The Apple WWDC23 Global Developers Conference held in the early morning today (Beijing time) should be the most unworthy of the name in recent years, and the OS system, software ecology, and developer services that used to be the protagonists can only make way for many "hard goods" this year, willing to become a supporting role. And this year, as the protagonist of "Onemorething" is the long-awaited Apple VisionPro.
First of all, a quick summary of savings, the new things on Apple WWDC 23 this year mainly include:
Apple's first space computer, AppleVisionPro, is currently open to developers for research and development, priced from $3,499 (about 24,851 yuan), and will be officially sold in the United States from early next year, and will be available to other countries later.
The 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip, MacStudio with M2Max/M2Ultra chip and MacPro with M2Ultra chip have three Mac products, their starting prices are 10499 yuan, 16499 yuan and 55999 yuan respectively, the first two domestic will be accepted for order at 9 am on June 7, and will be released on June 13. The MacPro is available for order at 9 a.m. on June 7, with a time to be determined.
New versions of iOS, macOS, iPadOS, WatchOS and other new systems will be released for developers to upgrade in the near future, and the upgrade will be pushed to ordinary users this fall.
Next, let's introduce them one by one.
Apple's first headset device, AppleVisionPro, connects the virtual and real worlds
Starting with the product design, AppleVisionPro looks like a pair of ski goggles, which is also somewhat similar to Apple's own AirPodsMax storage bag. Structurally, a combination of a glass front panel and an aluminum frame containing sensors, cameras, monitors, and a fan-cooled computer is powered by a single cable, with an external battery for 2 hours of battery life.
VisionPro's headphone visor and strap are cloth-lined and modular, bending to accommodate a variety of face and head shapes, and threaded headbands can be replaced in different sizes and styles.
Next, let's take a look at a few features of AppleVisionPro:
Ultra-high-resolution display system: a breakthrough display system based on Apple's network chip, using microOLED technology to package 23 million pixels on two displays, monocular pixels exceed 4K displays, each display is the size of a postage stamp, with a wide color gamut and high dynamic range.
Custom built-in lenses: Combine with a high-resolution display system for stunning clarity and image quality for a stunning experience. Users with vision correction needs will use ZEISS optical glasses clips (sold separately) to ensure visual fidelity and eye tracking accuracy.
Advanced spatial audio system: AppleVisionPro's core experience creates the feeling that sound comes from the user's surroundings and matches the sound to the space.
High-performance tracking system: Uses a high-speed camera and ring LED to project invisible light patterns on the user's eyes for responsive, intuitive eye tracking, and is equipped with a high-speed camera to capture hand movements.
Dual-chip design: Powered by Apple's unique M2+R1 dual-chip design of the network chip. The M2 chip offers excellent stand-alone performance, and the new R1 chip handles inputs from 12 cameras, 5 sensors and 6 microphones, and can produce a low-latency display stream in 12ms to ensure smooth images.
Building on engineering innovations from macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, Apple introduced visionOS, a new operating system designed from the ground up to support the low-latency needs of spatial computing.
visionOS breaks the limitations of traditional displays with a new 3D user interface that enables natural interaction through the user's eyes, gestures, and voice. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said: "AppleVisionPro represents the beginning of a new era in spatial computing, a major breakthrough based on decades of innovation at Apple. ”
After reading the introduction of Apple Vision Pro on WWDC23, I believe that many friends will have several questions like us: Why does Apple make VisionPro? Why is it launched now? How will VisionPro impact the existing XR extended reality market? Is VisionPro worth buying for the average consumer?
VisionPro: Apple's new market growth driver in the next 5-10 years
To count the first generation of Apple's Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Watch product lines, the youngest is the Apple Watch product type launched in September 2014, and it has been 9 years since then. Although Apple continues to refine the products of the current product line, such as the launch of Ultra, ProMax, Pro, mini, Studio and other products with different positioning, it is undeniable that Apple has lacked the type of products that can change the market and increase its market value in recent years.
The overall saturation of the global consumer electronics market and the continued decline. In the second quarter of 2023, Apple's earnings report is still a continuation of the recessionary performance of the previous quarter: total revenue fell 2.51% year-on-year, and profit fell 3.40% year-on-year. The new Apple VisionPro product line is expected to become Apple's new growth outlet in the next 5-10 years, and even become Apple's next "iPhone" in many populations.
From hardware to software ecology, 2023 is a good time to launch VisionPro
First of all, my point is: always trust that Apple will not suddenly launch a product, everything is long in preparation.
In terms of hardware, the use of monocular ultra-4K resolution MicroOLED display and M2 + R1 dual chip on VisionPro are the results of the iteration of the entire industrial technology, which is a hardware stack that Apple has not seen on previous products, and Apple has also registered 5,000 related patents for VisionPro research and development. Only when the hardware technology is mature will Apple launch a new product line related to the brand's future.
