Apple's WWDC24 developer conference has officially been scheduled, set to take place on June 10th (1:00 AM Beijing time, June 11th). You can apply to participate in the event through the Apple website. For those who don't plan to attend offline, stay tuned to RayTech, as we'll be providing the latest updates.
As usual, Apple is expected to unveil the latest versions of its operating systems at the annual WWDC conference, sharing these new features with developers. Last year, Vision Pro stole the spotlight from other systems, but this year, the tables have turned. iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, macOS 15, and VisionOS 2.0 are all set to make their debut at WWDC24.
Source: Apple
Apple's Senior Vice President of Global Marketing, Greg Joswiak, took to social media to announce, "Mark your calendars for WWDC24. This event is absolutely incredible!" Interestingly, the first letters of "Absolutely Incredible" are capitalized, immediately bringing to mind "AI."
Undoubtedly, "AI" will be the focus of this year's WWDC. Earlier reports suggest that iOS 18 will receive unprecedented updates, and although WWDC24 is still two months away, discussions about iOS 18 have already sparked industry-wide excitement.
Recently, prominent media figures such as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and overseas blogger Concept Central have revealed a plethora of new information about iOS 18. This includes Apple's first self-developed large-scale model, highly customizable home screens, a smarter Siri, and the introduction of third-party generative AI chatbots. Will these new features help iOS regain its reputation?
Of particular interest in iOS 18 is the practical application of AI. The current AI smartphone trend in the Android camp is in full swing, with brands like Samsung, Honor, OPPO, vivo, and Meizu all heavily investing in AI smartphones. However, Apple, which has historically led innovation in the era of smartphones, seems somewhat "late to the game." Only now, with Apple's announcement of completely abandoning its car manufacturing project in favor of doubling down on AI, is this giant ship officially setting sail towards the AI route.
Siri, as Apple's intelligent assistant aimed at differentiating itself from other smartphone brands, appears less intelligent compared to AI assistants already integrated into other smartphone brands. Therefore, revamping Siri to make it smarter will be the first step for Apple's AI smartphones.
According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Apple will focus on "AI tools that help manage daily life" as the primary update for Siri in iOS 18, rather than crafting it into "a generative artificial intelligence function similar to ChatGPT."
Specifically, the new Siri will see a significant improvement in its intelligence level, not only efficiently answering user questions but also dynamically linking with other applications based on commands. This will enable AI-generated text and image content, as well as travel guides, providing users with a more intelligent mobile experience.
Source: Concept Central
Not only that, but several built-in iOS apps such as Apple Music, Pages, and Keynote have also undergone AI remastering. After the update, iPhones will be able to use AI for tasks like removing/backgrounding images, automatically generating playlists, assisting in writing and quickly creating presentation content, among other functions.
It is reported that Apple may not integrate its in-house AI model, Ajax, into iOS 18, perhaps due to its late start, as Ajax has not yet met Apple's requirements. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple has held discussions with Alphabet's Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. It is not ruled out that one or more AI models will be introduced in iOS 18 to provide generative AI chatbot functionality for the iOS system.
In the domestic market, Chinese regulations require large models to obtain approval before being launched. Currently, more than 40 large models such as Baidu Wenxin Yiyuan, Alibaba Tongyi Qianwen, and iFlytek Xinghuo have been approved. However, Apple's Ajax large model is not on the list, so the best option for Apple's domestic version of the iPhone to introduce AI large models is to cooperate with domestic large models.
Source: Gemini
Previously, the Samsung Galaxy S24 series followed a similar approach, using Google's AI model Gemini in the international version, while the Chinese version directly integrated Baidu's Wenxin Yiyuan as the main AI model. It is reported that Apple is highly likely to choose Baidu as its domestic partner. Upon this news, Baidu's stock price surged over 5% on the same day.
This collaboration is essentially a win-win situation. A large number of Apple devices can help the AI model of the partner accumulate more data, thus further evolving the model. Meanwhile, Apple's brand influence is undeniable. Leveraging part of Apple's user base through AI models can save a considerable amount of advertising expenses.
From Apple's perspective, introducing third-party AI models does not mean compromise. Since Apple started relatively late, it is difficult for them to catch up with the technological level of other AI models in a short time. Therefore, opting for mature third-party AI models allows users to experience better Apple AI.
On the other hand, AI models often involve high maintenance costs and concerns about user privacy and security. By outsourcing to third parties, Apple first saves maintenance costs. Considering Google's annual payment to Apple for default search, it is likely that third-party AI models will also need to pay a hefty fee to Apple. Secondly, outsourcing can mitigate legal risks associated with user privacy, with the third party footing the bill. These are believed to be among the factors influencing Apple's decision.
