Apple WWDC 2018 In E Moji
Yesterday Apple held their Worldwide Developers Conference 2018. The event where Apple gives the world a sneak peek of upcoming releases for new software and technologies for developers.
From security flaws to battery performance issues, Apple has had some damaging press over the last few months. Not to mention the stakes were raised by Google at their developer event, Google I/O, when they showcased an amazing phone recording of their AI assistant having a seamless conversation with a human.
Apple needed to deliver big. They needed a win, and they got it! The beloved company introduced some impressive new features across tvOS, watchOS, macOS, and, of course, iOS 🙌! Here are the features we’re most excited about, with all of the emojis needed to describe them. Enjoy! 😬
Shared AR
Apple is betting big on Augmented Reality with the ARKit 2.0. The update showcased shared AR experiences with a slingshot game created for two people to play against each other, and a Lego demo. Cool.
If you run or work for a business that doesn’t have an AR strategy yet, I highly suggest you create one or update your resume. An organization’s ability to create a shared experience with their customer/user is a significant differentiator and can set a business apart from its competition.
Siri Shortcuts
Probably one of the most exciting features, Apple is putting that Workflow acquisition to work. Similar to IFTTT, you can bundle actions into a single phrase and launch them with a simple “Hey Siri.”
Example: Hey Siri, it’s date night!
Lights set to red, dim to 40%
Dinner music plays
TV turns on the cult classic, Alien
Temperature increases to 70 degrees
Phone sets to Do Not Disturb
We’re going to have a lot of fun with this one!
Group FaceTime
Dear Hangouts — Skype — Oovoo — & HouseParty,
🖕
Love,
Apple
Yes, you’re hearing this correctly, Apple increased the number of people able to be on a FaceTime call by 30. The two-person maximum per FaceTime session was a major complaint for a multitude of users over the years, so it will be fun to try this out!
Memoji
Another L for Snapchat. As if the constant barrage from Facebook wasn’t enough. 🙄 Apple is one-upping Samsung’s weird attempt at personalized Animojis with their design flair and tight integration.
Memojis will work in the new FaceTime along with all the new sticker effects, which is also a subtle jab at Facebook’s Messenger Video.
Tongue Detection
It wasn’t enough for Apple to one-up the competition; they had to two up (oh yeah, that’s a thing)! When you stick your tongue out at your phone, it will detect your tongue so that your Memoji sticks it’s tongue out. Groundbreaking, I know. This feature works with the Animoji and the Memoji feature.
This one is going to be a hit with Cardi B!
Device Wellness
The wellness feature: shots fired @ Facebook.
Apple follows closely in the footsteps of Google here. This feature will play a major role in curbing how much time we spend on our devices because you can set limits on the amount of time you spend on specific apps.
Also, users will have the ability to turn notifications off, schedule downtime, and put their phones in bedtime mode.
Challenge Friends
The challenge feature is for Apple Watch owners, so if you don’t have an Apple Watch, get one. Gamification at its finest! The best part is that these competitions can last up to seven days. Think about all the times when you didn’t work out because you didn’t have a workout buddy to challenge you. Now you can outwork your competitors while getting into shape. Who wouldn’t ❤️ that?
Walkie Talkie
This feature is also coming to the Apple Watch, and I couldn’t be more excited. As a kid, I loved carrying out secret missions with friends and getting to use the walkie-talkies. Since I am not a kid anymore and I don’t have any pending, clandestine missions approaching, It will be interesting to see if there are any use cases for businesses with this new feature.
Home for Mac
This feature will allow users to control their smart home technologies through their Mac which is impactful since demand for smart home everything is growing rapidly. Being able to view your security cameras from the comfort of your desktop is definitely exciting. Beyond that, it’s just always good to see the integration between devices tightened up and this certainly ties up some loose ends.
Social Security…?
Remember the security flaws I referenced at the beginning of this blog post? Yeah, well it looks like Apple is addressing these issues by blocking social media likes and shares from tracking users without their permission. I’ll repeat, shots fired @ Facebook.
Dark Mode
Finally! Now you can turn your dock, taskbar, and the frame of your apps dark gray. While this feature doesn’t add anything in terms of functionality, it just looks great and makes my eyes happy! Thanks Apple.
Conclusion
Yesterday, we got a magnificent glimpse of life as an iOS 12 user. Unfortunately, the good life will have to wait since these features will not be available until this fall when Apple releases their iOS 12 update. Since we have a few months for the anticipation to build, I thought it best to end with a question to spark a conversation.
Which feature are you most excited to use once iOS 12 is available?
If you enjoyed the article above, consider following and give us a few 👏 You can also reach out to us on Twitter @askimpulse if you have a feature suggestion or just want to say “what up.”
Stay curious,
Marty
