It is September and that means, barring unforeseen consequences like in 2020, that Apple is going to hold an event. This event is titled "It's Glowtime” and will be held on Monday, September 9th at 10am Pacific Time.. Apple's September event is typically the event where they introduce new iPhones. The last few years I have been posting the list of things that I hope to see from Apple's event. I will be doing the same for the "It's Glowtime" event.

iPhone

Each year Apple releases a new set of iPhones. I suspect that we will get new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models. I am guessing that we will see four new phones, the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

I expect them all to support Apple Intelligence, meaning that they will have at least 8GB of memory in them. I also suspect that they will have A18 chips in the iPhone 16 models and A18 Pro chips in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.

With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max Apple introduced the Action button. Reportedly, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a new capture button. This could be useful for being able to take pictures, and even adjust focus, like a traditional camera.

Reportedly, the Ultra Wide camera will become a 48 Megapixel camera, which could be interesting, but I would much prefer that the Telephoto lens would become a 48 Megapixel camera, as I use that one WAY more often than the Ultra Wide lens. However, any improvement to the cameras is welcome.

Apple Watch

2024 marks the 10th release of the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch was announced in September of 2014 and released in April of 2015. The initial introduction had two sizes, 38mm and 42mm and while it did work, the original Apple Watch was woefully underpowered. In 2018 with the release of the Series 4, Apple increased the screen sizes to 40mm and 44mm. This remained the size until the Series 7 in 2021 when they were increased to 41mm and 45mm. The current rumors indicate that the screen size of the Apple Watch will increase again. This time to 45mm and 49mm. It would make sense since it has been 3 years since the last screen size change.

I would not be surprised if there are actually 3 screen sizes for the aluminum models, 41mm, 45mm, and 49mm. The reason that I think this is possible is because it would provide an even wider range of sizes, at relatively affordable prices. Right now, if you want the largest screen on the Apple Watch you need to purchase the Apple Watch Ultra, which starts at $799. By offering three sizes, I think Apple could change up the pricing to be $369 for the 41mm, $399 for the 45mm, and $429 for the 49mm version. The pricing is entirely a guess on my part, and would not be surprised if Apple had increments of $50 instead, meaning $349, $399, and $449.

I would like to get a larger Apple Watch, but definitely do not need the features of the Apple Watch Ultra. I hope to see a 49mm watch, at a price close to the current 45mm price of $429.

Apple Watch Ultra

The Apple Watch Ultra was originally introduced in 2022 as a larger 49mm model. The Apple Watch Ultra is designed to work in extreme conditions, offers multi-day battery life, and includes cellular. The Apple Watch Ultra is a bit more expensive at $799.

I expect that we will see the Apple Watch Ultra 3 with an improved System in Package (SIP). I do not expect a lot to be changed except for maybe it finally coming in a dark titanium color, instead of the natural titanium. It is also possible that it will come in even more colors, maybe even those that match the iPhone 16 Pro Max colors, but that is highly unlikely.

iPad

It is not unheard of for Apple to announce new iPad models at their September event. Given how many eyes are on this event, to some extent it makes sense to announce them. I expect that will see a new iPad mini and 12th generation iPad announced.

iPad mini

The current 6th generation iPad mini was announced in 2021. At the time it had an A15 chip, which was the newest one at the time. I think Apple will announce the 7th generation and that this one will have an M2 chip in it. I suspect that the colors will be updated, and support for the Apple Pencil Pro will also be added. However, I do not expect much else to change. It is possible that there might be a slight screen size increase, due to smaller bezels, but we will see.

iPad (11th Generation)

Apple announced the 10th generation iPad in October of 2022. This was a radical change from the previous iPads as it used USB-C instead of Lightning, removed the home button in favor of Touch ID in the power button, and that meant a larger screen, of 10.9 inches.

Earlier this year, Apple removed the 9th generation iPad from sale and dropped the price of the 10th generation iPad by $100 to $349 for the Wi-Fi model and $499 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model..

I think we will see a new 11th Generation iPad. I do not expect a lot to be changed, except for maybe an M1 processor. As much as Apple might want to bifurcate the iPad line, I think Apple Intelligence is too important to not have all of their new devices support Apple Intelligence. For this, it needs an M1 and 8GB of memory. It is possible that the screen size may increase to 11 inches to stay inline with the other iPad models.

