#TECH: Apple unveils new AI features, revamps operating systems

New Straits Times

a day ago

APPLE has announced a raft of new artificial intelligence (AI) features and a sweeping redesign of its operating systems at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier today.
The tech giant also revealed that it would make the core technology powering its Apple Intelligence features available to developers, enabling them to harness on-device AI capabilities for use in their apps, even when offline.
Developers will also be able to access generative AI tools in Xcode, Apple's software development environment. These enhancements include support for coding assistants like ChatGPT, which will help developers write, test and debug code more efficiently.
Apple's senior vice-president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, said Apple is taking a major step forward by giving developers direct access to the on-device foundation model behind Apple Intelligence. "It's powerful, fast, privacy-focused, and works even when offline. We believe this will spark a wave of intelligent experiences in the apps people use every day."
Liquid glass
A major highlight of the event was Apple's unveiling of a new design language for its operating systems, dubbed "liquid glass", a partially transparent visual style that enhances depth and texture across system interfaces.
This new aesthetic will be rolled out across the iPhone, Mac and other Apple platforms, representing what Apple described as its "broadest software design update ever."
Apple's vice-president of human interface design, Alan Dye, said the liquid glass blends the optical qualities of glass with a sense of fluid motion.
"It adapts to your content and context, laying the foundation for future experiences. It brings a sense of magic to even the most basic interactions," he said.
A clearer naming system
Apple also announced a change in the naming convention of its operating systems. Rather than using sequential numbers, which have caused confusion due to the staggered launch timelines of its various platforms, the company will now assign version names based on "next year" calendar years.
For instance, this year's iPhone operating system is called iOS 26 instead of iOS 19, aligning it with other platforms such as watchOS and macOS.
Federighi said the move was aimed at simplifying the product landscape, which had become fragmented due to mismatched versioning across devices.
Harmonised app design
As part of its system-wide design refresh, Apple has reimagined in-app navigation, controls and toolbars to better match the rounded corners of modern device displays. The goal, the company said, is to create better harmony between hardware, software and content.
In iOS 26, for example, tab bars now dynamically shrink when users scroll through content, and expand again when scrolling back up. On iPadOS and macOS, redesigned sidebars offer a more immersive experience in apps like Apple TV, subtly refracting background content and the user's wallpaper for greater context awareness.
These enhancements extend to core apps such as Camera, Photos, Safari, FaceTime and Apple Music.
Expanding intelligence
Apple said its Apple Intelligence suite will bring smarter, more personalised features across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
New capabilities include Live Translation, designed to break language barriers during messaging and real-time conversations, as well as updates to Genmoji and Image Playground, which allow users to generate personalised emoji and images with ease.
Visual intelligence has also been expanded to work contextually with what's displayed on the iPhone screen. Users can now interact with content across apps using AI, including asking ChatGPT for more information or searching platforms like Google and Etsy for similar products or images.
The Phone app has also received a major upgrade, with a unified interface that combines favourites, recent calls and voicemails. A new Call Screening feature answers calls from unknown numbers and provides caller details, helping users decide whether to take the call.
The company said Messages now lets users screen unknown senders, add custom chat backgrounds and create quick polls. Continuity features between Mac and iPhone have been strengthened, with the Phone app now available on macOS.