WWDC 2021: 8 Major Highlights for Apple Developers
Blog post from Semaphore
WWDC 2021, held online for the second consecutive year, showcased a plethora of enhancements and new features from Apple, despite the pandemic's constraints. Highlights included significant advancements in SwiftUI, making it a more powerful tool for developing applications with features like pull-to-refresh and improved accessibility options. Swift 5.5 introduced first-class concurrency support, simplifying asynchronous programming, while Swift Playgrounds now allows developers to build and submit apps directly from an iPad. RealityKit 2's Object Capture feature enables users to create high-quality 3D models using just a smartphone camera. SharePlay was introduced to enhance virtual connectivity through real-time shared experiences, while ShazamKit and MusicKit for Swift improved audio recognition and music integration, respectively. Furthermore, Xcode Cloud, Apple's new continuous integration and delivery service, promises to streamline the development process. Overall, the conference emphasized Apple's commitment to innovation and providing developers with robust tools to enhance user experiences.