If Apple is all-in on the Apple Intelligence and each new device will support it, then I could see Apple no longer selling the 10th generation and having the price of the 11th generation be $349.

Accessories

The September event is not just for iPhones and iPads, but it is often used to announce new accessories that can be used with the iPhone. This can include things like a battery pack, adapters, and even headphones, specifically the AirPods.

AirPods

Apple sells a variety of headphones, some wired, some wireless, and some that can be both. Apple's first wireless headphones were the AirPods. The AirPods were announced in September of 2016 and released in December of the same year. While many ridiculed their look at the time, they have become significantly more popular and now nobody thinks twice about them.

The 2nd generation AirPods were released in March of 2019 and were the same shape as the 1st generation, but had improved internals which supported "Hey Siri”, Bluetooth 5, and 50% more talk time. In 2017 a wireless charging case was announced and became an option when purchasing AirPods.

In 2019 Apple unveiled a new model of the AirPods, the AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro included additional features, like noise cancellation. The 2nd Generation models were introduced in 2022 and included improved sound quality, and longer battery life. Along with this, you can replace the tips on the AirPods Pro

The 3rd generation AirPods were released in October of 2021 and had a different shape that was more akin to the AirPods Pro. Another adaptation from the AirPods Pro was the addition of touch controls on the stems. The 3rd generation AirPods support Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio. Even when these were introduced, the 2nd generation AirPods had a price reduction to keep them around for those who were a bit more price conscious.

In September of 2022 Apple introduced the AirPods Pro (2nd generation). These had improved dust resistance, a USB-C charging port and can even use personalized audio. The 2nd generation AirPods Pro can also be used to nod or shake your head in response to Siri, provided you are using iOS 18.

AirPods

It is possible that Apple will introduce new models of the AirPods and AirPods Pro. The current rumor is that the 2nd generation AirPods will be discontinued and there will be two models of the 4th generation AirPods. One that supports noise cancellation and one that does not.

From a personal perspective, I hope that there are two variants of the 4th generation AirPods, one with the older shape from the 2nd generation AirPods. For me, the 3rd generation AirPods do not fit in my ears, while the 2nd generation AirPods do fit. If the 4th generation AirPods have a slightly smaller shape, that may be enough for me, but I suspect that the shape will follow the 3rd generation.

There is one more model, the AirPods Max.

AirPods Max

In 2014, Apple acquired Beats Electronics for a substantial sum of $8 billion. Following this acquisition, one of the long-standing rumors emerged that Apple was actively developing a line of over-ear headphones bearing the Apple brand. This rumor was finally substantiated when Apple unveiled the AirPods Max in December 2020.

It is plausible that Apple may announce a second generation of AirPods Max. While this iteration would likely be incremental, featuring USB-C connectivity, it is reasonable to anticipate that Apple will release these products through a press release rather later this year.

Closing Thoughts

It appears that the "It's Glowtime” event will be a busy one. With the introduction of new iPhones, new Apple Watches, possible iPads, and possibly even AirPods. At a minimum I expect iPhones and Apple Watches to be announced. I also do expect iPads to be announced, but outside of that, anything else is possible.

As always, I will have a post re-capping what is announced sometime after the event.

You can watch the event via the Apple Events page on Monday, September 9th, 2024 at 10:00 am pacific time.

Apple has made an announcement about a change to their Leadership that will be happening at the end of the year. Apple’s current Chief Financial Officer, Luca Maestri, will be stepping down as Chief Financial Officer effective January 1st, 2025. He will remain at the company but in a new role. This new role will be in charge of the Corporate Services teams, which includes information systems and technology, information security, and real estate and development. Maestri will still report to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Apple's press release has this to say about Luca Maestri:

During his time as CFO, Maestri enabled essential investments and practiced robust financial discipline, which together helped the company more than double its revenue, with services revenue growing more than five times.

