WWDC is one of the most significant and coveted events organized by Apple Inc. every year for developers and techies to come around and discuss the rapid and new changes happening in the ‘Tech World’. WWDC 2022 has done no less. Apple, on Monday, introduced a bunch of new developments like iOS 16, macOS 13, watchOS9, Ventura, and the new M2 Apple silicon chip(coming soon for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro). These new updates come with many advancements in the features of the iPhones and MacBook Pros. We will be learning more about these in this article and much more.
WWDC 2022 Introduction of iOS 16 – Features and Updates
Apple introduced the new iOS – iOS 16 with features that have been coming long. With iOS 16; they are bringing customizable lock screen settings, updated notifications design, updates to focus mode, changes to messages, new tools for mails, etc.
Customizable lock screen settings
There are numerous things that the lock screen feature provides that were introduced at WWDC 2022:
- Changes in the lock screen make it more personal.
- Changes to the look and feel of the date and time settings and different styles and colors to try out.
- Widgets to the lock screen are similar to that of Apple watches.
- Emojis and color combinations can be used to make a custom lock screen.
Notifications – A Revamp
The redesigning of notifications has made it more user-friendly and provides users with a clear personalized Lock Screen.
Updates to Messages
With the new iOS 16, users can access various features added to the Messages app. They will be able to mark conversations as unread and return them to them later; they will also be able to unsend messages, edit recently sent messages, and recover the recently deleted ones.
Mails get New Tools
With the iOS 16 update, during the WWDC 2022 keynote, for the mail app, users can schedule emails ahead of time. They will even be given a moment to cancel the delivery of a message before it reaches a recipient’s inbox. Users also have the option to resurface a message at any date and time with ‘Remind Later’ and ‘Follow Up’ suggestions that automatically remind users to follow up on an email when they do not receive a response within a stipulated time.
The first public beta of iOS 16 will be available sometime in July 2022, with the finished version of the software arriving later this year – probably in September 2022.
WWDC 2022 Introduction of M2 silicon chip
At the WWDC 2022 event, Apple announced the coming of the MacBook Air equipped with the next-gen M2 chip. This is the second iteration of Apple’s own silicon, previously seen in many products named M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra.
The M2 chip will make its debut in the lightweight MacBook Air M2, as well as a new 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both laptops are believed to be available starting from July 2022, each with its specifications and pricing.
The MacBook Air M1 version of the laptop is now slightly cheaper. The M1 MacBook Air now starts at $999, while the M2 version is $1,199 and above. The higher-end model of the M2 Air is priced at $1,499 and has upgraded storage, among other things.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro has made a comeback, and will now come equipped with an M2 chip. The basic version costs $1,299, and the upgraded one is $1,499. Pre-orders are now open on Apple’s official website.
The M1 chip can be found in a wide variety of Apple products, most notably in the Mac Mini. The MacBook Pros also have it, especially the 14inch and 16inch versions come equipped with the M1 Pro or the M1 Max, which are priced at anywhere between $1,999 and $3,499.
The most upgraded version of the M1, the M1 Ultra, is found in the Mac Studio, which comes at $4,999.
Core Difference between M1 and M2 chips
On the surface level, you will not be able to differentiate much between M1 and M2 chips. Both of them have eight cores, but according to Apple, the M2 has the upper hand — the cores have been made using Apple’s next-gen architecture. According to Apple, this makes M2 capable of performing at an 18% higher rate.
If seen closely, the M2 chip shows a lot of similarities to its older variant. Manufacturing an M2 on a refined 5nm process node is way too similar to the M1. As Apple holds off more significant upgrades until 2023, we’ve got this M2 chip to work with for ourselves.
The M2 chip has up to 24GB of LPDDR5 (low power volatile (DRAM) device memory standard defined for storage of code, applications, and data) memory and 25% more transistors than the M1 – this adds more than 20 billion, and 10 graphics cores — two more than the M1. The extra graphics cores will likely prove to be where we see an enormous improvement in terms of performance, in addition to the inclusion of the same media engine in the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
| Specs | M1 Chip | M2 Chip |
| Process nodes | 5nm | 5nm |
| Transistors | 16 billion | 20 billion |
| CPU cores | 8 | 8 |
| GPU cores | 8 | 10 |
Performance of M2 chip
It isn’t easy to be sure what kind of performance the M2 chip is capable of without testing it first, but Apple has provided some of its benchmark results. Apple sure promises that we will be able to see an 18% faster CPU, and with the GPU, we will see even more significant gains — up to 35%. Apple also notes a 50% increase in memory bandwidth between the M1 and M2.
So, to sum it up, iOS 16 and its new features are going to be an upgrade for users and will be a lot more user-friendly and customizable than previous iOS versions. The M2 chip seems to be an upgraded and better version of the basic M1 chip. But, it might not be comparable to an M1 Pro, considering its specs. M2 is definitely affordable and a comfortable chip to go with if you are looking for an upgrade from M1.
