Apple opened its annual conference for developers on Monday without mentioning the two subjects on which the technology giant is expected at the turn: its platform for downloading mobile applications and augmented and virtual realities.
The inaugural presentation took place in the presence of hundreds of engineers and journalists on the group's campus in Silicon Valley for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Various product managers marched to unveil, among other things, a new home-made electronic chip, a customizable iPhone guard screen, a new payment system for merchants, the possibility of correcting or deleting messages, sophisticated tools based on artificial intelligence, a complete update of its operating system for cars (CarPlay) and a new MacBook Air.
Operating systems are revolutionizing
Some features feel like a catch-up, especially on Apple Maps, the mapping app that has long lagged behind the hugely popular Google Maps.
France will notably benefit from detailed 3D maps, and the addition of additional stops will finally be possible.
Several public transport solutions will also be directly available from the app, as on Google Maps.
But perhaps the star of the show is the M2 chip.
At the end of 2020, the group launched a new range of laptops equipped with its own chip, the M1, instead of those of Intel, marking the start of a two-year transition.
The arrival of the new chip leads to the renewal of MacBook Air, thinner and more powerful, from 1499 euros, and a new MacBook Pro, with 20 hours of battery life, for 1599 euros.
The operating system also changes for laptops with the arrival of macOS Ventura, including a few surprises, such as the use of an iPhone as an identification key or even as a webcam.
Another expected presentation, the new iOS 16 which will arrive next September, with a completely redesigned locked mode, a more customizable notification display, and a new feature for modifying sent messages.
Last important announcement, Apple announced the launch of its new service “buy now – pay later”.
In the US, starting this fall, approved users using Apple Pay will be able to choose to pay for a purchase in four installments over six weeks, "without interest or fees of any kind."
Nothing on VR or App Store
Not a word, however, about so-called "mixed" realities (augmented and virtual), pillars of the metaverse, this future of the internet that many digital companies have undertaken to build, from Meta (Facebook, Instagram) to Fortnite and Roblox on the side of video games.
Rumors have swelled for months around an Apple VR headset that would be in preparation for this year.
At the end of January, boss Tim Cook said he saw "a lot of potential in this space" and that he was "investing accordingly".
Apple also did not mention the App Store, its essential platform for downloading applications, which arouses the anger of many of its Californian neighbors because of its strict rules on confidentiality and payment of commissions.
