Apple WWDC 2019: All the Biggest Announcements

Apple’s closely-followed Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2019 keynote presentation took place on Thursday. During their two hours on stage, Apple executives made clear that the company’s hardware is just as important as its software.

They showed off updates to Apple’s four main operating systems—tvOS, iOS, watchOS, and macOS. And although the event centered on software, it was the company’s new high-end Mac Pro desktop that arguably stole the show. Apple also unveiled a new desktop monitor that will cost at least $5,000, so pricey, in fact, that even many Apple fans did a double take.

Read on for our roundup of the biggest and most important announcements from WWDC 2019.

iOS 13

Apple designed iOS 13 to be more efficient and reduce app download sizes. Ultimately, the smaller app sizes should mean that apps will open twice as fast as in iOS 12.

Apple also added a new Dark mode to the operating system that converts white and gray menu items to black to reduce eye strain, and a swipe keyboard function that lets users type messages by sliding their fingers around the letters instead of tapping keys.

A new Sign In with Apple feature lets users create usernames and passwords for sites without ever needing to share personal information, like their e-mail addresses. It’s designed to hide the identity of users from third-party services and to route their passwords through Apple’s servers.

Additionally, Apple said that its HomeKit smart home control app will encrypt video from smart door bells or security cameras, so hackers access the images.

IOS 13 is planned for the fall.

iPadOS

Apple’s new iPadOS has features designed specifically for the iPad. It’s a departure from the past, when the iPhone and iPad shared an operating system that didn’t take advantage of the iPad’s larger screen.

With iPadOS, users will get a bigger home screen and the ability to add widgets to the home screen to quickly access more information. Apple’s iPadOS also has improved multitasking, including the ability to drag and drop text and images between apps. A new split screen feature will let users view two apps side-by-side.

Perhaps most importantly for photographers, Apple’s iPadOS works with USB drives and SD cards, so users can transfer files from those drives to the iPad.

Apple plans to release iPadOS in the fall.

Mac Pro

If you don’t mind spending thousands of dollars for a new computer, the new Mac Pro may be for you.

Apple’s long-awaited high-end desktop comes with a metal design that lets users add and remove components more quickly, the company said. It comes with an Intel Xeon processor that has up to 28 cores, or processing units, and the option to have multiple high-end graphics cards running at the same time to accommodate resource-heavy applications, like video processing. It comes with up to 1.5TB of memory and more ports that let users connect monitors, storage devices, and other peripherals.