Here are the announcements that really mattered.

Is the iPad finally a computer?

Apple has been advertising its iPad Pro as a computer replacement for years, and for the most part that was marketing hyperbole. Then, in late 2017, Apple finally gave the iPad the ability to run two apps side by side. But even then, many people have been frustrated by the iPad Pro’s restricted file system and lack of support for external storage.

This will mostly be fixed with the next iPad software update, newly named iPadOS. Previously, iPads ran on mostly the exact same software as iPhones. While iPadOS still looks mostly like iOS, there are various improvements that finally make the iPad its own product.

The biggest change: iPadOS brings an overhauled filing system and support for external storage. The former includes a column view option that allows files to be previewed more like a traditional computer, and a download manager so iPad users can immediately find files they’ve downloaded.

The latter means users can now plug in memory cards from digital cameras or an external USB drive and move files freely between iPad and external storage.

iPadOS also bring more intuitive copy and paste gestures (done via a three finger pinch gesture) and the ability to split-screen different pages in the same app (two word documents side-by-side, for example, something I cannot do on an iPad Pro right now).

As someone who uses an iPad Pro to edit videos and write articles, iPadOS should significantly improve my productivity.

New sign-in tool: a diss at Facebook?

Apple’s Tim Cook has been quite vocal in criticising Facebook’s approach to privacy over the past year, so it makes sense that Apple is tackling the issue head on with its own SSO (single sign-on) authentication service.

Currently, when consumers download a new app or visit a new site, they are often prompted to register their identity via Facebook or Google. Apple’s version, named “Sign In With Apple”, is supposedly more secure because it gives away less data.

As Apple’s software head Craig Federighi explained during the announcement, signing in with Facebook or Google often requires the third-party app to receive personal information from those accounts, with the transaction masked as merely a way to properly identify an individual.

Apple’s version will use the iPhone’s Face ID for identification instead.

Furthermore, some sites require users to give away their email addresses when signing in; Apple’s new authentication system will generate a randomly generated “relay” email instead. This allows users to still get email updates if they prefer, but from the perspective of the third-party service, they will only receive a throwaway “temp” email address.

The Apple Watch goes solo

Apple’s Watch has become in recent years the company’s best reviewed product and with WatchOS 6, the wearable is becoming more independent.

Previously, using an Apple Watch was heavily reliant on having an iPhone around. You need the latter to download apps, or software updates for the Watch, and until last year’s addition of eSim support, the Watch couldn’t even operate on its own.

Watch OS 6 introduces a stand-alone app store for the Watch, allowing users to download apps directly to their wrist without needing the iPhone.

Apple’s also continuing to push the Watch as a health monitoring device. The Health app has a couple of new features, including the ability to track menstrual cycles for women, and a noise monitoring app that uses the Watch’s mic to check noise levels and alert the user if it reaches an unsafe level. Apple says the mic only samples audio periodically for short periods and does not store or send data anywhere.

It’ll be interesting to see how often this alert goes off in an overly loud city like Hong Kong.

iPhone’s incremental software refinements

Compared to the iPad and Apple Watch, updates to iOS 13 that are specific to the iPhone are less game-changing but much welcomed nonetheless.

One of the biggest cheers of the keynote came during the introduction of “dark mode”, which gives the iPhone’s UI a black theme instead of white. Dark mode has been popular with Android enthusiasts for years (OnePlus’ and Huawei’s software skin offers this) because a black background is easier on the eyes and slightly lowers battery consumption on OLED displays.

Apple says users can expect performance boost including Face ID unlocking 30 per cent faster.

Apple finally pulls the plug on iTunes

Apple also announced the end of iTunes, which has been replaced by three apps: Podcasts, TV, and Music. This change will take place on Macs when users update to MacOS 10.15 this autumn.

While the death of iTunes is rightfully making headlines, considering its cultural significance, the reality is iTunes has mostly been phased out years ago in favour of those three apps, which have been available on iPhone for a couple of years.

The super powerful Mac Pro

The Mac Pro also got an update at WWDC this year, and it is super powerful – and expensive. A bulky rectangular tower that features an 8th generation Intel Xeon processor that includes up to 28 cores, the Mac Pro starts at US$5,999, but most people who buy this will pay far more than that.

The 6K monitor (named Pro Display XDR) that was introduced alongside the Mac Pro costs an additional US$4,999 and adding the additional spec upgrade that make a Mac Pro worth having (such as a new video decoder card that allows the computer to process up three 8K videos at once) will cost more money.

In all, this is a computer purely for professionals, as the whole set-up will cost more than US$10,000. No average Joe would pay that.