Apple's highly anticipated WWDC keynote is finally here. For 2024, expect the Worldwide Developers Conference to deliver the usual annual updates to Apple's platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and more, as well as the software for the Vision Pro headset, which was introduced at WWDC 2023 and went on sale a few months ago. But this year, all eyes will be on how the tech giant will up its game on the AI front (which apparently may get branded as Apple Intelligence). In addition to AI-powered updates throughout the company's ecosystem, we're also hearing that Apple might be readying a brand new... Calculator app? We'll get the details once the keynote kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET today. I'm already on site with my colleague Devindra Hardawar, and we're prepping to bring you all the news, as well as the most important insights, like how Apple's snacks compare to the likes of Microsoft and Google's events. Plus, what do you think the new macOS will be named after? Stay tuned for ongoing live updates.
Everything Apple announced at WWDC 2024, including iOS 18, AI with Apple Intelligence and more
iOS 18 (Apple)
Missed our liveblog? We've got a big ol' article just for you. Today's keynote for Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference teased a lot of what users can expect later this year when all of its major software updates roll out. Big changes coming to iOS 18, macOS Sequoia and watchOS 11 include RCS support, a new Passwords app, a revamped Calculator app and a bunch of artificial intelligence (AI) infusions across the board thanks to the new "Apple Intelligence" system.
As rumored, Apple confirmed at WWDC 2024 that it’s made a deal with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to the iPhone and other devices. GPT-4o will power cloud-based AI queries in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.
Apple is going all in on AI in the most Apple way possible. At WWDC, the company’s annual conference for developers, the company revealed Apple Intelligence, an Apple-branded version of AI that is more focused on infusing its software with the technology and upgrading existing apps to make them more useful. Apple Intelligence will be powered both by Apple’s homegrown tech as well as a partnership with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, Apple announced.
Like Devindra said, thanks for joining us! We're off to see what demos are available and will be taking a zillion meetings over the next two days, where we expect to learn more about things that were previewed today. Stick around to Engadget.com for more coverage and reports from WWDC 2024, we'll have lots to share!
John Falcone
Apple CEO Tim Cook summarizing all of today's big announcements. (Apple)
Apple's new AI-powered Siri can use apps for you
Siri's new AI powers. (Apple)
As expected, Apple’s assistant is about to get much more helpful thanks to a load of new AI-powered capabilities. During WWDC, the company previewed a new version of Siri that can take actions on your behalf and understand a wide range of new queries.
The new version of Siri has a better understanding of the apps on your phone and will be able to take more than 100 actions based on your activity and device.
Thanks for joining us folks, this has been an onslaught of news!
Cherlynn Low
Cook is laying out what the rest of the week looks like for the developers that are here for WWDC. This is, after all, a developer conference. Who else would make the apps that actually work for us? Cook thanks us and we're done!
Devindra Hardawar
"Personal intelligence" is the phrase Apple has used more than "artificial intelligence." The framing makes all the difference. Apple Intelligence will power tools that actually have context around you and your data, instead of just being based on a collection of stolen content from the internet.
Cherlynn Low
Apple Intelligence will be available to try out in US English this summer, and it's coming to iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia this fall. "This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for personal intelligence," Federighi adds.
Devindra Hardawar
Generative intelligence is also coming to Xcode (developers around us cheered as this was announced). This sounds very similar to Microsoft's Github Copilot, which has been available for years.
Cherlynn Low
"This is AI for the rest of us," Federighi is saying. Apple Intelligence, of course, not that other AI.
Devindra Hardawar
Apple is making it easy for developers to integrate AI features. If a dev has been using SiriKit, they don't have to do much extra work to take advantage of the new Siri AI features.
John Falcone
Here's the big summary slide for all of the Apple Intelligence announcements. (Apple)
Devindra Hardawar
You can also use ChatGPT to create stories on-demand, or its sibling Dall E to create images. No surprises here. ChatGPT integration is coming to all of Apple's new operating systems later this year.
Cherlynn Low
Federighi actually called OpenAI's ChatGPT the best of the advanced generative AI models out there (I'm slightly paraphrasing). The company is integrating access to ChatGPT in its own products to reduce the need to jump between services and apps.
Devindra Hardawar
The ChatGPT results also stay within the Siri pop-up. you're not being sent elsewhere.
Devindra Hardawar
You can ask Siri about something, and it can ask if you want to reference ChatGPT about it. The confirmation is key
Devindra Hardawar
ChatGPT gets a shout out as the market leader of generative AI.
Devindra Hardawar
Instant transcriptions just made the Notes app 100x more helpful to me.
Cherlynn Low
We're going back to Federighi for anything more on Apple Intelligence. He says what we've seen today is "just the beginning" and telling us a bit more on the Notes app. You can use the recorder on your Notes app, and Apple Intelligence will deliver a transcription when you hit stop. This is also coming to the Phone app. Apple Intelligence is coming for free on iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia.
Devindra Hardawar
On-demand memory creation seems very useful — at least for lazy folks like me who always putt off editing and organizing family photos and videos.
Cherlynn Low
These updates to Photos are "built on a foundation of privacy," like all of Apple Intelligence.
Cherlynn Low
Sifting through your pictures to create videos and memories can be quite the chore if you have a ton of photos from your vacation. Apple Intelligence can help pick out the best photos and videos, craft a storyline with chapters based on themes it detected in your pictures and add background music and transitions.