Secondly, the developer ecology has always been one of the biggest advantages of the Apple brand, Apple's ARKit has been updated to the sixth generation, as of 22H1 has more than 14,000+ AR applications and a large number of developers, enough to bring rich applications and ecology to VisionPro, and the current iPhone and iPad products can also experience related AR function applications. Moreover, Apple has partnered with online meetings, games and video content platforms to accelerate the development and adaptation of VisionPro.
Finally, since the past few years, Google, Facebook, Sony, Microsoft, HTC and other brands have launched their own XR devices, although their current situation is different, but they have well educated the market and industry, and have achieved results or trial and error in the product and application ecology, indirectly paving a lot of way forward for VisionPro products.
The arrival of VisionPro may become the second spring of the XR market
In the past, Apple was not a pioneer in the field of smart wearable devices such as Watch and TWS, but it was a Buff-like existence. As long as Apple launches products, it will bring great stimulation to the original market and become one of the leading brands in the market. In addition to stimulating the attention of ordinary consumers to XR products, the launch of VisionPro can also bring developers research and development, and even create explosive or "killer" applications in the XR field, such as "Angry Birds" on the iPhone and "The Legend of Zelda" on the Nintendo Switch, which can promote the development of products and industries.
Although VR, AR or MR are not new, one of the reasons why it has been tepid is the lack of explosive applications, can VisionPro and Apple's powerful ecology behind it change this status? We'll see.
For most regular consumers, the first-generation VisionPro wasn't worth buying
The price of $3,499 (about 24,843 yuan) is actually not expensive for a headset device, after all, Microsoft Hololens2 is also priced at more than 27,000 yuan. And Apple defines VisionPro as a space computer (arevolutionaryspatialcomputer), from Apple's official video also see that in addition to its use in daily social life scenes, it is also used in medical, scientific research, industrial production and other B-side fields, then for B-end users, the price of more than 20,000 is simply not too cheap, after all, Apple's 6K display ProDisplay XDR is priced from 39999 yuan.
But unless you are engaged in related professional work, or need some of the functions of VisionPro to support, at least for the first generation of VisionPro, we do not recommend most ordinary consumers to buy.
brief summary
Although VisionPro is nearly a year away from being available and still a long, long way from the average consumer, today's announcement is an important step from rumor to reality.
Two customized ultra-high-specification Micro OLED displays, M2+R1 chips, exquisite design and production technology, and Apple's strong ecological blessing, think about it all make people have unlimited expectations for VisionPro.
Two and three new Mac products to meet everyone's performance needs for productivity
15-inch MacBook Air, Apple's largest MBA ever
Among the three new Mac products, the new 15-inch MacBook Air should be the most concerned by mass consumers. Its 15.3-inch screen is also the largest model in Apple's MacBook Air series, and its larger size and very power-efficient M2 chip make its battery last up to 18 hours.
The 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,299, about 9,230 yuan, while Apple lowered the price of the 2022 M2 chip 13-inch MacBook Air to $1,099 (about 7,808 yuan), a drop of $100.
As a user who is using the 2022 M2 chip 13-inch MacBook Air codeword, I praise the performance of this 15-inch MacBook Air in terms of screen size and battery life, but there is no wave in my heart, because the latter's weight of 1.49kg is really no longer so "Air".
MacStudio with M2Max/M2Ultra chips
MacStudio ushered in a "routine" upgrade, following the previous generation design, which mainly upgraded the processor to the latest M2Max and M2Ultra chips. The former is 25% faster than the previous M1Max performance, AfterEffects renders 50% faster, and 4x the performance is improved compared to the most powerful Intel iMac. The latter M2Ultra chip version has 20% higher performance than the previous generation flagship M1Ultra, supporting up to 192GB of ultra-large memory and up to 8TB of storage space.
The M2Max version of MacStudio starts at $1999, or about 14,203 yuan. Orders will be accepted at 9 a.m. on June 7 and will go on sale on June 13.
MacPro with M2Ultra chip
(The new generation of MacPro, it's a performance monster)
Apple has finally, finally, finally updated its MacPro lineup, the last update was in 2019, based on Intel Xeon processors. Although the new MacPro is still a highly recognizable design of the previous generation, it is equipped with Apple's most powerful M2Ultra processor, which Apple says is 3 times faster than Intel's MacPro, and provides 6 PCIeGen4 slots and 8 Thunderbolt connectors, providing users with stronger extended functions for professional work to meet their higher productivity needs.
The arrival of the new generation of MacPro can be described as completing Apple's last puzzle in productivity, completing the transition from Intel chips to its own Apple chips, and saying goodbye to Intel chips completely. The M2Ultra version of the MacPro starts at $6,999, or about 49,731 yuan. Orders will be accepted at 9 a.m. on June 7, and the opening time is TBD.