The press release by Apple provided a statement from Maestri about this change:

It is the greatest privilege of my professional life to serve the world’s most innovative and admired company, and to work side by side with a leader as inspirational as Tim Cook," said Maestri. "I’m looking forward to the next stage of my time at Apple…

Luca Maestri’s tenure as Apple’s Chief Financial Officer will be just over a decade. Luca Maestri became Apple’s Chief Financial Officer in September of 2014 when the previous Chief Financial Officer, Peter Oppenheimer retired.

Replacing Maestri is Apple’s current Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, Kevan Parekh. According to Apple’s press release announcing the transition:

Parekh has been at Apple for 11 years and currently leads Financial Planning and Analysis, G&A and Benefits Finance, Investor Relations, and Market Research. Prior to this role, Parekh led Worldwide Sales, Retail, and Marketing Finance. He began his tenure leading the financial support of Apple’s Product Marketing, Internet Sales and Services, and Engineering teams.

Source: Apple Newsroom

Today Apple sent out invitations to their September event entitled "It’s Glowtime". The "It’s Glowtime" event is scheduled for Monday, September 9th, 2024 at 10:00am Pacific Time.

Apple’s September event is typically where they announces new iPhones and it is expected that Apple will announce the iPhone 16 line at this event. Beyond this, Apple typically also uses this time to unveil a new Apple Watch, which is again, expected. It is also possible that Apple might announce some new products that work with the iPhone at this event.

Members of the press will be able to attend a screening at the Steve Jobs Theatre at Apple Park. For everyone else you can watch via the Apple TV app, or by going to the Apple Events page and watching it there.

Prior to the event I will have a post about what I suspect Apple might announce, so be on the look out for that.

Source: 9to5Mac.

It is well known that Apple has been trying to diversify their revenue. If you look back over the last 7 years, the percentage that Services made up of Apple's overall revenue has ranged from 9.15% in Q1 of 2017 to 28.23% in Q3 of 2024. At the same time, the percentage of revenue that was generated by the iPhone went from 69.40% in Q1 of 2017 to 45.81% in Q3 of 2024.

It should be noted that it has not been a steady decline, the revenue for each product category does differ each quarter. As an example, there are typically more sales in Q1 of a fiscal year, because this covers October through December, when iPhone sales are their highest.

In order to stave off any possible decline in iPhone sales, Apple has needed a means of increasing revenue. There are two ways of doing this, increase overall sales, and increasing the amount you get from each user. If you are just entering a market, the former may be possible, but in a situation where the market is matured, like the iPhone, you need to use the latter method. The way that they have been trying to do this is through subscriptions, and in particular services.

It should be mentioned that a bulk of Apple's yearly income comes from an agreement with Google, where Google pays Apple to be the default search engine on the iPhone. It is estimated that this agreement is valued up to $20 Billion per year, which is approximately 25% of all of Apple's services revenue.

The remaining 75% of Apple's services revenue comes from purchases, from the App Store, TV Shows, Movies, and Music. Much more of the services revenue comes from subscriptions like Apple Music Apple TV+, iCloud, Apple One, Apple Care+, and of course, app subscriptions and in-app purchases.

Within the last couple of months Apple has released a couple of new methods for expanding their services, web apps.

Recent Web apps

Apple has now released two brand new web apps in the last month, Maps in July and podcasts just this past Monday. The addition of these means that there are now four services that are available via the web. The other two items are Music and TV.

When Apple Music was announced in 2015, it was only available in iTunes and the Music app on iOS and macOS. It was not until June of 2019 when Apple Music was made available on the web. The rollout of Apple TV+ was slightly different. Apple TV+ was announced in March of 2019 and made available to the public in November of the same year. When Apple TV+ launched, it included a corresponding web version. This allowed users to watch Apple TV+ wherever they were, provided they had access a web browser. This also made it so the service could be made available to non-Apple device users, expanding the base for those who may want to watch Apple TV content.

I have been wondering why Apple is just now releasing web versions of Podcasts and Maps. These releases come many years after they these services have been available via an app. Ultimately, I think it is to help bolster their services revenue. Each of the services that are available on the web, excluding Maps, can generate income, specifically subscriptions. Some of the services will generate more revenue than others, but they all have a potential to create income.

