CUPERTINO, Calif. — More than two years after the coronavirus pandemic, Apple took a big step on Monday to return to normalcy by inviting hundreds of software developers and journalists to its campus for a unveiling of its latest software systems, including a overhauling the first thing every iPhone user looks at: the lock screen.
The company said it was bringing more personalization to the iPhone, with the ability to customize the lock screen with colors, widgets, and live activities. The new software allows iPhone users to create custom lock screens for different scenarios, such as a work screen that shows a preview of a calendar, or a personal screen with activity activity data.
The new software features, part of Apple’s new iOS 16 operating system for iPhones, mirrored the features Google introduced for its Android system in 2021. Google created Material You, an offering that allows users to change the look of their lock screens by drawing from colors in their home screen wallpapers.
In addition to these updates, Apple said it was overhauling its messaging system to allow people to retrieve and edit texts after they’ve been sent. There’s also a new ability to compose messages by smoothly switching between typing text and dictating voice commands.
The company also unveiled Safety Check, an ability for iPhone users to share personal information with others, such as location, and revoke that access to escape an abusive relationship.
The presentation marked the first time Apple has invited guests to its campus for a major event since 2019. In light of rising Covid-19 cases in the Bay Area, the company has installed screens and chairs outside its cafeteria in the heart of its $5 billion campus, Appelpark. Among those in attendance were developers, journalists and store workers, a group Apple is eager to improve relations with amid an increase in union organizing.
The software updates come amid a lull in new product releases from a company that made co-founder Steve Jobs synonymous with revolutionary new devices. Apple last unveiled a new product category, wearables, in 2014 when it introduced the Apple Watch.
In the years since, the company has focused on improving its existing products to drive new sales. The 2020 introduction of a custom processor for its Mac computers helped boost sales by 23 percent last year as students and employees worked from home due to the pandemic.
On Monday, Apple tried to increase the momentum of its Macs by updating its most popular computer, the MacBook Air. The new version ditches a decade-old wedge-shaped chassis design in favor of a slim, rectangular laptop. The computer is available in a variety of colors, including silver, space gray, gold, and dark blue. The company said the new model was 20 percent smaller than its predecessor and weighed 2.7 pounds.
The new MacBook Air is equipped with the company’s latest processor, the M2, which it claims offers better performance even when it requires less battery power.
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