps, believing that enabling sideloading would undermine the privacy and security of iOS devices. In order to protect device security as much as possible when enabling sideloading, Apple plans to introduce verification features in iOS similar to macOS to ensure that sideloaded apps from non-App Store can also be used safely.

Another update in application management is that iOS 17 may support the renaming function of application library folders. Before this, each folder category had a name automatically generated by the system based on the application category.

Support Reality Pro devices, equipped with new CarPlay

As mentioned just now, Reality Pro is very likely to be released at WWDC23, and as a member of the Apple ecosystem, it will support linkage with iPhone devices. Therefore, in order to ensure the integrity of Apple’s ecosystem, iOS 17 will inevitably support new devices.

At WWDC22, Apple released a new CarPlay, which can achieve deep integration and control with cars. In order to adapt to the increasing number of "big color TVs" in current cars, the new CarPlay also provides multi-screen linkage. Function.

Car manufacturers including Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo will launch models that are fully adapted to the new version of CarPlay by the end of 2023. Considering that it is already mid-2023, it is very likely that the new CarPlay will be announced on iOS 17 at WWDC23.

Expand Smart Island application scenarios

On the iPhone 14 Pro series, Apple has developed an interaction method called "Dynamic Island" based on the new screen opening method.

On iOS 17, the interactive interface of the voice assistant Siri is also expected to be integrated into it, so that the screen content can be kept intact to the greatest extent and not blocked by the "ball" of Siri. Earlier reports claimed that all four iPhone 15 models may be equipped with Smart Island functionality.

Picture / Apple

The lock screen interface will have more information display and richer UI customization options

In iOS 16, apps can use Live Activity to display key information directly on the lock screen in the form of cards, and Maps will take over the lock screen to display navigation information. iOS 17 will improve this feature. Apps can display important advertising information in a larger area. Maps goes one step further and can display real-time maps and route planning directly on the lock screen. Custom lock screen interface options may be richer, and iPadOS 17 will also implement this feature.

Redesigned Live Activity interface concept diagram / MacRumors

The iOS 17 lock screen interface will also closely follow Apple’s in-depth layout of smart home. According to Bloomberg, after updating to iOS 17, when the iPhone is horizontally attached to the MagSafe charging base, the iPhone lock screen will display the smart home control interface, and can also display common information such as schedule, weather, etc., further enhancing the functionality of the iOS device. Smart home properties.

Speaking of which, there are indeed many bloggers recently teaching everyone how to turn idle iPhones and iPads into home hubs, such as fixed screen displays, homemade magnetic tools, etc. This time, Apple has directly provided a more convenient "transformation" method. Can it also be seen as encouraging users to reuse idle devices? If you’re wondering whether your device can be upgraded to iOS 17 and iPad 17, read on.

In addition, iOS 17 may also optimize desktop widgets, control center and wallpaper effects in terms of UI , such as adding more interactive functions to desktop widgets and adjusting the control center The display method and so on, but the final effect will still have to wait until WWDC23 to be revealed.

Auxiliary functions are also supported by AI

The accessibility features of Apple devices have always been a benchmark in the industry. In a recent official press release, Apple introduced upcoming accessibility updates, including a streamlined interface for users with cognitive impairments, and Live Speech and Personal Voice features for users with hearing impairments.

The Live Speech function can help people with language impairments "speak". Users only need to enter text, and iPhone, iPad or Mac can convert it into speech.

It seems that Live Speech is similar to the ordinary speech-to-text function. In fact, Live Speech can even play a role in phone calls and FaceTime. What's even more gratifying is that Personal Voice integrated in Live Speech allows people with speech impairments to "leave their own voice."

Live Speech and Personal Voice Chart / Apple

Personal Voice is seamlessly integrated with Live Speech and is mainly aimed at users who can still speak but are at risk of losing their language ability. This feature uses machine learning to imitate the voices of speech-impaired people, so that when using Live Speech, it can produce a voice that is very similar to the user. This is a warmer way of communication for many people with language impairments and their families.

For visually impaired users, iOS 17 will also update the magnifying glass and point-to-read functions. When using the Magnifying Glass app, users can point to the text they want to read or the button they want to press, and the device can combine data from the camera and LiDAR to read the corresponding text.

Magnifying glass and pointing reading picture / Apple

There are also some app updates and feature improvements

It is reported that iOS 17 will also bring updates to a series of apps:

• The Health App will optimize the interface design and add emotion tracking and vision-related health functions. At the same time, iPad users can also use the Health App on the device;

The wallet app will also feature a new design incorporating card search function and an additional feature navigation bar for further classification.

• Apple Music may support displaying lyrics on the lock screen;

• The brightness of the flashlight will support stepless adjustment;

• Enhanced Find My service functions and improved AirPlay performance.

Wallet and Health Interface Concept Picture / 9to5Mac

In addition, according to the Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to develop a new diary App. Leveraging the advantages of the Apple ecosystem, this first-party diary app can access some health information as part of the diary content while ensuring security. If this app can be successfully developed, it will be released as a built-in app for iOS 17 along with the system update.