I think that some groups within Apple have finally realized that only a certain percentage of Apple's existing customers who have purchased Apple hardware will subscribe. In order to help subscriptions they have turned to the "Sweet Solution", known as the web, can help generate revenue.

In case you are not aware, at Apple's World Wide Developer Conference in 2007 Apple provided a means of creating apps, and that "Sweet Solution" was to write web apps. Below is a video of that segment from WWDC 2007.

Having a web app can allow those who are not entirely ensconced in the Apple ecosystem to subscribe to Apple's services. As some have postulated, it could also be a way of easily enabling API endpoints for Apple's services for areas where Apple does not control the platform, possibly within cars, or any other internet connected device.

As an example, they could easily make apps that are effectively just wrappers for web pages. Taking this approach would absolutely minimize development costs. Furthermore, it could allow Apple to more easily create country-specific, or even area specific, app, and control it entirely on the server-side.

Lastly, it would also allow Apple to have feature parity for all platforms, because the web is available on a vast majority of new devices.

Closing Thoughts

Apple releasing web versions of their services makes complete sense from a financial standpoint. Being able to provide services to more users, particularly non-Apple users, only extends their possible revenue streams. Even if the services does not make direct revenue, in the case of Maps, it is still worthwhile to provide the service so others can use it, even if it's just within a web app.

With the recent release of both Maps and Podcasts, I would not be surprised to see additional services, like Weather, come to the web at some point in the not too distant future.

Earlier this week Apple made available the Apple Podcast service available via a web browser. You can access it by going to podcasts.apple.com. This will only work on a desktop. If you attempt to open the site on an iPhone or iPad, you will be prompted to open the Podcast app. Similarly, if you click on a link on macOS, the Podcasts app will open. However, you can type in the URL, or copy and paste it, and it should show.

Apple Podcasts on the web allows you to listen to any podcast within the Apple Podcasts directory. If you know the name of a podcast, you can search, but you can also browse a variety of categories like "New and Noteworthy", "Bingeworthy" ,"All-Time Favorites", "Daily News", "Comedy", "True Crime", and "Kids and Family", just to name a few.

Sometimes though, you want to see what’s popular, and this is where "Top Charts" can come in handy. Here you will see the Top Shows overall, "Top Episodes", "Top Subscribed", and "Top Subscriber Channels". You can also choose from any of the categories by click on the dropdown in the upper right corner.

What would be better is if you could easily listen to the podcasts you follow, and you can do this by signing on. Once you have signed in, you will see all of the podcasts you follow, just like on iOS, iPadOS, or macOS. At the same time your listen history and playback position will be saved.

While listening to a podcast, you can view episodes notes, see your queue, and adjust the volume, all while browsing the podcasts directory.

One limitation to the web version is that you cannot listen at faster than 1x speed, therefore if you are accustomed to listening at faster than 1x, you might be disappointed. Similarly, chapters are not supported with Apple Podcasts on the web.

This is a good addition for those users who may use an iPhone and a windows laptop, or just would like to be able to use a web version of podcasts.

Source: 9to5Mac.

Since 2012 I have been publishing a set of books each year for Apple's new operating systems. At first there were two separate books, one that focused on the iPhone and iPad, and another that focused on the Mac. Starting in 2021 this changed from two books, down to a single book that covers the new features for all of Apple's operating systems. I have written another book for this year and this year's book is macOS Sequoia, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and watchOS 11 for Users.

Last year I made a slight change to the availability of the book, by making only one digital version available. This was from Apple. The same is true for this year as well. There is no digital right management (DRM) on the ePub from Apple, so you can use read the ePub on any compatible device. However, there is one other minor change to this year's book.

It is possible that you may not have noticed the subtle change in the title. The end now has the phrase "for Users". This is a switch from last year, where it was "for Users and Developers". This year's book does not have a developer section. There are a couple of reasons for this change. The first is because there has not been any feedback regarding the developr section. The second, and more important reason, is that developers typically do not use books to find example code. Instead they use sites like Apple's developer site, Stack Overflow, and Hacking with Swift in order to learn about the new features. So, this year there is no developer section.

Even without a developer section, there is still quite a bit of information within the book and here is the blurb describing the book.

