Apple Inc has disclosed plans to more completely incorporate its software into automobile core driving systems, as the iPhone maker unveiled a bevvy of new payment and corporate collaboration tools, as well as a couple of new laptops.

The announcements at Apple’s annual developer conference demonstrated a corporation that was once an outsider firmly entrenched in the mainstream of practically every screen in daily life.

The company that rebranded itself for rebels and troublemakers in the late 1990s spent Monday promoting how to use iPads to collaborate on business presentations and how its software may ultimately help display fuel economy on car dashboards.

Apple’s predicted next big product, a mixed-reality headset that can overlay digital things on a view of the real world, was conspicuously absent. A technical lecture only gave hopeful fans a few nuggets of new augmented reality technologies.

In addition, Apple unveiled Apply Pay Later, a programme that allows consumers to make interest-free instalment payments. The service, which will operate on the MasterCard Inc network anywhere Apple Pay is accepted, pits Apple against payment providers such as Affirm Holdings Inc and PayPal Holdings Inc.

However, Apple focused primarily on current goods. A new M2 silicon processor was designed into a MacBook Air laptop, which is said to be 35% faster than the previous M1 CPU.

The new laptop will weigh 2.7 pounds (1.2 kg) and feature a 1080p high-definition camera for enhanced video conversations. Apple said the MacBook Air will start at $1,199 during its WWDC 2022 conference.

The M2 chip will also power the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which will go on sale next month for $1,299 USD. Both chips will be manufactured using the second generation of 5-nanometer chip fabrication technology. Apple did not specify who will create the chip, although it is likely that it will be made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, a long-time Apple partner that is experiencing delays with newer technologies.

“They have to do volume” with the new laptops, said Bob O’Donnell of TECHnalysis Research. “That’s the safe choice,” he said of the 5-nanometer chips.

However, Apple broke with its pattern of not revealing future technology when it unveiled a new automobile dashboard that it claimed will be able to display data from critical indicators such as speed, fuel levels, and gas consumption. Apple stated that it was in discussions with automakers such as Ford Motor Company, Nissan Motor Company, Mercedes-Benz, and Honda Motor Corporation. Vehicles equipped with the software will not be available until late next year.

The software integrates more completely into fundamental driving systems than previous versions, which were limited to playing music and providing maps on the vehicle’s entertainment displays.

While Apple’s automotive software has been in vehicles since 2014 and is now available in over 600 models, including a few motorcycles, it is essentially independent of the vehicle’s own operating systems. Vehicle owners must leave the system to do even basic duties such as altering the climate controls, a flaw that the upgraded system is intended to solve.

Polestar, the premium electric vehicle producer owned by China’s Geely and Volvo Cars, will install the latest version of Apple CarPlay in its Polestar 2 cars via an over-the-air update later this month, according to Polestar spokesman JP Canton. Which Polestar vehicles would receive the updated version revealed by Apple on Monday are still being discussed, and no further information is available, he said.

Automakers are wary of giving digital behemoths unrestricted access to data generated by linked cars, or of allowing them to replace automakers’ branding with their own in dashboard displays.

Apple’s iPad has also been updated to make it easier for users to manage various programmes and displays, as well as collaborate on business-related documents such as presentations. The business also showed off Freeform, an app that would function as a virtual whiteboard that numerous users may use to contribute ideas during video meetings using Apple’s FaceTime service. The productivity features pit Apple against Microsoft, whose Surface tablet PCs are popular among corporate customers.

Apple also included an edit option for transmitted texts to iMessage, beating Twitter to a long-requested feature.

The tech behemoth is also adding a tool called “Safety Check” to prevent people in abusive situations from accessing sensitive information.

Passkeys is a new technique offered by Apple to replace passwords on websites. Passkeys, according to Apple, are safer than standard passwords since they are never kept on a web server. The business stated that it is attempting to make Passkeys compatible with non-Apple devices.

Apple shares closed down less than 1 per cent, roughly where they began the presentation.

(Adapted from Dawn.com)