The centrepiece of the company’s keynote address has been its break with Intel, transitioning its line of Macs (laptops and desktops) to processors it is designing itself. Apple has been using Intel-based processors for years, so the change is huge. The company’s progress will no longer be tied to Intel’s progress, paving the way for a big shift in software development. ARM-based Apple Silicon is an in-house chip which promises more efficient computers.

The challenge will be to convince third-party developers to update their apps accordingly. “We expect to ship our first Mac with Apple Silicon by the end of the year,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook, adding that it would likely be two years before its full product line had made the jump. Also, now there will be more consistency across the iPhone, iPad and Mac ranges.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is working on an optimised version of Office and Adobe is developing a version of Photoshop. Other developers will be able to recompile their apps and get them running in “a matter of days”. The bigger picture is that other companies may get inspired to look at non-Intel processors.

Apple CEO Tim Cook The Telegraph

Design consistency

Continuing the tradition of naming its desktop operating system after places in California, MacOS’s next version is the Big Sur in which the design is cleaner and there will be the Control Centre, which will let you access settings like sound and brightness from the top of the screen. The dock buttons have also been redesigned to look more similar to their iOS counterparts and the dock itself while being more translucent than before.

What we are kicked about is the biggest update to Safari since its launch in 2003. Making the world’s fastest browser better will be the level of personalisation. Users can customise the new start page with a background image and with built-in translation, Safari can detect and translate entire webpages from seven languages with just a click. Users can also personalise their experience with improved support for extensions.

Handwriting to text

Last year, the iPad got its own operating system called iPadOS. This year, things get wowza! Out of all the new features we like the update on the iPad Pencil the most. The company has a new feature called Scribble, which will translate your handwriting into text and transform crude shapes into “ideal” ones. You can even make queries on the Safari search bar with your handwriting rather than typing.

iPad The Telegraph

Good vibrations

AirPods have been a game-changer for Apple. Here’s a feature to make it more useful — automatic switching. If you’re wearing your AirPods, you’ll soon be able to change your listening between devices without ever having to re-pair the pods. Say you’re listening to something on your iPhone and then start playing a video on your laptop, the audio feed will move to the computer. And the other big feature is spatial audio. A software update will allow Apple’s devices to use their internal accelerometers to create a faux-3D soundscape.

A woman in the metro using Apple AirPods The Telegraph

Your phone is unique

For iPhones, customisation is key. With iOS 14, the latest version of the company’s mobile operating system will now have a new home screen with an App Library view where apps are automatically organised into folders. This will make it easy to find whatever you are looking for instead of having to thumb through multiple pages. Also coming your way are new widgets in various shapes and sizes so that your home screen will be more data-rich… data that you need.

Another important feature coming with iOS 14 is picture-in-picture with which you can make a video float on the home screen. Agreed that it’s not unique but Apple is a master at making things its own — here PiP can turn into a small button on the side of the screen!

Another interesting change comes in the form of App Clips, which stems from the idea that not everyone would need a full app immediately. Users can tap an NFC-tile or scan a QR-code like image to pull up an App Clip. For example, at a coffee shop, an App Clip will open up and you can pay for the transaction.

There is also something for Siri power users. Triggering Siri no longer would bring up a full-screen interface. Instead, it will be a small colourful bubble on the bottom of the screen. Siri also appears to include a new compact mode, and the assistant will now support sending audio messages.

Messages is also getting a change on iOS 14. You can pin conversations to stay on the top, so you can keep an eye on what’s important, besides Groups is getting a full redesign, with inline replies and mentions.

Apple iPhone The Telegraph

Sleep, dance and wash your hand!

The Apple Watch has little in the way of competition. When the product comes with WatchOS 7 later this year, there will be sleep features and a wind-down routine to help detach the user from his or her phone before bed. There will be sleep monitoring of “micromovements” as you breathe.

The Workout app has always been the hub to track running, swimming and rowing, to name a few. Now add dance workouts, specifically hip hop, Latin, Bollywood and simple cardio dance. The Watch will use advanced sensor fusion, combining data from the heart rate sensor and inputs from the accelerometer and gyroscope that accounts for the unique challenges of measuring different body-to-arm motions typical with dance.

And a feature that must have been difficult to implement…. The pandemic has taught us the importance of washing one’s hands for 20 seconds to prevent the spread of illness. Employing cutting-edge technology, Apple Watch will now be able to automatically detect handwashing motions and sounds. Once a 20-second countdown timer is initiated, the user will be prompted to finish the routine. Pretty neat!

Apple Watch The Telegraph

BOX

The happy lot

Cash-strapped users: Instead of shelling out money on a new device to access all the latest features, iOS 14 will be available to all iPhones that currently run iOS 13, going back to the iPhone 6S. Similarly, many older iPads and MacBooks will also get to enjoy several cool features.

Sci-fi fans: The first trailer for Foundation, the much-anticipated sci-fi series based on Issac Asimov’s books of the same name, has been released. The series is coming to Apple TV+ in 2021.

Privacy seekers: A significant change in how iOS 14 will handle location tracking involves you to share approximate — as opposed to exact — location data. The user will also enjoy more transparency over how an app uses the microphone and camera.

Cycling and electric vehicle enthusiasts: Maps makes it easier than ever to navigate new cycling directions, electric vehicle routing, and curated Guides (provides a curated list of interesting places to visit in a city, created by a selection of trusted resources). Some features will be available only in select markets.