Weekend good reads for Apple developers #2023/38

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are arriving to first customers. Hopefully, you've got the model you wanted and now you have some time to go through interesting reads.

And this is it for today. Have some fun over the weekend (especially if you got your new iPhone) and get back next Friday for another pack of great reads!

Xcode 15 with Swift 5.9 is released

Apple releases Xcode 15 with Swift 5.9 toolchain.

Xcode 15 includes Swift 5.9 and SDKs for iOS 17, iPadOS 17, tvOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS Sonoma.

  • Swift macro support brings inline expansions and breakpoint debugging in the source editor
  • Git staging helps craft your next commit without leaving your code
  • String catalogs streamline localization with a single place to view and edit strings
  • Bookmarks help organize your favorite locations and searches in your projects
  • Test reports provide summary view, testing insights, and video playback for UI automation results
  • OSLog offers a structured and customizable logging mechanism in the debug console
  • Documentation Preview editor brings real-time preview for DocC content
  • Archive workflows streamline distribution with simplified export and upload to TestFlight and the App Store
Mac App Store – Xcode

Swift 5.9 is now officially released for supported platforms.

This is a major new release that adds an expressive macro system to the language and introduces support for integrating Swift into C++ codebases through bidirectional interoperability.

It also introduces parameter packs, an improved expression evaluator while debugging, enhanced crash handling, Windows platform improvements, and more.

Swift Blog

Mac App Store: Xcode

Release Notes: Xcode 15 Release Notes

Swift Blog: Swift 5.9 Released

Weekend good reads for Apple developers #2023/37

Well, Wonderlust event brought us new iPhones and Apple Watches. We've made our first pre-orders and now we could enjoy the weekend with some great articles to read.

And that is it for this weekend. Come back next week for more great articles!

Apple adds capability to allow app pre-orders by specific regions

Apple now allows to pick specific regions to support pre-orders for apps and games. Release dates now could be set separately as well.

Offering your app or game for pre-order is a great way to build awareness and excitement for your upcoming releases on the App Store. And now you can offer pre-orders on a regional basis. People can pre-order your app in a set of regions that you choose, even while it’s available for download in other regions at the same time. With this new flexibility, you can expand your app to new regions by offering it for pre-order and set different release dates for each region.

Apple Developer

Apple Developer: Pre-orders by region now available

Wonderlust event recap – new iPhones, Apple Watches

Apple hosted its Wonderlust special event. As expected, Apple unveiled new iPhones and Apple Watch models.

Apple Watch Series 9

New Apple Watch Series 9 gets new S9 system-on-chip with updated CPU and GPU. New screen now has brightness up to 1,000 nits. And lowest brightness is now 1 nit. S9 allows on-device Siri recognition for many use cases.

New "double tap" hand gesture (similar to previously implemented accessibility features) allows one hand responses and actions to be performed on Apple Watch.

New UWB chip will improve Apple Watch spatial awareness, allowing, for example, precise iPhone lookup with directions and distance display.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Ultra 2 gets same S9 system-on-chip, screen is improved to have 3,000 nits maximum brightness.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are powered by A16 chip introduced in iPhone 14 Pro models.

iPhone 15 models now gain Dynamic Island. Charging port is now changed to USB-C with USB 2.0 data transfer speeds.

Also, iPhone 15 main camera is now similar to iPhone 14 Pro with 48MP resolution.

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 15 Pro is running on A17 PRO chip. iPhone 15 Pro has titanium frame to reduce weight. Mute switch is replaced by Action button. iPhone 15 Pro Max has 5x camera with pentaprism design. USCB-C connector in iPhone 15 Pro supports USB 3.0.

Also iPhone 15 Pro could record spatial videos that will provide depth when viewing in Apple Vision Pro.

iPhone 15 Pro Max now has base model with 256GB of storage.

iCloud Storage Tiers

Apple introduces new iCloud storage tiers – 6TB and 12TB available for purchase later priced $30 and $60 respectively.

FineWoven

Apple now replaces leather accessories with new FineWoven material. This includes Apple Watch bands as well as iPhone cases.

OS Updates

Release Candidates are now available for iOS/iPadOS 17, macOS 14 Sonoma, watchOS 10 and tvOS 17. As well as iOS and iPadOS 16.7. Xcode 15 is also available as Release Candidate.

iOS/iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 and tvOS 17 are to be released on September 18. macOS 14 Sonoma will be released on September 26.

You could watch event replay on YouTube.

Apple Newsroom:

Release notes:

References: