APPLE’S ORCHARD: A PEEK INTO APPLE’S GARDEN OF INNOVATIONS, IOS 18, IPADOS 18, AND WATCHOS 11

Apple has showered more magic dust on our devices. There are so many innovative features in there that it’s easy to lose track. Among the fanfare at Apple’s latest Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC 2024, the company rolled out the red carpet for iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and watchOS 11, showcasing what it called ‘a bumper crop of new features’ for its devices and software. If you either sat through or watched the keynote on YouTube, you’ll surely be looking forward to a lot of improvements, and might be salivating after the demo of the Mixed Reality headset. However, under the bright and shiny lights of the keynote, there are some enhancements that would benefit from a bit more of your attention. Apple’s next version of software includes features that will enhance your digital life in ways that you likely haven’t even considered.

HIKING INTO NEW TERRITORIES WITH APPLE MAPS

Years behind its competitors, Apple Maps is finally lacing up its boots and stepping out with iOS 18. There’s a new feature that will please outdoor enthusiasts: custom hiking routes and integration with US National Parks. You’ll be able to design your own route, complete with custom waypoints, that might be of interest only to you and the people you’re hiking with. It’s a nice example of Apple’s vision of outdoor mapping, which will surely continue to improve.

SYNCHRONIZING LIFE'S ESSENTIALS: CALENDAR MEETS REMINDERS

One of the many improvements, the integration of Calendar and Reminders in iOS 18, sends a message of harmony. The new Calendar design puts tasks on your schedule. Now you can check off a Reminder right from your calendar. Apple is again showing it understands the complexities of our lives, and helps us keep it all organised.

EXPRESSING EMOTIONS THROUGH TAPBACK INSIGHTS

In iOS 18, Apple adds some variety to the communication stream, extending the palette of Tapback responses in the Messages app. It’s a subtle – but meaningful – redesign that animates our digital conversations with a full spectrum of codified emotions, providing a sly way to track who reacted with what emoji. The update turns group chats into landscapes of emotional literacy.

PIONEERING PRODUCTIVITY WITH SMART TOOLS

While playing with the new features, I am reminded that Apple keeps raising the bar on what it means to be productive, offering what Apple describes as ‘groundbreaking new productivity tools built into iPhone and iPad.’ The Math Notes app for iPhone lets you handwrite math problems and save them as notes; the brilliant new Smart Script feature on iPadOS 18 turns what you handwrite into interactive text that you can edit on your touchscreen with smudge-gestures of your fingers. So far, everyone I’ve talked to about this new feature knows it will be incredibly useful: the industrial designer I’m dating will use this to break down expenses with a group before a trip; I will use this to reorganise notes from a long-ago summer of handwriting; and music-apprentice Maira will use this to transcribe lyrics. Apple’s ecosystem is a fertile place for creative scientists.

PRIVACY AND CONNECTIVITY: REINFORCED AND REDEFINED

Apps and data are precious assets now, and almost every update means more privacy for the Apple user. From easier sidecar setup to better Bluetooth connections, each change is another step toward a more secure and connected ecosystem, reaffirming Apple’s focus on keeping things clean, simple, and secure for the user.

EXPLORING THE ROADS LESS TRAVELED BY APPLE

And, beyond the white-hot glare of WWDC 2024, the subtle tweaks to Safari Highlights, the self-analytic insights of the Journal app, and the animated, round clocks of watchOS 11 showcase Apple’s integrated vision of innovation, in which every update, no matter how small, is a thread in a tapestry designed to enrich, enable, and inspire.

THE CORE OF APPLE'S INNOVATION

Even more fundamentally, Apple is an orchard, an ecosystem that cultivates its products, including every feature, with the user’s experience in mind. From the Maps trails to the sentiments in Messages, each update is a tribute to Apple's quest for perfection and its goal to improve the digital experience.

With the public beta due this summer, I’m already looking forward to getting to play with those features myself. I’m not testing software – but living in an ecosystem, one that could enable, encourage and connect.

Apple’s latest creations continue to protect its reputation as the iconic house of innovation, creativity, and human-centric design. We don’t just discover new features when we unwrap iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or watchOS 11 – we’re picking our way through a grove of apples, and each apple is full of the seeds of the world to come.