Top 15 coolest launches at the Apple WWDC 2024: ChatGPT integration, Revised Siri, iOS18

Apple's 2024 WWDC focuses on AI and its integration to improve user experiences across all Apple devices.

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is underway, with a focus on AI for enhanced user experience across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and potentially other devices. Let's look at 15 of the coolest launches for this year's WWDC.

People watch WWDC presentations at Apple Park during Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WDC) in Cupertino, California, on June 10, 2024. (AFP)

1. ChatGPT Integration: Apple has now, integrated ChatGPT across iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and the new macOS Sequoia. Siri can now access ChatGPT for detailed responses, while taking user consent for each interaction for data privacy. ChatGPT also aids in generating content and images through Apple's Writing Tools.
2. Enhanced Siri: The latest version of Siri can now help users with improved language understanding, and maintaining context across interactions. Users can type or speak to Siri. Siri can now add addresses from messages to contacts and even find specific articles from a Reading List.
3. VisionOS 2: The latest adaptation comes with Spatial Photographs in the Photos app, which lets you make 3D photographs out of normal pictures and bring depth to an existing image using machine learning. Additionally, the updates introduce support for an ultrawide virtual Mac display, additional intuitive gestures and support for travel mode on trains.
4. iOS 18: App symbols and widgets can now, be set anywhere in the framework, and app symbols and organizers also have a darker look when the phone is in dim mode. All symbols can now be given a special tint color to match your wallpaper. A new Control Centre update includes extra ‘pages’ in the Control Centre, permitting you to include more controls, customize them to a much bigger degree, and effectively go to the correct page of controls you need.
5. WatchOS 11: The newest watchOS has several new features including one that automatically adds widgets based on when one requires them. Apple is also coming out with a new Vitals app that allows users to explore critical health metrics at a glance. Additionally, new features on Live Activities will allow loved ones to track you when working out.
6. macOS Sequoia: The newest macOS will allow users to mirror the iPhone with the Mac, view notifications and hear the audio playing from the handheld device. A new Highlights feature on Safari will use machine learning to pick interesting bits from a web page that one is browsing.
7. AirPods: Airpods can now support more signals, including gesturing to receive a call or shaking your head to decay. Voice Separation on AirPods Pro expels foundation noise around you to convey just your voice on a call and cut undesirable noise. A modern customized Spatial Audio API will moreover let engineers bring more 3D sound impacts to other apps and games.
8. Apple TV Plus: Apple TV is getting a new feature that allows users to swipe down on the remote to depict the actors and their characters in a movie or a television show that one is watching. One can also find out the song playing at a particular moment and add it to the Music playlist. Additionally, Apple TV Plus will show subtitles when one mutes a show, and can support 21:9 ratio projectors.
9. New calculator for iPad: The iPad is getting a calculator, more than a decade after it first appeared. It comes with a Math Notes feature that allows Pencil users to write equations on the iPad and have the app solve it. Apple is also launching Smart Script that uses machine learning to enhance handwriting and conduct spell-checks on the go when a user is writing notes.

Mails & Messages: iMessage can now schedule texts and has additional support for SMS messaging via satellite without mobile signal. The company is also rolling out Tap-back options that allows users to bold, underline and italicize text. Priority Messages in Mail: Using this feature, users can now highlight urgent emails at the top of the inbox. Users can preview summaries instead of the first few lines, simplifying the handling of long threads. Smart Reply offers quick response suggestions, ensuring comprehensive replies.

Passwords: A new Passwords app will allow users to track login details across different devices. The app allows you to generate and store passwords similar to other password manager apps. These would be available across all the operating systems that Apple offers for its device universe as well as on Windows.

Audio Transcription and Summarisation: This feature will help users record, transcribe, and summarise audio in Notes and Phone apps. Notifications alert participants when a recording starts, and summaries are generated after calls, aiding in information recall.

Private Cloud Computing: This feature will help users by processing data on-device or via Private Cloud Compute for complex requests, for user privacy. This technology scales computational capacity, and independent experts can inspect the code on Apple's servers, providing transparency and trust.

Image Playground and Genmoji: Apple is also introducing a new AI feature to help users create images in Animation, Illustration, or Sketch styles. Integrated into apps like Messages, it also exists as a standalone app. Personalised suggestions make image creation quick and relevant. The Genmoji feature allows users to create custom emojis by typing descriptions. These can represent friends and family based on photos and be used in messages as stickers or reactions, enhancing communication.

Advanced Photo Search: Apple now allows its users intuitive photo and video searches with natural language queries. Users can pinpoint specific moments in videos. The Clean Up tool removes distracting objects from photos, improving image quality without altering the subject. The Memories feature helps users create storylines from their media, crafting movies with a narrative arc and matching music suggestions.