The M2 will presumably be included in the next wave of laptops and tablets across Apple’s range,but the first to receive it will be the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The Air has been given an overhauled design with a 20 per cent reduction in volume and the return of the MagSafe charging port. Meanwhile the Pro is more or less unchanged but for the M2 and an option for more memory.
In a sign of continuing supply-chain challenges,the new machines won’t go on sale until next month. The computers can’t be ordered yet and are listed as “currently unavailable” on Apple’s website. Due to COVID-19-related shutdowns in China,an Apple-contracted factory for building Macs was temporarily shuttered,delaying shipments. When they arrive in Australia,the Air will go for $1899 and the Pro for $1999.
The new payment feature is called Apple Pay Later and,like the Apple credit card,is limited to the United States. It allows users to pay for any Apple Pay purchase in four instalments over three weeks,with no interest or fees. Apple’s move further into the finance world,which also brings more of its Pay infrastructure in-house,has been long rumoured. It puts the company in direct competition with Australia’s AfterPay,which is now owned by Square,as well as PayPal and many others.
But the week-long WWDC is primarily designed to preview key new software features for Apple’s developers,which now number 34 million,according to chief executive officer Tim Cook. And during the keynote event many updates to iPhone,iPad,Mac and Apple Watch software were detailed ahead of their availability later this year.
The latest iPhone software,iOS 16,will include a new lock screen with multi-layered graphical effects,customisable interactive widgets,and the ability to swipe through multiple lock screen configurations just like changing faces on an Apple Watch. Notifications will be relegated to a rolling feed at the bottom of the screen.