Lucas Media thoughts on the Apple event which kicked off WWDC 2024
Here are some brief thoughts of what happened at the Apple event that kicked off the World Wide Developer Conference 2024. There was a huge amount of content and software previewed as always.
Apple Intelligence was the star of the show and surprisingly they used the end of the presentation to preview this. They might of included the features and how it worked during the presentation and showed how the operating systems integrated with it but they didn’t. maybe they thought it would not have as much impact as showing it in its own section at the end.
Apple are not usually the first to the party with software they quietly work in the background watching what every other companies release and they then make their own version which is usually more thought out and practical for the user base.
They have really done themselves proud with the AI integration with privacy at the heart of the whole process. Seeing some of the practical uses in the demo’s will really enhance productivity for future Apple users.
Here we cover a couple of nuggets that caught our eye whilst watching and the possible implications that they might have on the future.
There has been an inside running joke for a number of years whenever there is an Apple event. This is who is going to be 'sherlocked' this time?
Being sherlocked means who are Apple going to indirectly 'copy' and make the product their own. This has happened many times over the years and many developers are always hoping that it isn't going to be them this time.
After last nights event there seems to be a number of new features that have also been targeted. One of the most direct is the new passwords app built into the OS. This is a direct competitor to apps like 1Password and LastPass. It’s not sure at this stage whether it is a good idea going all in with Apple's new built in version. It will however make it a lot easier for users to actively manage their passwords more effectively if you don't use any software currently to do this.
The main feature which really caught our eye is the new 'Image Playground' feature which is a direct play at the whole AI generated image space.
Is this going to affect platforms like MidJourney?
The demos only showed more cartoon type image creations and integration with the new genmoji feature. This feature has of course distanced itself away from any photorealistic imagery at this stage because Apple always play it safe.
You can see Apple building on this and making the iPhone an even more immersive space in the future. There will also be specific new features in the future iPhone line that will be used to sell even more phones.
The iPhone isn't going anywhere Apple continue to build and innovate, at their own pace, and will continue to do so for a very long time.
Apple WWDC 2024 Launch Event Highlights
Introduction of iOS 18
- Enhanced privacy features
- Redesigned Control Center
- Advanced AI integrations for Siri and system-wide functionalities
- Improved messaging app with new stickers and effects
macOS Sequoia
- Performance boosts and lower power consumption
- New collaboration tools and enhanced continuity features
- Updated system apps with more customisation options
watchOS 11
- Enhanced health and fitness tracking
- More detailed sleep tracking and mental health features
- New watch faces and customisation options
iPadOS 18
- Improved multitasking capabilities
- Enhanced Pencil integration with new drawing and note taking features
- Desktop-class browsing experience
VisionOS Updates
- Introduction of "Reality Kit" for developers
- Improved AR/VR performance and new immersive experiences
- Expanded content partnerships for VR applications
Developer Tools and Enhancements
- New APIs for augmented reality and machine learning
- Xcode 16 with improved development tools and debugging capabilities
- SwiftUI advancements for easier and more powerful app development
You can watch the whole event presentation video here
Apple Intelligence was the star of the show and surprisingly they used the end of the presentation to preview this. They might of included the features and how it worked during the presentation and showed how the operating systems integrated with it but they didn’t. maybe they thought it would not have as much impact as showing it in its own section at the end.
Apple are not usually the first to the party with software they quietly work in the background watching what every other companies release and they then make their own version which is usually more thought out and practical for the user base.
They have really done themselves proud with the AI integration with privacy at the heart of the whole process. Seeing some of the practical uses in the demo’s will really enhance productivity for future Apple users.
Here we cover a couple of nuggets that caught our eye whilst watching and the possible implications that they might have on the future.
There has been an inside running joke for a number of years whenever there is an Apple event. This is who is going to be 'sherlocked' this time?
Being sherlocked means who are Apple going to indirectly 'copy' and make the product their own. This has happened many times over the years and many developers are always hoping that it isn't going to be them this time.
After last nights event there seems to be a number of new features that have also been targeted. One of the most direct is the new passwords app built into the OS. This is a direct competitor to apps like 1Password and LastPass. It’s not sure at this stage whether it is a good idea going all in with Apple's new built in version. It will however make it a lot easier for users to actively manage their passwords more effectively if you don't use any software currently to do this.
The main feature which really caught our eye is the new 'Image Playground' feature which is a direct play at the whole AI generated image space.
Is this going to affect platforms like MidJourney?
The demos only showed more cartoon type image creations and integration with the new genmoji feature. This feature has of course distanced itself away from any photorealistic imagery at this stage because Apple always play it safe.
You can see Apple building on this and making the iPhone an even more immersive space in the future. There will also be specific new features in the future iPhone line that will be used to sell even more phones.
The iPhone isn't going anywhere Apple continue to build and innovate, at their own pace, and will continue to do so for a very long time.
Apple WWDC 2024 Launch Event Highlights
Introduction of iOS 18
- Enhanced privacy features
- Redesigned Control Center
- Advanced AI integrations for Siri and system-wide functionalities
- Improved messaging app with new stickers and effects
macOS Sequoia
- Performance boosts and lower power consumption
- New collaboration tools and enhanced continuity features
- Updated system apps with more customisation options
watchOS 11
- Enhanced health and fitness tracking
- More detailed sleep tracking and mental health features
- New watch faces and customisation options
iPadOS 18
- Improved multitasking capabilities
- Enhanced Pencil integration with new drawing and note taking features
- Desktop-class browsing experience
VisionOS Updates
- Introduction of "Reality Kit" for developers
- Improved AR/VR performance and new immersive experiences
- Expanded content partnerships for VR applications
Developer Tools and Enhancements
- New APIs for augmented reality and machine learning
- Xcode 16 with improved development tools and debugging capabilities
- SwiftUI advancements for easier and more powerful app development
You can watch the whole event presentation video here