Apple unveiled a wide range of new devices and software at its WWDC 2023 keynote, including the redesigned MacBook Air, the refreshed Mac Studio, the powerful macPRO, iOS 17, updated iPadOS and watchOS, and the Vision Pro augmented reality headset. The company signaled that most of these products would arrive in stores during autumn 2023, setting a clear cadence for the fall season in North America and beyond.
Apple introduced a new MacBook Air powered by the M2 chip, featuring a 15-inch display and up to 2 terabytes of internal storage. The device is described as significantly more capable than its predecessor, with claims of substantial performance gains while maintaining a slim profile at 11 millimeters. The starting price was announced at $1,299, with sales commencing the following week and widespread availability expected soon after, approaching the back-to-school shopping window for many Canadian and American customers.
New Mac Studio configurations were shown, built around the M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. These models offer substantial memory options, featuring 96 GB and 192 GB of unified memory, and are positioned as twice as productive as the prior-generation Studio setups. Preorders began on June 5, with price points starting at $1,999. Shipments were slated to begin on June 13, delivering a compact desktop option with robust workstation performance for professional workflows common in creative studios and development environments across North America.
The lineup also includes a new macPRO, powered by a 24-core M2 Ultra processor and offering up to 8 TB of internal storage, capable of handling 8K display output. The entry price was positioned at around $7,000, with plenty of headroom for power users who require sustained, high-end throughput for 3D rendering, video production, and other demanding tasks.
iOS 17 was introduced with a suite of new capabilities, including enhanced text transcription for calls, improved FaceTime video messaging, more personalized contact options, and one-tap sharing features across iPhone devices. Apple also refined the keyboard experience, improved interactions with stickers and emoji, and added a feature to transform an iPhone into a photo frame or a desk clock. The software was scheduled to roll out in the fall of 2023 and later updates continued into 2024.
iPadOS received updates as well, introducing new features such as an AI-enhanced PDF editor that streamlines document workflows on the tablet while preserving familiar multitasking and app-organization capabilities that professionals rely on during travel and in meetings.
The Apple Watch operating system also received notable enhancements, including new wheel gestures, deeper customization options, fresh watch faces, and expanded sports-mode features. New health and vision-related apps were highlighted, expanding the device’s role in daily wellness tracking while maintaining its emphasis on a seamless user experience. Availability for these updates followed the fall 2023 timeline.
macOS Sonoma was announced as the next major desktop operating system, expected to arrive toward the end of 2023. It introduces a dedicated game mode and expands the Mac game library with several titles including World of Warcraft, Medium, SnowRunner, Layers of Fear, Elex 2, Fort Bodem’s, Strayed, Humanity, Resident Evil Village, and Nobody’s Heaven, appealing to gamers on Mac hardware across North America and beyond.
Additionally, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut was announced for Mac with a late-2023 release window, adding a notable title to Apple’s growing list of compatible games and expanding the platform’s entertainment options for enthusiasts and professionals alike.
Closing the event, Apple showcased the Vision Pro augmented reality headset, described by the company as the first wearable computer. It is designed to run on battery power and integrates a suite of advanced sensors and displays to deliver immersive experiences in AR and VR modes. The headset relies on micro-OLED displays, an M2 processor, and an R1 chip, along with built-in speakers, a 3D camera, infrared cameras, and LED lighting, all running on a dedicated visionOS platform. Interaction is designed to be hands-free, leveraging natural gestures rather than a traditional controller.
Vision Pro is capable of running applications that were originally built for iPhone and iPad, positioning the headset as a bridge between portable devices and immersive computing experiences. The announced price for the Vision Pro was $3,500, with sales expected to begin the following year, marking a bold foray into spatial computing for consumers and professionals in North America and international markets as supply chains mature.
Source: VG Times