Industry giant Apple unveiled a slew of features for its upcoming iOS 10 at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). iOS is the software that is at the heart of its iPhone and iPad products Among the exhaustive things discussed were the Siri voice assistant, maps, photos and messages apps.
All iPhone 5 and later models will run on Apple iOS 10. Pressure-sensitive features that need the 3D Touch feature will only work on iPhone 6S, 6S Plus and the upcoming iPhone 7.
iOS 10 is now available to developers so they can start working with it, and will be released to the public this fall.
This new platform is expected to boost and expand Apple’s OS kingdom.
Among the most exciting additions are many enhancements related to messaging:
- Interactive messaging that has rich links for when URLs are sent
- Emojis in the predictions list
- Invisible ink messages that need to be scrubbed to be revealed
- Text bubbles in various sizes
- Animated stickers
- Apple Pay payments located inside of messages
Voice assistant Siri will also be usable in other apps. This means that users can dictate their orders, and preview messages before sending them. Siri will also be able to anticipate what you want to say or do while you’re typing and suggest information, like a contact’s phone number or gym appointments.
The lock screen has also been given more functionality, such as:
- Using 3D Touch to open a notification
- Raise the phone to wake it from lock screen
- Slide right or left to open the camera and widgets
- Reply to certain messages right from the lock screen.
The software also makes it possible to buy things from a Mac then pay for it from an iPhone, simply by using TouchID to authenticate the purchase taking place on another device. Apple Pay will also be coming to Safari on iOS.
The Control Center will allow users to control anything in Apple’s HomeKit, such as doorbell cameras.
To compete with Google Maps, Apple has also made big changes to its Maps app including:
- Alternate route suggestions
- Gas stations
- Traffic information
Users can even order an Uber from the maps app and track it, as well as make dinner reservations and pay with Apple Pay.
Access to photos, music and videos and organizing them have also been modified to make them simpler and easier to find, view and play. Subscriptions to content are also spread out for easy reading and viewing, with breaking news notifications.
There are many more features, as seen on this list from CNET, so it’s safe to say that many loyal Apple users will really be looking forward to iOS 10.