Each year Apple releases new versions of its operating systems. This year’s releases of macOS Sequoia, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and watchOS 11 are full of features including customization options, a new way to manage passwords, and some changes for messages.

On iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 there are new customization options for your Home Screens, including placing apps wherever you would like, a new dark mode for icons, and you even have the ability to tint all of your icons. Within Messages you can add some effects to your text, including adding bold, italics, underline, or strikethrough. But that is not all. You can also add motion effects that will give even more animation to your text. For those that communicate with those on another platform, RCS is now supported as well.

watchOS 11 adds some new features, like time and location-based widgets appearing on the Smart Stack. Along with this, there is now a Vitals app that you can use to get a quick glance at some overnight metrics like heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep duration. Fitness is an import aspect of the Apple Watch, you can now pause your rings and maintain your streaks. This is a good addition for those times when life gets in the way and you want to keep your streaks going.

Apple has introduced their take on artificial intelligence and this can help you create your own emoji, rewrite text, and even generate images. For anything that needs to be sent to the cloud, it will go to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute platform.

These are just some of the topics covered in macOS Sequoia, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and watchOS 11 for Users. There is bound to something for everyone, no matter what your level of expertise.

You can pre-order it from Apple. You can pre-order it today and it will be available when iOS 18 is released to the public. A paperback and hardcover version are forthcoming as well.

Today's modern internet is a leap forward from the start of the modern smartphone era of 2007 and 2008. Before then, particularly in the 1990s and early 2000s, if you were going to somewhere that you did not know very well you would need to print out a paper map using a site like Mapquest or Google Maps.

When Apple introduced the iPhone one of the few apps on the phone was a mapping app, specifically Google Maps. If you were following Apple back in 2012 it is possible that you remember Apple's announcement that they would be replacing Google Maps with their own Apple Maps. If you do not remember the announcement, it is quite likely that you do remember its launch. It was lackluster to say the least. Even though Apple Maps did not start off on the best foot, having any map app was better than no map app.

The one thing that Apple Maps has not had is a web version. You had to use either your iPhone, iPad, or Mac in order to use Apple Maps. That has now changed because today, Apple announced that there is beta of the web version of Apple Maps. Apple's announcement states:

Today, Apple Maps on the web is available in public beta, allowing users around the world to access Maps directly from their browser.

Now, users can get driving and walking directions; find great places and useful information including photos, hours, ratings, and reviews; take actions like ordering food directly from the Maps place card; and browse curated Guides to discover places to eat, shop, and explore in cities around the world. Additional features, including Look Around, will be available in the coming months.

All developers, including those using MapKit JS, can also link out to Maps on the web, so their users can get driving directions, see detailed place information, and more.

Maps on the web is currently available in English, and is compatible with Safari and Chrome on Mac and iPad, as well as Chrome and Edge on Windows PCs. Support for additional languages, browsers, and platforms will be expanded over time.

You can easily access the beta site by going to beta.maps.apple.com to use the webpage. You can easily link to specific places, like Apple Park, the Tower Bridge or even the Eiffel Tower Stadium, just to name a few places.

It is not clear why it took Apple 12 years to provide a web-based version of their Maps. Not having it for a few years makes complete sense, but then again it has taken 14 years to get an Apple Calculator app on the iPad, so I guess this is two years ahead of schedule.

Source: Apple Newsroom

Today Apple held its World Wide Developer Conference, or WWDC, keynote. The WWDC keynote is a way of Apple to highlight the features that will be coming to its platforms overs the next year. This year keynote is a big one with features that were highlighted for all of Apple’s platforms. I will highlight what I think are the biggest announcements.

Vision Pro

The Apple Vision Pro is Apple’s latest platform and while it has only been around for four months, there are some good updates coming. First, for those who use a Mac with their Apple Vision Pro you will be able to use a display that will be like having two 4K monitors side-by-side. This is great so you can have even more screen real estate.

For Photos, you will be able to use machine learning to make any photo a Spatial Photo, so you can view it with Apple Vision Pro.

The Apple Vision Pro is also coming to new regions both later this month and also in July.

Home Screen

Our devices are super personalized and we often use our home screen to reflect that. Now, you can do even more customization. You can customize your home screen to place icons where you would like them. This works well for images that may normally be covered by icons. Just like you re-arrange the icons, and you can place them wherever you would like.

