ICYMI: Apple Intelligence’s 7 Biggest Stories of the Week at WWDC 2024, to a Galaxy Watch FE Reveal
This week, Apple stole the show with WWDC β the annual developer conference where it presents the next generation of its various operating systems.
Usually it comes down to a hardware release or two, but this year we have something better; Apple has finally revealed its AI plans. Sorry, not artificial intelligence, Apple Intelligence (we hate to admit the name is awesome).
We were also treated to a surprise reveal of the Galaxy Watch and a new smallest 4K camera. So, in case you missed it, let us catch you up on the top tech news stories from the last seven days.
7. Apple Intelligence arrived on the scene
As we expected from WWDC 2024, Apple announced a slew of improvements to its various operating systems, bringing new features to iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and the rest. But the biggest problem during the event’s opening keynote was of course Apple Intelligence.
Apple’s answer to AI will make Siri smarter β so it better understands the context of your requests, and it can use images, calendar events, messages, and other app information to provide in-depth answers to your questions in seconds. And if it gets stuck, it can always ask ChatGPT-4o; if you give permission, that is.
Apple Intelligence can also proofread your texts, summarize long documents, and generate custom emojis. Additionally, Apple has put privacy at the forefront, saying that its off-device models run on private servers, and that all data shared with these servers is encrypted and in no way accessible by Apple β and that your data is only exist on the computer. servers for the short time the AI ββneeds them for that specific request.
6. The features of iOS18 were exposed
Apple introduced iOS 18 at WWDC 2024, and when it fully rolls out later this year it will bring with it a host of updates. In fact, iOS 18 looks set to be the biggest update to the iPhone operating system in years, with changes to key native apps.
For example, the Mail app can categorize your emails more logically and provide quick-read summaries of them. The Photos app has been revamped to filter photos by things like themes and screenshots. The Messages app allows users to respond to text messages with any emoji and has the ability to schedule messages; the latter could be a game-changer for those with nighttime epiphanies.
Other changes include the option to rearrange app icons and widgets on the bottom and side of the screen and activate a new dark mode for app icons. Control Center allows you to divide widgets into separate function groups, such as Media and Home.
In short, iOS 18 will deliver a smarter, slicker, and more customizable iPhone experience, which will likely arrive in time for the iPhone 16.
5. Apple has set global launch dates for Vision Pro
Since its launch in the US, the big question we’ve all been asking ourselves is: when will the Vision Pro be launched elsewhere in the world? Well, we finally have an answer. If you’re in China, Japan or Singapore, it will launch on June 28, 2024, and two weeks later on July 12, the Vision Pro will come to Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the UK.
If that’s the case, it’ll cost Β£3,499 / AU$5,999, which is more expensive than we expected based on the exchange rates – we thought it might be closer to Β£2,800 / $5,300 – but it would never be the cheapest Apple launch will be seen as the US launch. Prices.
Later this year, the tech will receive visionOS 2, which comes with mixed reality upgrades, spatial photo versions of your flat photos, and a new train travel mode.
4. Cool free AirPods upgrades demonstrated for iOS 18
As part of WWDC, Apple announced five new features coming to select AirPods models with iOS 18. Full disclosure: none of these will blow your mind, but they do represent nice and useful quality-of-life upgrades β although there three of them are currently only coming to AirPods Pro 2, while one is also coming to AirPods 3 and AirPods Max, and one should benefit all AirPods.
Most interesting is Voice Isolation, which takes advantage of the audio computing skills that make AirPods Pro 2’s active noise cancellation so effective at blocking out wind and other loud noise around you while you talk.
The second is improved Siri interactions. If you have AirPods Pro 2, you can respond silently to Siri by just nodding in the affirmative or shaking your head if it’s negative. Cool, right? Next comes Spatial Audio in gaming β and this particular benefit comes to AirPods 3, AirPods Max, original AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2.
Then there’s the lower latency connectivity, which Apple says “should significantly reduce audio latency”, so another great update for gamers – and if you use AirPods Pro 2 with iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple says you’ll get “the best wireless audio latency that Apple has ever delivered for mobile gaming.β
Better voice quality in games is finally coming β although it’s another new one just for AirPods Pro 2. Basically, they’ll soon support 16-bit/48kHz audio, so your voice should come across more natural and people should be able to distinguish your soft tones clearer.
3. The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE was unveiled
After leak after leak, the Galaxy Watch FE finally broke cover before it would likely be seen on Unpacked in a few weeks. It looks like the 40mm smartwatch will deliver features from recent premium smartwatches β like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 β at a much more affordable price.
It looks like a Galaxy Watch 4, but packs a Sapphire Crystal display and Samsung’s latest wellness tools, including advanced running analytics and a body composition tool that estimates the amount of fat, muscle and bone that makes up you β and our tests suggest it is quite accurate.
When it launches in a few weeks, it will cost $199.99 for the Bluetooth-only model and $249.99 for the LTE version (about Β£160 / Β£200 and $300 / AU$380 respectively).
2. Fitbit fans mourned the loss of another popular feature
In what is becoming a familiar story, Fitbit fans had to deal with even more bad news this week after the discontinuation of the platform’s popular web dashboard feature. The reason for the change? Fitbit (and its Google owner) wants people to use its smartphone app exclusively instead.
However, that didn’t go down too well, as the web dashboard offers benefits like easier data entry and features like custom meal plans. While Fitbits certainly still have their charms, this disruption means some Fitbit owners may want to switch to competing brands in our guide to the best fitness trackers, including Garmin, Xiaomi and Apple. And we can’t entirely blame them.
1. Insta360 Go 3S became the world’s smallest 4K camera
Versatility is the name of the game with Insta360’s Go series of small action cameras, and in the new Go 3S many fans got what they wanted most: 4K video. It is the latest model in the series and the world’s smallest 4K camera, about the size of a pack of chewing gum.
We tested the fully waterproof camera and it’s great fun for all ages. It has a convenient magnetic mounting and a wide choice of accessories. Simply put, you can shoot from angles otherwise impossible with other cameras: place it underwater, clip it to your clothes, throw it on a magnetic surface β it records sharp 4K video of the action.
Pair it with the GoPro-style Action Pod and you get a flip-up touchscreen for easy control and remote viewing. Alternatively, you can use Insta360’s app instead. If you want to have a little fun with a video camera, the Go 3S could be your best choice right now.