At 1:00 a.m. Beijing time on June 7, Apple's annual global developer conference (WWDC) officially opened. Apple launched several new generation operating systems and two new hardware products, the newly designed notebook MacBook Air and the MacBook pro**, both of which use the new generation M2 chip.
In addition, Apple also launched a series of new software features and services at the conference, including the updated iphone Lock screen, ipad The multi tasking function of and the post payment service that further promotes it to the financial field.
The New York Times commented that, in general, these new features show that Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, is still trying to expand the practicality and life of Apple's most important products. At the same time, some functions promote the company to further enter adjacent industries such as finance, real estate and automobile, so as to obtain more sales.
"They are digital control centers. As more and more devices are digitized, they are expanding their scope of influence," said Bob O'Donnell, President of technalysis research, a technology research company. "This will not change the world to a large extent, but they are an enhancement and bring a fresh feeling that people like."
The Wall Street Journal pointed out that close Apple watchers looking for any hints about the company's planned AR (augmented reality) /vr (virtual reality) devices were disappointed. As expected, no plans were disclosed. The production of the device is expected to start later this year or early next year, and will bring the most anticipated new product since Apple launched the apple watch in the fall of 2014.
However, the Wall Street Journal also pointed out that WWDC is an opportunity to highlight the company's software strength at a time when investors are worried about the slowdown in equipment sales, rising inflation and the resurgence of the COVID-19.
On this WWDC, apple brought a new macbook Air laptop.
"Apple has released the most significant update to its popular MacBook Air notebook in more than a decade, with a new design, new colors and a faster M2 processor." Bloomberg reported that the new air is another model in the company's lucrative computer series. Since the abandonment of Intel chips in 2020, the revenue of this series of computers has increased significantly.
Apple also launched Apple pay later on WWDC, a new feature that supports the company's payment platform. It will allow users to pay by dividing purchases into several times. The buy before pay service will allow users to split any apple pay purchase into four equal payments within six weeks without additional interest or fees.
The Wall Street Journal believes that Apple's entry into the "buy before pay" market may stimulate greater competition. The market for such services has exploded in recent years. According to sensor data, the top five application providers downloaded through Apple's app store and Google play stor of alphabet Inc., including confirm and klarna, had an estimated total of 7.5 million monthly active users in May, an increase of 44% over the same period last year.
Apple's car ambitions have also been demonstrated. The Wall Street Journal pointed out that the company said that it was cooperating with automobile manufacturers including Ford Motor Company and Honda Motor Company to expand the function of its Carplay and connect users' iPhones to their vehicle's dashboard. The updated system will allow Apple's system to participate in some traditional core functions not touched by third-party systems, such as the dashboard behind the steering wheel.
Bloomberg believes that the new features should be a blessing for Apple fans, but there was hardly any major surprise at this event. After the announcement, the share price has hardly changed. As of the close, Apple's share price was up 0.52% to $146.14.