Locking Apps

Some apps can contain some sensitive data, like photos or a journal app. There may be those times when you want to protect this data. You can now lock apps behind Face ID. This means that you can use require Face ID to open up an app.

Hiding Apps

There may be apps that you do not want others to see when you hand them your phone. You can now hide apps and these will be put into a "Hidden Apps" folder in the App Library, and they will be locked behind Face ID, just like other apps.

Icon Tint

There are those of us who like to have complete color coordination between our Home Screen and our icons, but icons come in a variety of colors. You can work around this by creating a shortcut that opens up the app, but this can be tedious. There is a new option for customizing the tint color of icons. This tint color applies to all icons, but you can select any color you want.

Control Center

The Control Center also allows you to organize, resize, and organize the icons as you see fit. You can even have groups of controls that make sense for you. Developers will be able to add additional control center items for you as well.

Contacts

A couple years ago Apple added a new way to limit which photos that an app could see. Now, you can do the same with Contacts. Instead of allowing an app full access, you can choose which contacts an app will have access to. This is a great addition for privacy.

Passwords

There is now a new Passwords app that works across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, and even on Windows. This will allow you to store your passwords, one-time codes, passkeys, Wi-Fi, shared passwords, and Sign-In with Apple.

Messages

Messages gets some new features like custom Tapbacks, so you can now add emoji inline or as a tapback. Beyond this, you can use the new Genmoji feature to generate your own custom emoji-looking items to get the right images for the situation.

Sometimes all you need to do is add some emphasis to text. This can also be done through the new "text effects". These will allow you to add bold, italics, underline, or strike through some text. Beyond this, you can add some effects including:

• Big
• Small
• Shake
• Nod
• Explode
• Ripple
• Bloom
• Jitter

Here is a photo of some of them. When you preview them, they will show a preview of what they will look like.

TV

The AppleTV app is getting a new feature called "Insights". This is where you will be able to see other things that an actor or actress has been in as well as identify a song. You will then be able to add the song to an Apple Music playlist. If you use your iPhone as a remote while watching TV with others, you will also be able to get Insights.

Another feature is Enhance Dialog for TV speakers and speakers, this can be super helpful so you can hear what is being said. Subtitles will also get some tweaks, where they will automatically come up if you mute the audio or jump back in time.

Calculator

There is now a calculator on the iPad and it includes a feature called "Math Notes". Math Notes allows you to write out expressions with the Apple Pencil and calculator will compute the answer once you put an equals sign in the equation. If you need to add a column of numbers, this can be done as well by putting a line under all of the numbers to be added.

You will also be able to add graphs and update values in real-time with variables. Math Notes are not limited to just the calculator app. You can also use them in the Notes app.

macOS

macOS is the oldest and most mature of Apple’s operating systems, but it also seems some new features, like the aforementioned Passwords app. There are two iPhone-related features coming, mirroring and mirroring and notifications.

iPhone Mirroring

There may be instances when you would might want to be able to see what is happening on your iPhone while you are using your Mac. This can be particularly true if your iPhone is charging in another room. Now, you will be able to actually use your iPhone while it is elsewhere. You are able to interact with it by swiping and clicking, just as if you were using the iPhone.

When you do you your iPhone via mirroring, it will remain locked, so nobody else will be able to see what you are doing.

iPhone Notifications

Much like being able to add widgets from your iPhone to your Mac, you will be able to get iPhone notifications right on your Mac. Along with this, you can interact with them and they should even be able to open up via iPhone mirroring.

Mail

Mail is also getting some updates, including categorizations. This is done on device and emails will be put into one of a few categories:

• Primary - Most important
• Transactions - Receipts
• Updates - Newsletters
• Promotions - Marketing/Sales

This is a nice update as well. There is another thing coming to mail, Writing Tools.

Writing Tools will allow you to spell check, proof-read, and rewrite an email. It will not be limited Mail, but can also be found in Keynote. Pages, Notes, and even third-party apps.

