Today Apple kicked off WWDC 2017 with a demo of iOS 11, the next version of their mobile operating system for iPhone and iPad. iOS 11 features a number of user interface innovations and improvements, some of which have long been anticipated by device fans Apple.
- iMessage at iCloud
- P2P transfers via Apple Pay
- Update Siri
- Improved camera app
- New control center design
- Redesigned lock screen and notification center
- Apple Maps
- AirPlay 2
- Apple Music
- New design App Store
- Core ML
- ARKit
- China-specific improvements
iMessage at iCloud
iMessage in iOS 11 will be slightly modified to make it easier to find frequently used apps. By integrating with iCloud, iMessage apps will sync to the cloud so you can access them from all of your iOS devices.
P2P transfers via Apple Pay
Apple will add client-to-client money transfer support to Apple. It will be built into iMessage, which you can use to transfer money to a friend or family. Apple Pay will become part of Apple Cash, a system that allows you to purchase goods from retail and online stores and more.
Update Siri
Siri will undergo some major changes with the release of iOS 11. First of all, the virtual assistant will understand a lot more languages and will be available in more regions. In addition, there will be built-in support for machine translation.
Improved camera app
The new camera app in iOS 11 will allow you to record HVEC videos on iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. This format offers higher compression rates for better video quality. In addition, the images will use the HIFF format, which allows compression up to 2x.
Other improvements include improved low light performance, an improved portrait mode, and more. There will also be a new API Depth that will allow developers to embed portrait mode into their own applications.
More Live Photo operations will become available. They can be cropped, changed exposure, mute, etc.
New control center design
Apple redesigned the control center to iOS 11. It now opens in full screen, has more customizations and only takes up one tab. On iPhone with 3D Touch it will be possible to manage a large number of options in this way: for example, using 3D Touch it will be possible to call the Music application.
Redesigned lock screen and notification center
Apple will merge the notification center with the lock screen in iOS 11. This makes it easier for them to manage notifications.
Apple Maps
Apple Maps in iOS 11 will show floor plans for malls, shops and other large public places. The app will also learn how to display speed limits while navigating.
To make traffic safer, Apple will add support for Do Not Disturb While Driving, which will disable alerts so that the driver is not disturbed. iOS will automatically prompt you to turn on the new mode after the first start of driving. You can also specify which contacts will not be affected.
AirPlay 2
iOS 11 will show AirPlay 2 with support for multiple speakers and rooms. Speakers connected to Apple TV 4 can also be controlled via AirPlay 2. HomeKit will also receive speaker support.
Apple Music
A new section will appear in Apple Music letting you know what your friends are listening to. In the account settings, you will be able to share the music you listen to and playlists with your friends. Spotify has been supporting something like this for a long time, so Apple caught on in time.
It will also add a new MusicKit API that will give developers access to the Music library, which can be used to generate recommendations based on the music you listen to.
New design App Store
For the first time in many years App Store will receive a major update with a completely redesigned interface, clearly inspired by Apple Music. A daily updated tab with recommended apps will appear. Its content will be available for viewing for a whole week.
Games and applications will now be placed on separate tabs, and information about them will become more detailed. The new one App Store will also show in-app purchases – previously not possible. More user attention will be paid to reviews to make it easier for them to decide if an app is worth downloading.
As with the Google Play Store, developers will be able to post updates to App Store in increments.
Core ML
Apple will offer a variety of machine learning APIs to application developers. These include Vision, an API for face recognition, and Core ML, a neural network-based API for working with natural language.
ARKit
The new ARKit augmented reality API was introduced Apple during the demo iOS 11. The demo app from Apple showed how ARKit could place objects like chairs on a table, coffee, etc. ARKit enables scaling, fast and stable motion tracking and integration with popular third-party 3D engines. For this, the camera, graphics and central processing units and motion sensors are actively involved.
ARKit will enable apps like Pokemon Go to offer an even richer experience than ever before.
China-specific improvements
As the Chinese market became one of the key ones for Apple, the company made several innovations focused on China. Among them – support for scanning QR codes built into the standard camera application, using a phone number as Apple ID, protection against SMS fraud, support for local dialects, and much more.
In addition to the listed innovations, iOS 11 includes many small improvements that Apple could not cover in the time allotted for the presentation.
And that is not all. iOS 11 also includes major updates for iPad and improved multitasking, built-in Drag-and-Drop support between applications, a new application for working with files and more.