Just like every year, WWDC was packed with new announcements for all Apple platforms. There was also the introduction of M2 chip for MacBook Air.
This year WWDC had a hybrid format, with the keynotes being prerecorded but a watch party at Apple HQ in Cupertino. People who attended seemed to have liked this format.
A few observations from the keynote, lately Apple has been jumbling announcements quite a bit. For instance, the Mail app is getting new features across all platforms but was revealed during the macOS section. It would be easier to follow if Apple made OS announcements separate from apps/services announcements.
The 2 standout features at WWDC 2022 were a revamped Lock Screen for iOS and Stage Manager for macOS and iPadOS.
Stage manager on macOS seems like a feature no one asked for, something the iPad has needed for at least 3 years. I haven’t used it yet, but the only gripe I have is the lack of a close button like you get on macOS. It is easy to create new app windows or launch new apps. But there is no way to close apps easily. You can minimize, but even that is hidden behind the … menu. The behavior is also unpredictable when you exit Stage Manager, it creates a split screen of the front 2 apps (why!!). I’m hoping there are refinements over summer, but there is also a lot of work developers will have to do as well. This is still Beta period, so I’m hopeful it will get refined over the summer.
The iOS Lock Screen has been pretty much useless for me since it’s inception. Apple said the new Lock Screen is supposed to look like a magazine cover, very personal and customizable. Now you can add widgets to the Lock Screen, create custom wallpapers, and hide notifications permanently in a tiny bubble at the bottom. Lock Screens are also tied to Focus Modes, and can change along with it. This is a big update to the Lock Screen which will be much appreciated. I’m still disappointed the default shortcuts (Flashlight and Camera) cannot be changed to something else, I almost never use either.
The changes to iOS Lock Screen are bound to make for an always-on display on the next iPhone. This might be the first time I would be upgrading to a new iPhone within a year, but I really want an iPhone with always-on display. My Apple Watch has it, and it’s really good and useful.
I am really excited to try out the new Operating Systems. There are some really good features and enhancements that will bring quality of life improvements to all.
Some other tidbits from the event:
- There is a new Developer Center just off Apple Park which is apparently really good. I am still not sure how people get to use it, but looks very good. The Talk Show by John Gruber was hosted live at the Developer Center.
- iPadOS gets a universal Undo/Redo, system-wide Find & Replace and a Weather app, things that shouldn’t have taken 16 iterations to ship.
- M2 chip got announced, but more importantly the MacBook Air got a nice update. I really like the new design, and might even replace my 2019 Intel MBP with the MacBook Air.
- There are a bunch of collaboration features in iPadOS and macOS which work in Safari and a bunch of other apps. I’m not sure how exactly it’s going to be implemented but I’m still excited to see it.
- iMessage gets a big update with the ability to edit/undo messages.
