Kicking off in San Jose, CA on June 4th, Apple’s WWDC (Worldwide Developer’s Conference) showcases the cutting edge of their technology. The first day of the four-day conference kicked off with their keynote speech. It’s known to typically be the spectacle that hooks everyone, offering up the latest technological advances. While tons of updates were given, here are the facts on what you can expect from the tech giant.
As a change-up from last year, no new hardware was announced this time around. Apple had a lot to atone for, staring down major iOS 11 issues, as well as the iPhone X being the most returned iPhone to date. The biggest announcement from the keynote was the introduction of iOS 12. iOS 12 will put performance and user privacy at the forefront of its development. The focus on improved efficiency and faster loading speeds were on display during the two-hour speech as well. For us festival-goers, Apple has also promised camera loading speeds up to 70% faster – so you won’t miss that last-second bass drop video.
More Focus on Digital Health a Positive Step Forward
A very inspiring feature is the announcement of the “digital health” feature. This will allow the user to limit and maintain healthy viewing times by setting alarms and notifications. The feature gives more functionality to “Do Not Disturb” and family monitoring for parents concerned about their children’s device usage. It is a positive step during a time of disconnect due to overuse.
Apple is also stepping up their AR game (augmented reality) with Memoji, which allows you to create a fully animated self Emoji. The design features a completely interactive Animoji which allows for tongue detection for more expression. In addition, FaceTime is getting a huge boost with the reveal of the “group-calling” function. This will allow for up to 32 people to be on a group FaceTime call simultaneously. It also appears that Siri gets a bump in overall functionality, connecting with a new Shortcut app to help with daily tasks.
While there are tons more goodies and little upgrades, some complained of the overall “underwhelming” nature of the Keynote. However, perhaps the less flashy bells and whistles means that Apple is focusing on what really matters – the consumer experience. Checkout The Verge’s 14-minute crash course of the Keynote below.
