2022 will be remembered for the introduction of the Mac Studio and Apple Watch Ultra, but there were plenty of other small moves that made an equally big impact. Apple introduced several major new features across its devices this year. This will change the way we use our devices for the better and for the worse for years to come. Here are five of his features chosen by Macworld staff.
Action button, Apple Watch Ultra
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Apple’s designs tend to evolve at glacial speed, and until the eighth generation of the Apple Watch, the infamous koumpounophobic The company thought it fit to add a second button (or, if you’re a pedant who counts the Digital Crowns you can press, add a third button). The new action button, bright orange and positioned on the left edge of the previously intact, was calculated to make an impact.
but what Sorting of influence? Unusually, Apple allowed customers to decide the purpose of the new orange action button. You can choose from a list of functions such as turning on the flashlight, starting a workout or stopwatch, dropping a waypoint, or activating the siren. Or turn it off completely. it’s up to you.
The list of features is still small (just seven so far), and we’re used to keeping our thumbs on the left edge of the watch, so we often accidentally hit the action button. But both elements will improve in the future as users get used to the new layout and Apple and third-party developers come up with more actions for the buttons.
For now, action buttons are limited to the Ultra model, justifying its high price tag. However, the potential applications are so attractive that we expect to see it on the Series 9 in the second half of 2023. As an expression of usability over elegance, and openness to user customization, this is the kind of action we’d like to see more of. .
—David Price
Continuity Camera, macOS Ventura
foundry
The Continuity Camera is at least three years behind because it’s a fix for a problem that Apple itself was doing, and in many ways it’s something we’ve all needed since the pandemic started. By allowing Mac users to use their iPhone’s camera instead of the ill-advised FaceTime camera that most Macs have, Apple will finally be able to use the iPhone’s camera when his Mac users are participating in a video call. Gives you access to a decent camera.
Thanks to Continuity Camera in macOS Ventura, Mac users no longer have to be embarrassed by low-quality video streaming from their Macs, and Mac mini or Studio owners without webcams can use their iPhones instead. Using an iPhone as his webcam for Mac also benefits from Center Stage support that follows you as you move, Portrait mode that blurs out messy backgrounds, and great lighting. You can also use the iPhone’s ultra-wide camera to see what’s on your desk using Desk View.
It’s all pretty groundbreaking and magical, but I hope Apple upgrades the built-in webcam so the Continuity Camera solution isn’t needed forever. In the near future, Apple has upgraded every Mac to the best webcam on the planet.
— Karen Haslam
Dynamic Islands, iPhone 14 Pro
Jason Snell/Foundry
Ever since it debuted with the iPhone X, the notch at the top of the iPhone has been an acceptable necessity. And when Apple replaced it with a smaller pill-shaped cutout for the iPhone 14 Pro, its floating nature made it stand out even more. I was able to turn it from a simple necessity to a perfectly acceptable one. Important user interface element.
When you’re new to dynamic islands, the notch itself will grab your attention, so why not take advantage of the notch instead of leaving it alone? , feels natural and makes your iPhone easier to use. Dynamic Island is simple yet profound, the magical development we expect from Apple.
— Roman Loyola
Lock screen, iOS 16
Lewis Painter / Foundry
It’s 2022 and we Just now gain the ability to Customize your lock screen on our iPhone. If you haven’t followed the world of Android phones at all, the concept is kind of silly, but here it is.
When Apple finally unlocked the lock screen, it didn’t dip its toes. I jumped in head first. There are many wallpaper choices, including smart dynamic options. Widgets are abundant in both Apple’s apps and third-party products. This is thanks to a smart decision to make the widget look a lot like the Apple Watch complication. You can adjust the clock font and choose several ways to display notifications. Unfortunately, it’s only available for iPhone 14 Pro models, but the always-on display makes all those customizations and widgets all the more valuable.
The lock screen is the first thing you see when you pick up your iPhone (for an always-on display, everytime look). This is one of those things that literally affects every user. Apple is years behind in allowing customization beyond wallpaper, but now that the gates are open, our relationship with his iPhone is forever changed.
—Jason Cross
Stage Manager, iPad Air and iPad Pro
Lewis Painter / Foundry
If there’s one feature that defined 2022 for Apple, it has to be the Stage Manager. Announced at WWDC as part of iPadOS 16, the product seemed like the answer to one of the biggest iPad questions.
Unfortunately the answer is: At least not yet. Stage Manager is certainly ambitious, but its execution leaves much to be desired.arrived late at iOS 16.1 Probably to fix some issues, but it was still barely ready for prime time. It’s buggy, choppy, not very intuitive, and doesn’t really upgrade existing multitasking options.
But despite its flaws, Stage Manager is a breakthrough feature and a big step forward for multitasking on iPad. Available only on the top-of-the-line iPad, it’s not only a work in progress, but a glimpse into Apple’s vision for a post-iPad productivity machine. This is the first time Apple has truly embraced a multi-display setup with his iPad, truly differentiating its flagship model from the rest of its line.
At some point Macs and iPads will merge into a single device that offers the best of both worlds, so it’s no coincidence that Stage Manager is also available for Macs. Apple wants users of both machines to learn the interfaces that work behind the scenes to create the next big thing, whatever it is. Growing pains will be felt for a while, but Stage Manager is the future of productivity on tablets.
—Michael Simon
