WWDC 2020

WWDC 2020: Great Production Value, Not a Lot of Surprises

Last night, like many around the world, I tuned in for Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference. While it was visually great, the only standout announcement was something many of us knew was coming for quite a while.

The Production

As you can imagine, the entire event was pre-recorded due to COVID-19. The production values were amazing and actually make me hope for more of these pre-recorded events in the future. It did lack some of the banter of previous years, but that is understandable without a live audience.

I wasn’t surprised that Tim Cook started the keynote talking about the recent protests and the pandemic; it’s a very "Apple" thing to do as they like to show themselves as being part of the world and a solution to many problems. But let’s get to the main event.

iOS 14

When it comes to iOS, Apple seemed focused on catching up to Android and implementing features that have been commonplace there for years. We got the "new" ability to add widgets on the home screen and the App Library, which intelligently organizes your apps into folders. We also saw an updated Siri that doesn't take up the whole screen, App Clips, a translation app, and incoming calls that no longer take over your entire display.

There were a couple of features Apple didn’t "nick" from Google:

• Improved Privacy: Something Google really doesn't prioritize, as it would cost them money.
• Maps: Updated to include electric vehicle (EV) charging routes and the rollout of their next-gen mapping data outside the US.
• Picture in Picture: Finally available on iPhone.
• Messages: You can now pin contacts and reply inline during group chats.

One feature I really like the look of—but can’t use yet—is the Car Key feature. You’ll be able to unlock and start your car using Apple Wallet. Pair that with smart home locks, and you’ll never need a bunch of keys in your pocket again.

iPadOS and WatchOS

iPad got a few upgrades, too. It can do everything new in iOS, and you can now use your Apple Pencil to fill in text boxes using Scribble. It’s been on the Apple Watch since the beginning, so why not with the Pencil?

The Apple Watch got a couple of upgrades:

• Sleep Tracking: (So make sure you wake up an extra half-hour early to charge your watch!)
• Complications: You can now use more than one complication from the same app on a single watch face.
• Hand Wash Timer: Automatically kicks in when it detects you are washing your hands.

Apple TV and HomeKit

Apple TV gets Picture in Picture and the ability to play multiplayer games (so those two SteelSeries controllers I bought years ago might actually get used at the same time).

Apple seems to have lumped HomeKit in with Apple TV. You’ll now be able to view cameras live on the Apple TV, and they will automatically use facial recognition using your phone’s contacts. This enables rich notifications—for example, you'll get an alert saying "Bob is at your front door."

macOS Big Sur

macOS has had a design overhaul, prepping for the next stage in Mac evolution. The icons that moved to a flat UI a few years ago are gone, replaced by icons that look basically like iPad app icons. The menu bar is more transparent, in-app menus have shifted to sidebars where possible, and spacing has been increased. They've added a new Notification Center that came straight from the iPad—could this be a hint at touch-screen Macs in the future?

Safari also had an upgrade: it can now add a background image to your home page and will let you know which trackers are on each site you visit. I’m annoyed they didn’t go one step further and add a built-in ad blocker.

The Big Announcement: Apple Silicon

The big announcement—even if it didn’t surprise anyone—was that Apple will be moving their Macs over to their own ARM-based processors. I think this is a good move. Intel has been stagnating in the consumer CPU department for a long while and has stopped Apple from releasing a new range of Macs each year like they do their iPhones. It also gives Apple greater freedom over their hardware.

I’d love to get my hands on the Developer Transition Kit, but Apple wants me to pay £500 for the privilege, and I don’t even get to keep it. No thank you—I’ll wait until September when they release their new ARM-based Macs. I fear this might mean the end for those who like to build their own "Hackintosh" machines, at least until someone starts selling ARM SoCs for desktops.

It’s going to be interesting to see what Apple can do with ARM chips in an iMac or Mac Pro. Power constraints and thermals are different compared to an iPhone. This could mean CPU core counts we’ve only seen in server boxes, or GPUs that might even dethrone AMD. It’s going to be an interesting few years as ARM desktops start to become the norm, and it looks like Apple plans to lead the charge once again.

Did you see the WWDC keynote? What were your thoughts? Are you looking forward to ARM Macs? Let me know in the comments below!