Apple’s big update show at WWDC 2022 brought countless innovations, but I was particularly impressed by 5 highlights for the iPhone, iPad and the Mac. These features deserve a separate mention. Curious?
The predictions were correct – Apple presented iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, macOS 13 and a new MacBook Air at the WWDC 2022 keynote. But in detail there were also very pleasing innovations that I hadn’t really expected. It is the following 5 highlights for iPhone, iPad and Mac that really inspire and surprise me in the end.
1. iPhone as a camera for Mac
Using an iPhone as a camera for Mac doesn’t sound so new or revolutionary at first glance, does it? Well, with Apple, the function can do even more. The so-called Camera handover for macOS Ventura and iOS 16 enable follow mode (Center Stage), portrait mode and the new Studio Light. With the latter, a person’s face is ideally illuminated and the background darkened accordingly. And then the ultra wide-angle camera can also be used for a top view of the desk at the same time. Ergo: the best webcam for your Mac is now your iPhone, clever.
It might look weird, but it’s really useful:
2. Control the car with CarPlay
So far Apple’s CarPlay is nothing more than a nice media and app control in the car, but in the future Apple’s iPhone integration will also be able to take over the remaining displays in the car – so CarPlay can access vehicle data such as speed, fuel level, temperature and more in the future. In short, automakers are taking a step back and ceding the stage to Apple – a decision with enormous consequences. From the end of next year, the first players, i.e. vehicles, will be announced. There are already declarations of intent from brands such as Porsche, Mercedes, Ford, Audi, Volvo and Co.
In the future, CarPlay will become an alternative “operating system” for selected cars, or at least an alternative user interface:
3. MacBook Air 2022 with black keys
I was skeptical and a bit afraid that Apple would actually use a white keyboard for the MacBook Air like in the past. Fortunately, you still have to black keys and an equally dark display frame decided. Looks much more dignified and less like a toy – very good.
Black keys, dark frame on the MacBook Air 2022:
4. iPadOS 16 with Mac-like multitasking
I can finally overlap windows freely on the iPad and adjust their size, just like on the Mac. The new “Stage Manager”, which is also available with macOS Ventura, is responsible for this. Cool extra: If you connect an external display to the iPad with iPadOS 16, the monitor is finally supported in its native size and no longer has ugly side edges. The iPad is growing up a bit more.
Of course, iPadOS has even more to offer:
5. Handoff in FaceTime
Finally it works an active FaceTime call can be started from one Apple device and then picked up on another without interruption. Short application example: I’m talking on the Mac and I want to show my conversation partner something in my apartment, just take the video call with me to the iPhone and off we go. Of course, it also works the other way around. Practical, useful … I want it.
My bottom line: As you can already see from my selection, it is above all the newly used possibilities of collaboration across multiple devices that inspire me again at Apple in 2022. All of this is more than just a gimmick, but actually useful and useful. But it’s also true that for all these features I have to buy new hardware in the end, because neither my old MacBook Pro nor my iPad will run with the new systems. So for Apple, the calculation is already working out.