Apple’s WWDC is the company’s biggest Apple software announcement of the year. So far, Apple has announced iOS 16, its latest software for the iPhone. It also revealed Apple Pay Later, its buy-now-pay-later product.
Apple’s expected to announce updates to iPad, Mac, Watch and TV software, too.
Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off WWDC with a pre-recorded presentation revealing the latest versions of Apple’s software for iPhone, iPads, Mac, Watch and TV. Apple’s long-reported mixed-reality headset is unlikely to make a debut, but the company may hint at it through augmented reality updates for its other products. There’s also a chance the company talks about new Apple chips and MacBooks. CNBC is covering the announcements live from Cupertino, California for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
You can watch WWDC 2022 right here:
Here’s what Apple has announced so far:
New iPhone software called iOS 16. Apple Pay Later, Apple’s buy-now-pay-later service.
Apple announces new Apple Watch software
Apple just announced watchOS 9, its latest software for the Apple Watch.
Apple updates CarPlay with tons of features for new cars coming next year
Source; Apple
Apple didn’t announce an actual car itself on Monday, but it revealed a major update to CarPlay, Apple’s in-dash software for iPhones. Apple says the new software has “deep integration with the car’s hardware,” and can control functions like air conditioning and display widgets. So, your iPhone will communicate with your car and provide all the data on the screens of your car, like your speed, how much gas is left, maps, rpm and more. Apple is working with companies like Ford, Nissan and more to support the next generation of CarPlay and said the next vehicles that support it will start to be announced late next year. Apple did not announce any supported vehicles. — Kif Leswing
Apple introduces Safety Check, allows users to revoke access to all shared apps and services
Apple introduced a new feature called Safety Check that enables users to quickly turn off all services and apps being shared with the user’s family, like location, or whether a user’s texts go to other devices aside from their phone.
Apple said the feature was designed in partnership with women’s groups, and is designed to make it easier to stay private and protect personal data and safety when leaving a relationship. — Kif Leswing
Apple announces buy now, pay later product Apple Pay Later
Apple just announced its buy now, pay later product, Apple Pay Later, which will allow you to buy things wherever Apple Pay is accepted and then pay for it over four payments over six weeks. Apple says there are no fees.
Shares of Affirm, a competing service, are down about 6% on the news.
Users will be able to manage their payments through the Wallet app. The company is also rolling out order tracking through the wallet.
Apple has been rumored to get into the buy now, pay later space for about a year now. The feature is attractive to consumers who want to buy pricey products but don’t have all of the funds at once.
— Jessica Bursztynsky
Apple will allow users to edit and recall iMessages
Apple has added three major features to its messaging app, Messages. If the message is an iMessage, not an SMS text, then users will be able to edit messages, recall messages sent by mistake, and snooze texts so users can handle them later. These small tweaks will change how nearly 1 billion people send texts. — Kif Leswing
Apple’s latest iPhone software iOS 16 announced
Source: Apple
Apple just announced iOS 16, the latest software for iPhones.
It’s the “biggest update ever to lockscreen, completely reimagining how it works,” Apple SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi said. It’s a brand new look that allows users to customize the lock screen with widgets — which have already been available on the home screen — by pressing and holding. Widgets are small icons that users can click on to quickly access tools like the weather app.
Here’s what’s new:
A more customizable lock screen that allows users to adjust the time and date font and color. It also lets users shuffle their background photos throughout the day or choose animated backgrounds.
Notifications on the lock screen will move to the bottom of the screen so they don’t cover up their background photo when their phone is locked.
Source: Apple
The focus feature expandedto the lock screen to allow users to choose how to filter notifications, like to focus just on work-related or personal messages.On iMessage, Apple added options to edit messages, unsend and mark threads at unread.SharePlay will expand to iMessage, so users can watch or listen to media simultaneously so they’re able to stop and start in the same spot.
Source: Apple
The software update will make it easier to switch between typing and dictation as well.Additional functionality to its Live Text feature that makes to copy text from photos.A new way for small merchants to accept Apple Pay directly from a tap with the iPhone, without additional hardware.A new buy now, pay later option.On Maps, Apple made it easier to see transit fares in travel directions.The Family Sharing tool will have an easier way to set up new devices with parental control settings.
