iOS 10, the next version of Apple"s mobile operating system, set to launch along side new iPhones later this year, was just announced by the company at the ongoing WWDC 2016 event in San Francisco.
Apple has revealed that iOS 10 will be its biggest iOS release ever and will come with ten new features, that would set the OS apart from others.
The features in order of Apple"s announcement are as follows:
- Refreshed lock screen: The iOS 10 lock screen will feature a completely new interface with Widgets and capable of 3D Touch actions for apps that would support it.
- Siri SDK: Developers will be able to integrate their apps with Siri. As an example, the company showed off how an users could send a WeChat message using the personal assistant.
- QuickType for the iOS keyboard: Users will get suggestions for contacts, location and similar relevant information on the fly, while typing with the iOS keyboard.
- Updated Photos app: The new Photos app is said to be smarter with facial recognition and location awareness using Advanced AI. The app will present Memories based on dates and trips in a separate tab.
- Apple Maps: Apple seems to have worked a lot on route navigation for the upcoming release of Maps in iOS 10. Maps will now show traffic details and can be used to show turn-by-turn directions on compatible car dashboards.
- Apple Music: The UI of the Apple Music app on iOS has been updated, and the company has put the focus on music this time around. As for functionality, the app will now show lyrics of songs in a separate tab. The Discover tab has been replaced with a recommendations tab called "For You."
- Apple News: Similar to Apple Music, the company"s news aggregator app has also received a UI refresh, but will also feature two new capabilities such as breaking news notifications and subscriptions.
- Apple Home: This is a new application that will be included in iOS 10 that would make use of Apple"s HomeKit APIs and will integrate with Control Center. Using Home, users will be able to monitor compatible connected accessories in their homes.
- Voice calls and voicemail: With iOS 10, the phone app will be able to integrate with various VoIP providers such as Facebook Messenger and Skype using a newly announced VoIP API. These calls will appear in their recent call logs as well. When receiving traditional phone calls, users will be notified about spam callers.
- iMessage: Apple"s messaging app, iMessage, will be getting some new features in iOS 10 including link previews, bigger emojis, emoji suggestions and font sizes for better conveying emotions.
So to round things off, it doesn"t look like there is a major UI overhaul planned for iOS 10, but apps will be further refined with a consistent look and feel across the platform. There are some nice enhancements across all the apps, and users should most likely appreciate them when the OS releases later this year.