Let’s look at it together with the “health function will add emotion tracking function” mentioned just now. The two seem to be closely related. Perhaps this is also part of Apple’s health map.

Support range for iOS 17 and iPadOS 17

Compared with iOS 16, iOS 17 does not have many "qualitative" improvements, so most devices that can currently run iOS 16 can still be upgraded to iOS 17; more controversial devices As for the iPhone X and iPhone 8 series, there is currently no reliable news to determine whether they support upgrading to iOS 17.

iPadOS 17 can support the 2017 iPad Pro, the third-generation iPad Air, the sixth-generation iPad and the fifth-generation iPad mini at the earliest. Models newer than these can safely use the latest version of the system; while the first-generation The 9.7-inch iPad Pro, the first-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and the fifth-generation iPad will most likely miss iPadOS 17.

▍macOS 14 and Mac

macOS will also release a new version at WWDC23, but so far, there is only a handful of information about the new macOS 14 at home and abroad, which may also indicate from the side that macOS 14 will not have major changes. MacRumors discussed in a podcast what may be updated in macOS 14, such as Safari, Mail, the notification panel, and widget features that may be updated with iOS 17, etc.

By convention, each new version of macOS will have a new name (such as Oreo and Pie...sorry walking to the Android set). Parker Ortolani, who once correctly predicted the name of macOS, gave a list of names that macOS 14 may adopt. These are all trademarks that Apple has registered. Now that you have seen this, why not tell me in the comment area which one do you think Apple might choose as the name of macOS 14?

In addition to macOS, WWDC23 may also launch new Mac devices. There is currently news that Apple is developing and iterating multiple MacBook product lines, among which the 15-inch MacBook Air is very likely to be launched at WWDC23 and will use M2 series chips.

The Mac desktop device product line is also likely to release new models at WWDC23. The new devices are expected to upgrade the chip to a higher-specification M2 chip (possibly M2 Max and M2 Ultra). For the new M3 series chips, it is expected that corresponding products will not be launched until 2024.

WWDC22 released MacBook Air equipped with M2 chip picture / Bloomberg

In addition, according to the news, after WWDC23, Mac Studio devices using M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro devices using M2 chips will support trade-in. If you have these devices, consider replacing them with M3 devices in the future.

▍watchOS 10

Compared with the minor macOS 14, watchOS 10 is likely to be the biggest change update since the release of watchOS, especially in terms of user interface.

Picture / MacRumors

The new design of watchOS 10 is more similar to iOS in many places, such as the use of a new home screen layout and the ability to create application folders; and the former "Glances" interface style may return to watchOS 10, with widget functions also Stacking and switching will be supported just like iOS.

Former "Glances" style picture / MacRumors

It is reported that the weight of the widget function has been improved on watchOS 10. When using the crown button, you will not return to the application home screen, but will jump to the widget interface.

It can be seen that for a long time to come, the widget function will become one of the important ways for users to browse and operate Apple Watch. In response to this possible change, Parker Ortolani built a concept animation for it. Judging from the reactions in the comment area, the vast majority of users are still looking forward to such interface changes.

In terms of compatibility, all Apple Watches currently capable of running watchOS 9 can be upgraded to watchOS 10, that is, Apple Watch Series 4 and newer devices. Beyond that, there's not much information yet about other improvements in watchOS 10.

▍tvOS 17

tvOS 17 does not seem to appear in the WWDC23 keynote speech, but considering that tvOS has not been "taken seriously" for a long time, it is still possible that it will appear as one of the new content released at WWDC23.

Still, based on current news, it still looks like there won’t be major changes in tvOS 17. In addition to the routine optimization and upgrade of the system interface on Apple TV devices, a more likely update is that after the introduction of Matter support for tvOS last year, tvOS 17 may update smart home functions, such as upgrading Home. The app’s interface, optimized operation methods, etc. tvOS on HomePod devices will allow Siri to support more languages.

Picture / Apple

In terms of functions, since tvOS relies more on Apple’s existing services, tvOS will also gain more functions after business sectors such as Apple TV, Arcade, and Fitness are updated and upgraded.

In terms of compatibility, Apple has never planned obsolescence to restrict older devices from obtaining tvOS updates, so even the earliest 2015 Apple TV devices and the first-generation HomePod are likely to continue to be upgraded to tvOS 17.

▍Summary

Based on the above information, you must have the same feeling as me: Apple must have devoted all its attention to Reality Pro and xrOS during this period, so that other products have not received much substantial improvement. But think about it from another angle. We are already too familiar with iOS, watchOS, macOS, etc. General system updates are difficult to stimulate our tired nerves. At this time, if a novel and era-significant new product like Reailty Pro appears, Products may rekindle our curiosity about the digital and technological circles.

So what are your hopes for this WWDC23, or what news do you have to share? Welcome to the comment area to have a friendly discussion with everyone.

Original link:

https://sspai.com/post/80107?utm_source=wechat&utm_medium=social

Author: Noah_Choi

Editor:waychane

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