We take a massive Apple WWDC keynote and distil it down to what’s important - for iOS users.
We take a massive Apple WWDC keynote and distil it down to what’s important - for iOS users.
What’s new in iOS 10?
Come Fall 2016 (Q3 2016), you’ll be experiencing iOS in a new way.
Last month, we saw Apple’s WWDC 2016 keynote address that touched on upcoming improvements found across their ecosystem – desktop, cars and even smartwatches weren’t spared. Here, we look at new features that will be coming in iOS 10 – the operating system for iPhones and iPads – which arguably have the biggest impact for the most of us.
IOS 10 LOCK SCREEN
New to the Apple ecosystem is none other than Raise To Wake - a feature in iOS 10 that makes iPhone’s lock screen display those important notifications as you bring your mobile device up to your line of sight.
The lock screen is also capable of Rich Notifications. It will display more information from apps, and showing widgets to its left, making your notifications more meaningful.
Camera will become easier to access too – from the lock screen, you only need to swipe from the right, as opposed to the current method (swiping upwards from lowerright corner of display).
FACIAL RECOGNITION IN PHOTOS AND NEW MEMORIES FEATURE
Photos now come equipped with deep learning technology, which enables facial recognition, and object & scene recognition. Combined, the extra data helps iOS 10 create better photo albums and photo search terms based on the photo’s imagery and content. The new Memories feature (pictured) is the result of phone’s capability, as it automatically combines these photos into a short footage. Memories footage can be highly adjustable to your own needs. Like many of the new iOS 10 features, you have to see it to believe it, but Apple said that can help you rediscover cherished moments.
REVAMPED MUSIC APP
The Music app in iOS 10 went for a complete makeover, with heavy focus on the user’s library, the album artwork for your tunes, and an overhaul to its general design language.
The “For You” tab will now take center stage in the Music app, and it suggests music Apple thinks you’d enjoy. Songs now come with lyrics implemented under the track scrubbing bar, so there’s no need to manually stuff lyrics in the description box like its 2008.
APPLE HOME APP ON IOS 10
The Apple HomeKit interface for IoT-based smart homes is now congruent, thanks to the new Home app. This app lets you manage all HomeKit devices (effectively IoT smart home appliances previously compatible with iOS 9) under one be-all-end-all app. The app also allows customization and Siri voice control.
BETTER PREDICTIVE TEXT
Apple implemented LSTM (long short term memory) deep learning protocols into Quicktype. iOS 10 now offers better predictive texting. One of the examples given at WWDC 2016 was the ability for Siri to pre-fill text based on context, such as contact details of a colleague when a sender requests for it.
MAPS APP NOW OPEN TO THIRDPARTY DEVELOPERS
If you liked how Google Maps integrate hotel bookings into its interface you’d be happy to know that iOS 10 will do the same - Apple Maps is open to third-party developers via Maps Extensions. The app is slated to work with Uber bookings, and restaurant reservations via Open Table.
APPLE NEWS OVERHAUL
Besides a redesigned app with better organized content sprawled across its interface, Apple News now offers Subscriptions,which lets you view all your paid news on the app. Apple News now offers deeper integration into iOS10 as well, with the optionto allow Breaking News notifications. Now’s the time to use Apple News.
IMESSAGE APP GOESBEYOND TEXT
iMessage in iOS 10 goes beyond text-only communication. You get rich links with preview images from pasted URLs. Videos can be played from the message itself. Emojis can be three times bigger, with predictive emojis available. iMessages also welcomes hand-written messages, and new message effects that add more impact to your text.
END-TO-END ENCRYPTION
In a bid to improve personal privacy and iOS security, iOS 10 now features end-to-end encryption by default. All messages and transmitted information on Apple’s proprietary apps are better protected from hijackers. This has already been implemented independently by thirdparty app developers, such as WhatsApp. It’s nice to see the OS enjoying end-to-end encryption across the board.