A new shared iCloud library to make it easier to share photos with family and friends.
Source: Apple
A Safety Check center that allows users to quickly revoke location access to other users, a feature Apple said is meant to give back control to survivors of domestic violence.More organized smart home controls.
Source: Apple
CarPlay update that will allow drivers to control air conditioning, radio and more, that will be integrated by several automakers, with the new cars being announced late next year.
— Kif Leswing & Lauren Feiner
Apple CEO Tim Cook kicks off the show
Apple CEO Tim Cook appeared live-on stage to kick off the WWDC event. He spoke briefly and turned it over to software chief Craig Federighi, who led the crowd in a cheer of “go developers!” — Kif Leswing
People are beginning to take their seats ahead of the keynote
Kif Leswing | CNBC
People are starting to make their way to their seats ahead of the keynote. It’s pre-recorded, so there are lots of big screens for everyone to tune in from. And I like that there’s a shaded area.
— Kif Leswing
Here’s what you can expect
Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Apple’s annual developer conference, WWDC, is all about catering to software developers. They’re the folks who build apps for the Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch and TV. This is usually when Apple unveils new tools for them, and big new updates for the iPhone, iPad and other platforms. Apple is reportedly gearing up to announce a big new iPad software update that adds better multitasking, so you can run more apps at the same time side-by-side. And the iPhone is expected to get new updates to the lock screen. It may also announce new MacBook Airs. However, unlike the September iPhone events, WWDC is usually more focused on software than hardware. And, typically, the software that’s announced at WWDC rolls out to everyone sometime in the fall.
–Todd Haselton
Homecoming for Apple employees after two years of remote work
WWDC is gathering Apple developers and press for the first time in two years. But the event is also a homecoming for many Apple employees who have been working remotely for the past two years because of the pandemic. Some employees are meeting their teammates in person for the first time, like those who have traveled from other major Apple offices, like its facility in Austin, Texas. Apple started requiring corporate employees to return to the office earlier this year. — Kif Leswing
Apple might announce new products today, too
Apple
The Apple Store website is down, which suggests that Apple might also announce new products during the WWDC 2022 event. It still seems a little early to announce the augmented reality headset, so my bet is on some sort of new Macs. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested over the weekend that Apple may be ready to announce a redesigned MacBook Air. It will reportedly include MagSafe charging, the latest Apple processor and new colors.
— Todd Haselton
It’s a gorgeous day here in Cupertino
Kif Leswing | CNBC
We’re here for WWDC 2022. Here are a couple of pictures of the campus. It’s a gorgeous day.
Kif Leswing | CNBC
— Kif Leswing
Everyone’s wondering about Apple’s headset
Getty Images
Apple’s been working on a headset for years. Reports have suggested it could launch in either 2022 or 2023. It’s the one product that’s top of mind for everyone right now, since it would be an entirely new product area for Apple. It could make sense for CEO Tim Cook and the team to announce the software for the headset, reportedly called realityOS, since this is a developer-focused event with folks who would build the apps for the device. However, Bloomberg recently suggested that we may not get a look. Still, we might get hints about what Apple is planning. The company may build some tools into existing software to allow developers to make virtual or augmented reality versions of their existing applications. If that happens, we know the headset can’t be far off. Or maybe we’ll be surprised and we’ll get a teaser or full announcement.
–Todd Haselton
We’re live from Cupertino for the first time since the pandemic started
Kif Leswing | CNBC
We’re live from the Worldwide Developers Conference for the first time since the pandemic started. Apple invited some media and developers to its headquarters in Cupertino, California, to watch the keynote. But there are a few differences from prior years. For one, we’re at the headquarters instead of the San Jose conference center where Apple held the event for several years prior to the pandemic.
Kif Leswing | CNBC
And the keynote isn’t live like in the past. Instead, we’ll be watching a pre-recorded version just like everyone tuning in from home. Still, it shows that big tech events are starting to return to some version of normalcy. Google’s developer conference in May was also held in person but wasn’t open to much of the press.
— Kif Leswing
