WWDC is easily one of the most anticipated tech events of the year, and the 2024 edition will probably be forever remembered as the year when Apple added its Apple Intelligence features to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro, and all the other operating systems the company controls.
Seen as a late entrant in the AI space, Apple has a few unique advantages that could help it become one of the main players in the AI landscape despite the late entry.
It all starts with visionOS 2, the first big OS update coming from WWDC 2024. That’s a surprising placement for Apple’s youngest operating system. But it’s proof that Vision Pro is a key hardware product for the company.
The first big new feature coming to Vision Pro is the ablity to use “advanced machine learning,” which is a way of saying AI without really saying AI, to make spatial photos out of regular images. visionOS will also let you edit spatial videos more easily than before.
Furthermore, the Photos app will support SharePlay experiences with spatial personas.
visionOS 2 will also introduce a new way to navigate the Home Screen of the Vision Pro. All you have to do is tap. Another new gesture, flipping your hand, will let you invoke Control Center.
Perhaps an even bigger Vision Pro upgrade coming via visionOS 2 is a brand new widescreen display coming to the headset this fall. You’ll get higher resolution virtual displays, including the Mac virtual display.
Another big visionOS 2 upgrade concerns traveling mode. The spatial computer will now support train mode if airplane mode wasn’t good enough.
Apple also announced the expansion of Vision Pro availability. The headset will come to China, Japan, and Singapore on June 28th. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK will follow on July 12th.
