Apple launches Vision Pro headset, MacOS Sonoma and more

At the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) today, Apple Inc. debuted several new products, including a “spatial computer” headset, the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro, macOS Sonoma, Mac Studio and Mac Pro computers, and more.

Apple Vision Pro

Apple unveiled Apple Vision Pro, featuring visionOS, “the world’s first spatial operating system,” the company said. The design of Vision Pro features an ultra-high-resolution display system that packs 23 million pixels across two displays, and custom Apple silicon in a dual-chip design.

visionOS features a three-dimensional interface that frees apps from the boundaries of a display so they can appear side by side at any scale, the company says. With support for Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, users can set up the perfect workspace or bring the powerful capabilities of their Mac into Vision Pro wirelessly, creating an enormous, private, and portable 4K display with incredibly crisp text.

Apple Immersive Video offers 180-degree high-resolution recordings with Spatial Audio, and users can access an exciting lineup of immersive videos that transport them to entirely new places.

Apple Vision Pro lets users capture, relive, and immerse themselves in their favorite memories with Spatial Audio. Every spatial photo and video “transport users back to a moment in time, like a celebration with friends or a special family gathering,” the company said. Users can access their entire photo library on iCloud, and view their photos and videos at a life-size scale with brilliant color and spectacular detail. Every Panorama shot on iPhone expands and wraps around the user, creating the sensation they are standing right where it was taken.

macOS Sonoma

Apple previewed macOS Sonoma, the latest version of the world’s most advanced desktop operating system. Users can now place widgets right on the desktop, interact with them with a click, and access the extensive ecosystem of iPhone widgets on their Mac. In macOS Sonoma, video conferencing also gets more engaging with new features to help users present remotely, like Presenter Overlay, which places a presenter on top of the content being shared, and Reactions, which enables fun gesture-triggered video effects in cinematic quality. Significant updates come to Safari, taking the web experience to the next level. Profiles keeps browsing separately between multiple topics or projects, and web apps provide faster access to favorite sites.

iPadOS 17 brings new levels of personalization and versatility to iPad

Apple also previewed iPadOS 17, delivering entirely new ways for users to personalize the Lock Screen and interact with widgets. Working with PDFs is easier with AutoFill, which intelligently identifies and fills fields in forms, and Notes brings a new experience for marking up and collaborating on PDFs. Messages gets significant updates, including a new stickers experience, and users can now leave FaceTime video and audio messages. The Health app comes to iPad with interactive charts, and HealthKit enables developers to create innovative experiences designed for the iPad display. iPadOS 17 will be available as a free software update this fall.

iOS 17

Apple announced iOS 17, a major release that upgrades the communications experience across Phone, FaceTime, and Messages; makes sharing even easier with AirDrop; and provides more intelligent input that improves the speed and accuracy of typing. iOS 17 also introduces new experiences with Journal, an app that makes it easy for people to practice gratitude, and StandBy, a new way to view glanceable information when iPhone is set down and charging.

In Photos, the People album uses on-device machine learning to recognize more photos of a user’s favorite people, as well as cats and dogs.

Apple unveils new Mac Studio and brings Apple silicon to Mac Pro

Apple introduced the new Mac Studio and Mac Pro. Mac Studio features M2 Max and the new M2 Ultra, delivering a huge boost in performance and enhanced connectivity in its stunningly compact design. Mac Studio is up to 6x faster than the most powerful Intel-based 27-inch iMac, and up to 3x faster than the previous-generation Mac Studio with M1 Ultra. Mac Pro, now featuring M2 Ultra, combines the unprecedented performance of Apple’s most powerful chip with the versatility of PCIe expansion. Mac Pro is up to 3x faster than the previous-generation Intel-based model. Featuring up to 192GB of unified memory, Mac Studio with M2 Ultra and Mac Pro has far more memory than the most advanced workstation graphics cards, taking on demanding workloads other systems can’t even process. Mac Studio and Mac Pro are available to order today, with availability beginning Tuesday, June 13

• Mac Studio starts at $1,999 (U.S.) and $1,799 (U.S.) for education. Additional configure-to-order options are available at apple.com/store.

• Available in both tower and rack-mounted enclosures, Mac Pro (Tower Enclosure) starts at $6,999 (U.S.) and $6,599 (U.S.) for education. Mac Pro (Rack Enclosure) starts at $7,499 (U.S.) and $6,999 (U.S.) for education. Additional technical specifications and configure-to-order options are available at apple.com/mac-pro.