Hold onto your mac... this is a big one.

Our mobile developer and man with his finger on the pulse dissects the latest WWDC announcements.

June 7, 2019

Bulb Studios team members sat in boardroom, alongside images of workplace
MacOS

Catalina here we come! Named after the island Santa Catalina situated off the California coast. Should we pack our bags or stay put in Mojave..?

Sidecar

Sidecar allows the use of an iPad as a second screen. Although you won’t catch me in Starbucks with a double monitor setup, it does offer a lot of functionality for users who wish to enrich their laptop experience with a stylus and some additional real-estate.

Screentime

We should all be more aware of how much time we spend in front of a screen and Apple’s new screentime app for OSX (you may already be familiar with its iOS sibling) will help you do just that.

Voice Control

Voice control is a huge step forward and Apple is finally giving iOS and macOS the accessibility its users deserve.

Find my Mac

It’s now possible to track your stolen iOS or macOS based device even if its offline using Bluetooth magic! Genius.

iTunes

iTunes finally will no longer open automatically when you plug in your phone (I know, it’s the small things) and will be split into two other apps too: podcasts and Apple TV.

iOS13

Barry White’s favourite update yet, turn the lights down low and turn up the dark mode.

Keyboard

A brand new, swipeable keyboard – at last!

Apps

Apps will reportedly launch twice as fast in iOS13 as in iOS12

Photos

A brand new photos app and camera features are coming to all of Apple’s platforms.

Reminders

The aged reminders and Apple Maps apps have been completely rebuilt – much needed and welcomed.

Siri

Siri will have a new voice in iOS 13

Support

iOS13 will support iPhone 6S models upwards

iPadOS.

A whole new operating system that will define the next generation of tablet devices for Apple. Spoiler alert… they’re getting a whole lot better!

Is an iPad a phone? The answer is no, its a device that sits between a laptop and a mobile device. Did I really need to explain that? Probably not to you, but until this announcement, Apple didn’t seem to get that fact. Fortunately they have woken up and given the platform’s software the power it deserves to propel the family of devices into the future.

The new Mac Pro.

Reaching for the stars… from dustbin to cheese grater. What does Apple’s latest professional utensil offer?

Whilst the exterior design may be polarising, the latest Mac Pro offers a lot of functionality for professional level users – and I am not just talking about the option to have wheels attached to the bottom of the case! It packs a lot of punch, starting with a 28 core Intel Xeon in the base model, room for up to 8 graphics cards and a 1,400 Watt power supply.

Apple has also launched a pro-level 6k display to match the Pro at a mere $4,999. There’s no question that the new Mac Pro is an absolute powerhouse but I believe its success largely depends upon the time and money it can save businesses in order to justify its eye wateringly high price tag.

Swift & XCode

Big changes for Swift and XCode
Ahhh, my home territory… Apple’s changing the way developers create user interfaces, potentially cutting down a lot of wasted compiler time. Apple has also been busy working away on a framework called ‘Catalyst’. Apps built with Catalyst will be able to run on iPadOS applications on macOS – nice!

And much much much more!
This article covers the highlights of the cool new features we will see from Apple between now and Autumn but there is so much more to come. If you want to explore the possibilities of technology development in your business, give the Bulb Studios crew a shout and we’ll help you take full advantage.