Therefore, temporarily stabilizing the situation with third-party AI models while quietly developing their own AI models may be the best choice for Apple at present. The lack of "Apple flavor" is only temporary, and in the future, the AI model Ajax may once again become the main AI model for the iPhone.
In previous iOS versions, the iPhone's home screen layout has maintained a product logic from left to right and top to bottom, with the degree of customization being strictly limited by the official guidelines. In this era of pursuing high levels of freedom, iOS, in order to achieve simplicity and aesthetics, has made it difficult for users to escape from the "grid-like" application sorting method, which may not fully meet the practical needs of most users.
Source: Compiled by Lei Technology
Fortunately, Apple has recognized this. In iOS 18, Apple introduces additional customization options for the home screen for the first time. Users no longer need third-party tools to unleash their creativity and create more unconventional layouts. Specifically, this manifests as the freedom to specify the row and column parameters of the home screen.
This is the biggest home screen change for iPhones in recent years. Apart from bringing more fun ways for users to play around, the emergence of a new batch of third-party paid theme apps is already a sure thing.
Furthermore, the "Apple ID," which has accompanied Apple users for over 20 years, may bid farewell to Apple fans as it is renamed to "Apple Account" in iOS 18.
Previously, "Apple Account" has already appeared on the funds page of Apple ID. Although it is not yet clear why Apple made this move, Lei Technology believes that there should be an inseparable relationship between the renaming of Apple ID and the high-yield savings account "Savings Account" of Apple Card.
Source: Apple
The "Savings Account" jointly created by Apple and Goldman Sachs has been well-received by many users since its launch, with an impressive annual interest rate of up to 4.15%, reminiscent of Alipay in the past. Despite ongoing rumors about Apple and Goldman Sachs severing ties, the Savings Account continues to operate smoothly.
The renaming of Apple ID may be aimed at achieving name consistency. This sets the stage for further integration between the iPhone and Savings Account, aiming to attract more iPhone users to utilize this feature.
As one of Apple's core services, iMessage, along with other service initiatives, contributes to the vast Apple iOS ecosystem. In iOS 18, iMessage will support the RCS protocol, meaning Android and iOS users can finally directly exchange messages, images, files, videos, voice messages, locations, and other rich media content.
In addition to iOS 18, visionOS 2.0 has also attracted a lot of attention from enthusiasts of head-mounted displays. At WWDC23, when Vision Pro made its debut, it showcased a highly anticipated feature called "Spatial Personas," which was not seen in visionOS 1.0. This feature involves 3D virtual avatars driven in real-time by the eye, facial, and hand tracking sensors in Vision Pro. These digital characters will appear in visionOS applications and in applications on other devices that request selfies.
While there is still no definite news confirming that "Spatial Personas" will debut in visionOS 2.0, it is believed that visionOS 2.0 will help boost the domestic sales of Vision Pro.
Vision Pro, which was first launched in the United States this year, has experienced a roller-coaster ride in terms of reputation. Before its release, it was praised by numerous tech media as "the beginning of a new era in computing," but within less than a month of release, it encountered a wave of returns. Issues such as high pricing, heavy weight, lack of core applications, and limited usage scenarios caused Vision Pro to fall from grace.
Currently, Vision Pro has not been officially released in China, but there are reports that it will enter the Chinese market this year. With no changes to the device's basic configuration, the operating system becomes the only lifeline for Vision Pro. How visionOS 2.0 enhances the user experience, causing users to overlook other flaws of the product, will be another highlight of this year's WWDC24.
The Titan project shelved for a decade shattered the dream of making cars, iPad shipments were surpassed by Huawei tablets, the reputation of Vision Pro took a hit, and the iPhone 15 series saw consecutive price cuts, Apple faced multiple setbacks in early 2024.
There was a time when certain innovative features of Apple's phones would be enthusiastically discussed by numerous tech enthusiasts. But today, the innovative ideas of Android phones have pushed Apple further and further behind. Whether it's battery capacity, fast charging power, network signal, or AI functionality, Android phone manufacturers are consistently ahead of Apple.
Source: UNsplash
Fortunately, AI smartphones are still in the early stages of development. Although Apple may have been a bit slow to catch on, it seems they have finally realized the pitfalls of going against the tide. Apple cannot rely solely on the smartphone boom forever. Only by actively iterating to keep pace with the times is there a possibility of maintaining its position as a top global smartphone brand for a longer period.
The year 2024 is crucial for Apple, with iOS 18 set to be unveiled at WWDC24, carrying the hopes of Apple's AI smartphones and perhaps its future. It's believed that iOS 18 is just the beginning; Apple's product lineup, including the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch, will all undergo AI remodeling. Apple may also connect different devices through its operating system and build an app ecosystem to realize its vision of "AI tools that help manage everyday life." TechRadar will closely track all developments regarding Apple's WWDC24 developer conference, so stay tuned.