Third, the main upgrade point of Apple's OS system
iOS17
The new iOS17 is mainly an upgrade and optimization of the original functional experience, supporting a new custom interface image for incoming calls, Facetime supporting message video function, iMessages supporting short word search, as well as speech-to-text, location sharing, etc., frankly speaking, these functions do not seem to be so commonly used and attractive to domestic users. We find the following new features useful.
The new CheckIn feature in iMessage allows you to share your location conveniently and privately, telling friends and family where you are, checking in experience, and even sharing your location status so that others know if it's a good time to call you.
The new Journal independent handwriting app can intelligently classify videos, photos and other clips through device-side learning, and can learn push information more intelligently and save it in handwriting.
iOS17 adds a feature called "NameDrop" to our familiar AirDrop. When two iPhones are put together, you can send your email account number and phone number, as well as your "poster," similar to exchanging business card information.
iOS17 brings StandBy Standby mode exclusively for the MagSafe stand, allowing users to switch between a range of clock styles with just a swipe. With standby mode we can see the current weather, home controls, etc., and support real-time activities.
iOS17 changed the wake word from "HeySiri" to "Siri," closer to the user's everyday spoken language.
macOS
Apple introduced the latest version of macOS, macOSSonoma, which provides newly upgraded widget features, exclusive Mac gaming features, remote speaking mode, and a variety of new features for Safari.
Previously, Mac widgets could only appear in the notification center, macOSSonoma can put frequently needed widgets on the desktop at will, if users need more widgets, they can be added through the widget library, widgets can also be called on Mac without installing apps. When the user needs to use the application, the widget on the desktop will immediately blend into the background and intelligently change color according to the color of the wallpaper, which can be seen without being obtrusive.
Gamemode is a new Mac game feature unique to macOSSonoma, after being turned on in the system, the Mac will give priority to the CPU and GPU functions to run the game, which not only improves the smooth and stable frame rate of the game, but also makes the game experience on the Mac more immersive.
For users who often have video conferencing needs, macOSSonoma enhances the presence of speakers in video conferencing and brings users a new way to speak remotely - "speaker overlays". It allows the speaker to share the screen between the speaker and the background during the presentation.
macOS Sonoma has an update to the Safari browser. These include the ability to lock idle private browsing windows, completely block known trackers and loading pages, and the ability to delete tracking information from various types of URLs in private browsing mode.
iPadOS
This iPadOS17 can only be said to be a regular small upgrade, mainly on the lock screen to add widgets, we can directly interact with the desktop widget, without clicking into the APP, these desktop widgets now include documents, smart home switches, music playback, etc.
iPadOS17 has a built-in PDF reader that upgrades and optimizes the recognition and processing of PDF files, auto-fills directly on PDFs, adds signatures to documents scanned with the camera, and allows PDF annotation in Notes using ApplePencil.
In terms of details, iPadOS17 has added a new series of wallpapers of the planet series, which can be set up with a variety of lock screen wallpapers like iOS16, in addition, iPadOS17 has certain optimizations and adjustments in other aspects, such as new message functions (such as automatic voice memo transcription), more intelligent text input auto-correction functions, etc.
WatchOS
The most intuitive change in watchOS 10 is the return of widgets, where users can turn the digital crown to invoke the widget window and access information quickly and easily by rotating it.
At the same time, watchOS10 enriches the customization options of watch buttons. Users can now press the Digital Crown to activate cellular networks, open app lists, and more according to their preferences.
watchOS10 adds three layers of different shades of superimposed dials, and the color area on the dial will change over time. There is also a new Snoopy dynamic dial, which will be reflected on the dial if the wearer's weather and rain at that time are also synchronized, which is more intuitive.
In terms of sports health, watchOS 10 adds cycling support for exercise, and AppleWatch can be connected to Bluetooth-enabled bicycle sensors. The ride feature also lets you see real-time activity on your iPhone.
In terms of vision health, an ambient light sensor can be used to measure children's time in daylight to avoid myopia. Importantly, the new watchOS10 can send satellite help messages from the watch, integrate an altimeter, and generate altitude maps.
Our point of view
Today's WWDC conference lasts more than 2 hours, from hardware to software to "Onemorething" AppleVisionPro, in addition to explaining functions, performance, and experience, the most common keyword is privacy. Apple encrypts the user's private data in various scenarios through different means, such as the new VisionPro has added the OpticID unlock function, and the data of the user's eyes looking at different display content will only be encrypted on the device side, and will not be uploaded to the cloud.
Finally, we return to the protagonist Apple VisionPro, from the official display of Apple's use video, there is no doubt that Apple VisionPro will be a cross-generation device, from the display effect, performance to function are far ahead of most current VR, AR, MR products.
However, because Apple did not provide AppleVisionPro experience at the conference site, we cannot know the difference between the experience of AppleVisionPro and the official video, and this suspense can only be left for the experience after the official sale of AppleVisionPro next year. Let the technology fly a little longer!