At its World Developers Conference, which began on Monday, Apple said it will add more features to iMessage, including the ability to edit or stop sending messages. The company said these two options are among the features most requested by users.
Apple also showed several new options to better customize the lock screen and enhance the notification experience. Apple iPhone users will be able to add widgets to the lock screen for information at a glance, such as upcoming calendar events and weather. IOS users will be able to follow “live” activities, such as the progress of an Uber trip or updates to a sports game. And the software will offer more custom wallpapers for the lock screen and the ability to shuffle options throughout the day.
Apple updates, likely to be released later this year, extend to its broader ecosystem of products and services, from payments to cars.
The latest version of CarPlay will be full of custom widgets controlled by the iPhone and able to run on all screens of a car. In the meantime, iOS users in the U.S. will be able to split payments for 8 weeks on Apple Pay, similar to a “buy now, pay later” service.
Apple also continues to bet on health features. The Apple Watch will soon support new custom workout features, including heart rate zones and runner pass data. In addition, improved sleep monitoring will control when a user enters and leaves light and deep sleep. A new medication app will allow users to track, manage, and understand the medications people are taking, and alert users when they need to take them.
Although the event focused on software, Apple made some hardware announcements.
Apple introduced a thinner, lighter, faster MacBook Air designed around its new internal M2 processor. The 13.6-inch MacBook Air is 25% brighter than before, supports MagSafe charging, and includes an improved front-facing camera with twice the resolution of the previous model. With an 8-core CPU, Apple said the M2 chip promises 18% more performance than its M1 chip. The processor also includes a 10-core GPU, twice as much as the M1, along with 25% better graphics performance.
The MacBook Air starts at $ 1,099 and the MacBook Pro starts at $ 1,299.
Some industry observers have also held out hope that Apple (AAPL) may offer an early view of a platform believed to be called RealityOS. The system could power mixed-reality headphones, a portable device that is said to be capable of both VR and RA, which is rumored to have been working for Apple for years.
The Apple event is streamed live on its website and on the company’s YouTube channel.