John Falcone
Apple is catching up with Google's Magic Eraser feature by making it easier to remove unwanted people or items from a photo. (Apple)
Cherlynn Low
You'll also be able to better search in photos and videos by typing out specific descriptors for, say, "Maria cartwheeling on the grass" or someone who had stickers on their face to find those specific moments.
Cherlynn Low
Photo editing is getting an Apple Intelligence update too. The new Cleanup tool... is basically Google's Magic Eraser and will get rid of distractions in the background of your pictures.
Cherlynn Low
Image Wand is available in the tool palette and you can use it to circle, say, a rough sketch in your note on Architecture in India. It'll help you generate a nicer looking picture to go with the contents of your note. You can also circle empty space to generate new contextual images.
Cherlynn Low
Developers are getting a new Image Playground API to embed this experience into their apps. Now, we're learning about new experiences in things like the Notes app called the Image Wand.
macOS Sequoia will let you see your iPhone mirrored on your Mac's screen
You'll be able to manipulate your iPhone right on your Mac's screen. (Apple)
Apple's next macOS update is called Sequoia. The 2024 Mac software, coming this fall, includes iPhone mirroring and notification, a new passwords app and Safari upgrades.
iPhone mirroring lets you use your Mac to view, control and interact with your phone. It lets you access iOS apps and receive notifications from your nearby handset. Your iPhone screen stays locked in Standby mode (one of iOS 17’s updates) while you work on your computer.
Honestly this is giving me a bit of pause — Apple better clearly label when its images are generated by AI, or the deepfake fear will be something to contend with.
John Falcone
No more being limited to the stock emoji choices. (Apple)
Cherlynn Low
You'll be able to go back and see previously generated images too. You can also create images based on your photos and create the appearance of a friend from your pictures of them.
Cherlynn Low
When you have a specific idea in mind, you can type a description to add it to your playground and you can choose a style, as well as whether it's an animation, sketch or illustration.
Cherlynn Low
There's a new system experience called Image Playground, too, and it'll let you create playful images in seconds. It's built into apps like Messages. To start, you'll select from themes, costumes, places and more. When you pick one, they get added to your playground. Seconds later, you'll get a preview of what your image could look like — sort of like a visual mix and match composition.
Cherlynn Low
Apps like Keynote or third-party options like Craft can help you better express yourself. In Messages, Genmoji is coming to help make custom emoji. They'll be made on-device and you can make them from the keyboard. You can type a description about rowdy squirrels or skateboarding dinosaurs for example. You can also name a contact and use their avatar in your Genmoji.
Cherlynn Low
Over to Cyrus Irani to learn about expressing yourself via Apple Intelligence.
Cherlynn Low
This prioritization is also coming to Notifications. Priority notifications will be surfaced higher up and they'll be summarized so if you wake up to 100 Whatsapp pings, you'll get a summary to tell you that, say, your friend got engaged.
Cherlynn Low
Your inbox will also show better previews of each letter with AI-generated summaries. You'll also get a preview at the top of each email so you can spend less time skimming and scrolling. Priority emails will also be better surfaced.
Devindra Hardawar
Everything we're seeing around Apple Intelligence and Siri feels a lot more thoughtful than Microsoft's Copilot integration, or anything around Google's Gemini and other frameworks.
Cherlynn Low
Suggested responses will also be coming, and lets you tap and pick parameters for a generated response. When you're replying to an invitation for example, you can tap to answer questions on whether you plan to go, and Apple Intelligence will draft up the right RSVP for you.
Cherlynn Low
You can also rewrite something into a poem! I like to write my own poems though. Proofread is another feature and it'll help with grammar and punctuation and you can accept individual suggested edits or accept all at once. Finally, Summarize can help you get a TL;DR to insert at the top of long emails.
Devindra Hardawar
Siri also has information about you — with Apple Intelligence, it can take a deeper look at messages and files you've sent. This sounds very similar to Microsoft's Recall tool, but it's being sold in a way that feels more private and personal.
Cherlynn Low
Now we're learning more about how Siri works with systemwide tools. First up, Mail. You can rewrite emails and get different versions suggested, then select your favorite. Suggestions are shown inline so you can pick the one that flows and integrates best. You can also get Rewrite to help with your tone. You can try to sound more friendly, professional or concise.
Cherlynn Low
"This year marks the start of a new era for Siri." Ugh not Eras again.
Apple brings a full-featured Passwords app to the Mac, iPhone, iPad and Windows
A password app. (Apple)
The rumors are true: Apple is adding a dedicated passwords manager app to many of its operating systems. This includes macOS, iPadOS, visionOS and iOS. It’ll even work on Windows by accessing the Windows app via iCloud. That’s pretty neat. There are way too many passwords out there.
The first-party service is powered by iCloud Keychain and will compete with some heavy hitters in the space, like LastPass and 1Password.
"That's just a glimpse of the ways Siri is going to be more powerful," and some of these changes are also coming to iPad and Mac.
Cherlynn Low
I'm impressed that all these mentions of "Siri" aren't triggering my iPhone. Good job Apple. Amazon please take notes!
John Falcone
Per Apple, Siri will be able to make changes you request within apps. (Apple)
Devindra Hardawar
Siri will be able to take actions across apps. You can go for refining a photo to throwing it into a Notes document. This is all part of upgrades around App Intents, which can help developers define intentions within their software.
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