The WWDC 2023 conference will feature “the biggest announcements yet” from the apple brand, Tim Cook said on Monday.

Apple Vision Pro

With the Apple Vision Pro, the Apple giant is officially entering the arena of virtual and augmented reality headsets.

” Apple Vision Pro is a new type of computer that seamlessly connects the real world and the digital world. »

The device, which looks like ski goggles, has no joysticks: it is controlled with the eyes, hands and voice. It’s also possible to connect to your Mac or other Bluetooth accessories like a keyboard and mouse.

Therefore, it is the eyes that allow people to browse the application menu and select them by pinching their fingers together – a camera points at the hands without you having to look at them. Voice commands are also an option.

Outside, your loved ones can see the Vision Pro user’s eyes on one screen thanks to the EyeSight feature. However, when the person wearing the headset is in full virtual reality mode, their eyes will be obscured by a bright screen, suggesting they are unavailable.

Headset enthusiasts can easily switch from augmented reality to virtual reality with a rotary knob, and the image quality – from a unprecedented sharpness – will reach 4K. The helmet is equipped with 12 cameras and five sensors.

Apple also says the Vision Pro will be comfortable, with a strap and goggles that fit a wide range of faces and head sizes.

As for power, the mixed reality headset has an external battery that offers a two-hour lifespan and connects via a flexible cable.

The device is powered by the M2 chip but also includes the new chip called R1.

Apple will offer the Disney+ streaming platform and around 100 Apple Arcade video games from day one. The Apple Vision Pro is not only an entertainment device, but also excels in productivity, such as spatial sound during video conference calls.

The Apple Vision Pro headset will be available in the US early next year at $3,500 (CAD$4,700). The California giant hasn’t said when it might launch in Canada.

Keep in mind that the mixed reality headset announced by Apple has its origins in particular in a young Montreal company, Vrvana, which sold its technology to the Apple giant in 2017.

Two new Macs

MacBook Air

Qualified by John Ternus, Apple’s Vice President of Hardware Engineering, as best selling laptop in the worldThe MacBook Air offers a larger 15.3-inch (38.1 cm) screen and a more powerful chip: the M2.

The 1.4 kg device, which contains six speakers, has a battery life of up to 18 hours. It’s also the computer of its size thinnest in the worldlike the giant.

The laptop – Perfect for getting started in the Mac environmentAccording to Apple’s Kate Bergeron, it will be available starting next week starting at $1,300 (about CAD$1,746).

Mac Pro

The new Mac Pro computer case features Apple’s new in-house M2 Ultra silicon chip, which the Apple giant calls a flea monster. It’s basically two M2 Max chips combined, delivering lightning-fast performance.

” Today we announced two of the most powerful Macs of all time. »

For port fans, the device has eight Thunderbolt sockets and up to six Pro Display XDR monitors can be connected.

The new Mac Pro computer starts at $7,000 (CAD$9,400).

Both devices will soon be equipped with the MacOS Sonoma operating system. The main features of the update are support for desktop widgets and a new game mode.

The conference was also an opportunity for renowned developer Hideo Kojima to announce that his game is under development Death Stranding Director’s Cut is offered on macOS.

iOS 17

iPhones will receive multiple updates with iOS 17.

Personalized contacts

This includes the ability to personalize contact cards with a unique visual identity, such as images or memojis.

A revised self-correction

Autocorrect also gets an update, offering the ability to view the original message you typed and quickly go back if the correction suggested by the device isn’t what you’d expect.

iOS device owners can also send and receive FaceTime messages to their voicemail.

The diary app

iPhones will also get a new app with the update to iOS 17: Journal. This is a diary in which you can enter your location, music, photos and contacts, for example.

Nobody can read your newspaper, not even Applemade a point of naming the giant with the apple.

The application is deployed later this year.

standby mode

By turning the device sideways, the iPhone powered with iOS 17 system will automatically switch to sleep mode to display the time, a personalized wallpaper or the weather, among other widgets.

Exit, Hello Siri

Apple eliminates that hey Before siri only adopt siri to launch a command to the virtual assistant on iOS 17.

AirDrop

The fast file transfer feature from one iOS device to another, AirDrop, will receive an update that will notably allow sending contact information (email, phone) using the same technology.

iPad OS 17

Whoever says iOS update also says iPadOS update.

New features announced by Apple include the addition of widgets to the lock screen, which can be further personalised.

The Health app established on the iPhone and the Apple Watch smartwatch comes to the iPad with iPadOS 17, with live functionality just like the other devices of the brand.

Several features announced with iOS 17 will also be available on the tablet, including those of AirDrop and intelligent autocorrect.

iPadOS 17 also introduces new ways to organize, annotate, and collaborate in real time on PDF files directly from the Notes application.

AirPods Pro update

Apple’s wireless headphones, the AirPods, will also soon receive an update that promises new features for filtering ambient noise.

Adaptive Audio, for example, thanks to a constant analysis of the environment, will allow combining the functionalities of noise cancellation with those of transparency. This sound isolation option is added along with the others already visible on the iPhone when using the headphones.

According to Apple, the call quality for the people on the other end of the line should also improve.