Apple Intelligence

One of the big items highlighted is Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence will allow you to create images, rework text, and even use Siri to perform actions and find your own data. Apple could have just integrated existing Artificial Intelligence, but they have decided to go above and beyond with a new feature called Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence is an initiative that takes Artificial intelligence and expands upon it to make sure that your information stays private. This is done through a combination of on-device and cloud infrastructure. A vast majority of the data will be on device, but for tasks that require more resources, there is the cloud portion.

But not just any cloud. Apple has dubbed their solution Private Cloud Compute. PrivatE Cloud Compute is built on Apple Silicon and uses many of the features built into the system. One of the features of this is that there is no data persistence, so your private data is only available to that server for that one request, before the data is wiped from the server.

Apple Intelligence provides access to your data so you can perform actions like "Find photos of Suzy in a Pink dress" and it knows enough context to be able to find what you are looking for.

Image Generation

One of the more common uses of current artificial intelligence is to generate images. You can do this on iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia as well. You will be able to create images to send to others based upon a template, and a few limited styles. Beyond this, you will be able to write out what you are looking for and it will perform a search.

Being able to use your own data is great, but sometimes you need access to general world knowledge. Apple has a solution with that as well.

ChatGPT

Apple is partnering with Open AI and to use their ChatGPT 4o model to allow you to ask Siri general knowledge. The request will be sent and it will end up responding. If an app needs to use your personal data, you will need to confirm that you want to send the data to ChatGPT before it sent. This way, you are always able to decide to not send the data.

Again, these features will be coming later in the year.

Closing Thoughts

All of the features outlined above should be coming over the next year. Some will be released this fall, while others will be later. There are a number of great features, like Home Screen customization, new text effects in Messages. The new Passwords app will make it easier to manage all of your passwords, and related information in a single location.

Artificial Intelligence is a big topic with a slew of features planned including Writing Tools, mail organization, and general ChatGPT features through Siri and throughout Apple's operating systems.

You can see previews for macOS Sequoia, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18.

Sources:

Here is the iPad Air and iPad Pro Availability for Sunday, June 9th, 2024. There are no changes since the last posting. With the iPad availablity becoming stable, this will be the last posting for this round of iPad releases.

iPad 11-inch Air

iPad 13-inch Air

iPad 11-inch Pro

iPad 13-inch Pro

iPad 11-inch Pro (Nano-texture)

iPad 13-inch Pro (Nano-texture)

Here is the iPad Air and iPad Pro Availability for Saturday, June 8th, 2024. The most significant change is for the 13-inch iPad Pro with Nano-texture glass. They have improved from June 24th to June 18th. The same applies to a couple of 11-inch iPad Pro models The other changes are delivery changes for the weekend.

The most up to date availability can be viewed at https://waynedixon.com/availability/ipad.html.

Changes for Apple

iPad 11-inch Pro (Nano-texture)

• 1TB - Wi-Fi + Cellular - Space Black has changed from Jun 24 - Jul 1 to Jun 18 - Jun 25
• 2TB - Wi-Fi + Cellular - Silver has changed from Jun 24 - Jul 1 to Jun 18 - Jun 25

iPad 13-inch Pro (Nano-texture)

• 1TB - Wi-Fi Only - Space Black has changed from Jun 24 - Jul 1 to Jun 18 - Jun 25
• 2TB - Wi-Fi Only - Space Black has changed from Jun 24 - Jul 1 to Jun 18 - Jun 25
• 2TB - Wi-Fi Only - Silver has changed from Jun 24 - Jul 1 to Jun 18 - Jun 25
• 1TB - Wi-Fi + Cellular - Space Black has changed from Jun 24 - Jul 1 to Jun 18 - Jun 25
• 2TB - Wi-Fi + Cellular - Space Black has changed from Jun 24 - Jul 1 to Jun 18 - Jun 25
• 1TB - Wi-Fi + Cellular - Silver has changed from Jun 24 - Jul 1 to Jun 18 - Jun 25
• 2TB - Wi-Fi + Cellular - Silver has changed from Jun 24 - Jul 1 to Jun 18 - Jun 25

iPad 11-inch Air

iPad 13-inch Air

iPad 11-inch Pro

iPad 13-inch Pro

iPad 11-inch Pro (Nano-texture)

iPad 13-inch Pro (Nano-texture)