In just a week, the annual conference Apple WWDC 2018 starts. This event is dedicated to the presentation of new versions iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS. Sometimes the company also presents new devices at the conference. Apple has not announced anything significant for five months, which is why fans of the company are especially looking forward to the presentation of new versions of iOS and macOS.
Fortunately, thanks to numerous rumors and leaks, we already know roughly what to expect from the presentation. Some people think that rumors are losing all interest in the event, but this year there are few rumors about iOS 12. This time Apple has a chance to really surprise us with new features and technologies.
iOS 12
The main novelty of WWDC 2018 will certainly be the new version iOS. Version iOS 11 is less than a year old, but compared to Android P it already seems outdated. The operating system has obvious flaws, and hopefully Apple will finally fix them.
The update is codenamed 'Peace'. In iOS 12 Apple decided to focus on improving system stability and performance. Recent versions iOS are not as stable as those released during the Steve Jobs era. In new versions, there were many bugs, which in some cases appeared immediately to millions of users. The main priority of the new version is stability. Also, iOS 12 should work better on older devices. In connection with the work on stability, the company had to abandon some of the new features and postpone them until iOS 13. Among them, a new home screen design, a new Photos application, etc. Now we will only see them in 2019 with the release of iOS 13.
Apple will improve many features that debuted since iOS 11. ARKit will receive the most updates. The Health app, Do Not Disturb mode, system integration Siri, and the Promotions app will also be improved. In addition, the company plans to expand functions NFC so that the smartphone can act as a travel card and hotel room key.
The owners of iPhone X will be happy to know that Apple will add new Animoji and also change the menu with them for easy navigation. Animoji support will appear in FaceTime video calls. FaceTime will also add support for conferencing, but we may only see this feature in 2019.
Parental controls will also be improved, giving parents full control over what their children use their iPhone / iPad for.
'Marzipan'
One of the main features iOS 12 is macOS integration. Apple is working on a project codenamed 'Marzipan' that will allow developers to create one application that will automatically run on both iOS and macOS. This way, developers do not have to spend time on different versions of their application, and they can update it more often.
However, there are rumors that this project will also be released only in 2019, so it is better not to overestimate expectations for now.
Siri
Apple will pay a lot of attention to Siri. Apple may have been the first company to release a virtual personal assistant, but now its functions are far behind competing assistants. The difference is so big that new features Siri this year may be the only chance Apple to catch up with Google Assistant and Alex from Amazon.
A smarter and more powerful version Siri will be presented at the WWDC 2018 presentation, but how exactly the virtual assistant will be improved – we do not know. Siri hints at getting a new voice and getting smarter, but that's about it. It is unknown what features will be updated or added. Siri needs a lot of improvements, including better voice recognition, integration with third-party and system applications, etc. Let's hope this year Siri really gets smarter.
macOS 10.14
Little is known about macOS 10.14. This was previously the main platform for Apple, but this is no longer the case. Night mode may appear in macOS this year, but this is not certain, since such rumors have been circulating for several years. In addition, integration Siri with programs should be improved in macOS 10.14. The Mac design App Store can be updated, and then this will be a major change in the new version.
watchOS 5 and tvOS
At the WWDC 2018 presentation, watchOS and tvOS updates are also expected. There will be few new features in them, and they will not be anything surprising. WatchOS 5 should include support for third-party watch faces, and health readings should also be improved. Features will be improved in tvOS Siri.
Newer Mac models, cheap version HomePod?
WWDC is primarily for developers, but sometimes Apple uses it to present new devices. This year, the company is expected to present an updated MacBook Pro lineup with Intel Coffee Lake processors. There should be no other changes in the new line.
There are also rumors that Apple will present a budget version of the column HomePod for $ 199. Most likely, the column will be released under the Beats brand. If the column is not presented now, then it will definitely happen in September. So far, HomePod is very feature limited Siri and we hope that will change soon.