Apple’s software release at the Global Developers Conference (WWDC) has reportedly set a busy tone for the fall of 2022 and the first half of 2023, and Apple is expected to update multiple product lines during this time. Earlier this month, WWDC was flooded with news, including a redesign of the iPhone lock screen, the release of two new Macs with M2 chips, and tweaking of the multitasking interface for the iPad.
But what’s even more interesting is how these changes will set the tone for Apple’s future devices. Judging by the current news, the company is about to launch the most ambitious new product release cycle ever, from the fall of 2022 to the first half of 2023.
These new products will include four iPhone 14, three Apple Watches and multiple Macs with M2 and M3 chips, the first Apple mixed reality headset, low-end and high-end iPads, new AirPods Pro headphones, and new HomePod speakers, and an upgraded Apple TV.
The product announced at WWDC will give us a glimpse into the future of Apple’s products — including how new software and hardware will combine.
The first is the iPhone. The main new feature of this product is the lock screen redesign. Apple has been working on this interface for several years, and now the launch of this feature comes at an opportune time, as the new lock screen interface can be paired with the iPhone 14 Pro’s infoscreen display.
Like the Apple Watch, the iPhone 14 Pro will be able to provide weather, calendar, stocks, events, and more in a low-brightness and low-frame rate information screen display. It’s also possible to avoid sensitive information displayed on the lock screen and avoid being seen by others – similar to the Apple Watch.
Other new features on the new iPhone 14 Pro include a significantly upgraded front camera, a new rear camera system with 48 million camera sensors, a faster A16 chip, and a FaceID pill cut-out and camera punch design.
The development code of the iPhone 14 Pro model is D73 and D74, which will become the protagonist of this year’s iPhone story, and the non-Pro iPhone 14 model development code is D27 and D28, and their attention will be smaller. The low-end iPhone will still have an A15 processor like the iPhone 13, but the 5.4-inch mini-model will be replaced by a 6.7-inch model.
All new iPhones this year will continue to use the Lightning interface for charging, but industry insiders expect that in 2023, it may switch to the USB-C interface. Speaking of USB-C, it is said that low-end iPads released this fall with A14 chips and 5G technology will use this interface.
You can’t mention the iPad without mentioning Stage Manager. In any case, this is Apple’s solution designed for professional users who are eager for better multitasking features. However, after testing, some people in the industry do not like this feature and do not think that it can solve related problems.
But this may indeed herald the future direction of the iPad Pro. Industry insiders expect Apple to launch new 11-inch and 12.9-inch models with M2 chips later this year and will be equipped with Stage Manager features. They were developed under the code names J617 and J620. As a result, Apple will have 5 iPads that support this interface, and there are currently 3 (the current two M1 iPad Pro and iPad Air).
In the next year or two, Apple is also expected to release an iPad with a larger screen — expected to be between 14 and 15 inches. Stage Manager works better on such large-screen devices.
The new M2 chip has been installed in the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro announced at WWDC and will be optimized for macOS Ventura. This will also be the core of future new products. Compared to macs equipped with M1 chips, these products may be launched at a faster rate.
According to current news, here are the other products that are expected to be launched in addition to the two existing devices:
An M2 Mac mini
An M2 Pro Mac mini
The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are equipped with the M2 Pro and M2 Max, respectively
Mac Pro with M2 Ultra and M2 Extreme
In addition to the Mac and iPad Pro, the M2 chip may also be installed on another device, that is, Apple’s mixed reality headset. According to people familiar with the matter, the device will be equipped with M2 chips and 16GB of RAM. This year’s WWDC has a lot of news about the realityOS headset operating system and its features.
Apple is also working on the M2’s next-generation product, the M3, and the company is also preparing to use the chip as early as next year’s 13-inch MacBook Air (development codenamed J513), 15-inch Macbook Air (development code J515), and new iMac (development code J433) and even a 12-inch notebook.
Another big product announced at WWDC this year is watchOS 9. The update apparently reveals potential features for this fall’s Apple Watch Series 8. It has been previously reported that Apple will launch 3 new products this year: a new low-end SE model, a standard version of the Series 8, and a rugged version for extreme sports.
For those who are eager for this year’s Apple Watch to be equipped with a faster chip, people familiar with the matter revealed that the S8’s chip will be the same as the S7 specifications, and also the same as the S6. But next year’s model will feature a new processor.
The SE will continue the screen size of the existing model instead of the larger screen of the Series 7. But it’s possible that this product will use the same S8 chip like the Series 8, while the current SE launched in 2020 will use the S5 chip.
The software update won’t support the Apple Watch Series 3, so the model could be discontinued this fall. The current SE will likely be worth the Series 3 price point, while the new SE will become the new mid-range option.
One of the biggest improvements to watchOS is the enhanced motion tracking feature. Includes multi-sport workouts (which automatically switch between swimming, cycling, and running), elevation tracking, training areas, and new running metrics. These features are all related to the Extreme Sport version.
The previously widely discussed low-power mode of watchOS 9 is expected to be an exclusive feature of the new Apple Watch.
While Apple doesn’t show much software information about Apple TV and HomePod at WWDC, the products are still undergoing some nice upgrades, though the new HomePod may not be available until next year.
The new Apple TV is developed under the code name J255, and this product is reported to be equipped with an A14 chip and larger memory. Compared to the A12 chip of the 2021 apple TV, this product can support additional gaming features on the new tvOS 16.
The HomePod, code-named B620, will carry the same S9 chip as the new Apple Watch and will be closer to the original HomePod in terms of size and sound quality, rather than moving closer to the new HomePod mini. The new HomePod will upgrade the display at the top, and there are even messages that it will support multi-touch.
The new AirPods Pro headphones are expected to be powered by the new chip and will support better sound quality.
