Apple kicks off WWDC with new Macbooks and iOS 17

Apple is making a small but mighty change to Siri in the new iOS 17 – users can drop the ‘Hey’ and only need to say ‘Siri’ to activate the virtual assistant.

The change has been a sought-after feature of iOS fans, and it seems Apple has finally listened.

The operating system will also see new apps geared toward your physical and mental health, along with personalized posters of a user that shows their photo or emoji to a call recipient.

A live voicemail feature also transcribes messages directly on the display, allowing you to ignore or answer the call.

Apple kicked off its highly anticipated World Wide Developers Conference Monday by showing off ‘the world’s best 15-inch laptop’

This annual event has been held by Apple since 1983, although it was not initially intended for hardware announcements. 

It is only in the past 20 years that Apple has used the conference as a major launchpad for new devices, including the HomePod speaker in 2007 and the iPhone 4 in 2010. 

Arguably, the main event in the calendar for Apple fans is its event held in the first two weeks of September, when it announces its new iPhone – although WWDC could be bigger this year. 

However, this year the firm is expected to announce a new piece of hardware that could soon ‘replace the iPhone,’ according to one expert. 

Apple also revealed an updated Mac Studio desktop machine Monday, which features the all-new M2 Ultra chip that can process artificial intelligence work that rival chips do not have enough memory to handle. 

The new 15-inch MacBook Air is powered by an Apple-designed M2 processor chip

New MacBooks 

Apple kicked off its highly anticipated World Wide Developers Conference Monday by showing off ‘the world’s best 15-inch laptop.’

The new 15-inch MacBook Air is powered by an Apple-designed M2 processor chip, which provides 18 hours of battery life and is 12 times faster than intel-based MacBooks.

The laptop features six speakers for immersive spatial audio and starts at $1,299 – and it will be available to consumers next week.

A new version of the Mac Pro took center stage, which is Apple’s highest-performing desktop, with an M2 Ultra chip and a price tag starting at $6,999. 

The M2 Ultra chip is essentially two of Apple’s largest M2 chips bonded together, a similar approach Apple took to boosting the performance of its M1 chips.

Until Monday, the Mac Pro was the last computer in Apple’s lineup that still used an Intel chip.

‘For PC users, there’s never been a better time to switch to a Mac,’ said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering.

Apple’s Mac lineup has experienced a revival since it started using its own chips in 2020, but in recent quarters sales have slumped along with the broader PC market.

Apple said that it was improving the auto-correct feature on iPhone keyboards.

‘In those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well, the keyboard will learn it, too,’ said Craig Federighi, Apple’s software chief.