Top Apple reveals for app developers and their users from WWDC 2020
The Wolfpack Digital team loves staying up to date with the latest technology, and we are not only the ‘early adopters’ but also the ‘early-software-builders’. The Apple annual event Worldwide Developer Conference got our eyes glued to the screens waiting for the most significant announcements and inventions to improve our iOS and watchOS app development skills.
Before moving to the big announcement, let’s acknowledge the amazing job Apple did at live streaming the Worldwide Developer Conference due to COVID-19. Right from the Apple Park, Tim Cook (CEO) announced the biggest innovations that will change the way people use technology and the new software yet to be built.
Even though there were no hardware introductions, just like the previous years, Apple made sure to surprise with operating system updates, improvements, and new exciting product capabilities. The spotlight at this party was stolen by iOS 14, and its little buddy watchOS 7.
Top biggest iOS reveals from Apple Worldwide Developers Conference
- PiP Mode (Picture-in-Picture) lets the user minimize the video tab and continue watching it while using other apps. The dream of many apple users has finally come true!
- iOS 14 Widgets on Home Screen — now, users can customise their data-rich home screen layouts.
- App Library that automatically organizes apps in categories on home screens.
- Apple Maps routes for EV drivers and cyclers include specific directions and notifications about elevation, stairs, and charges throughout the journey.
- Translate App — supports 11 languages, and it’s available in the offline mode and includes voice and text translation into Chinese, English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian. The Translate app in landscape orientation is divided into two sections and makes the bi-lingual communication easy to comprehend.
- Revamped Messages — iOS users will be able to communicate more engagingly with the new Memojis, pinned conversations in messages, and the group photo in Messages.
- Compact Siri UI — Siri has a more refined design that doesn’t take the entire screen and more substantial capacity to answer questions from the Internet. Also, now the user can ask Siri to send audio messages to her/his contacts. How cool is that?!
- App Clips — we used to hear often “you need an app for that”, well now you don’t, thanks to revolutionary App Clips feature for iOS 14 which are a “small part of apps” that can be accessed via NFC or QR codes without needing to download applications from the store.
New exiting features for watchOS 7
- Face Swapping Feature - New watch face customization and face sharing feature. watchOS 7 opens the door to a world full of personalized faces that can be configured and shared with other peers. The newly announced Chronograph Face contains a tachymeter.
- Sleep Tracking & Wind Down — the new sleep tracking feature goes hand-in-hand with the Wind Down Mode. It will help users stick to their healthy sleeping schedules by turning on Do Not Disturb and suggesting relaxing activities before going to bed.
- Hand washing countdown — the 20-seconds rule of hand washing has gained a new meaning during the COVID-19 times, and the engineers at Apple have prepared a motivational feature for the watchOS 7. Using a motion and sound detector, it figures out whenever the owner washes its hands and starts the 20-second count-down.
Apple Car Keys is the big deal for the automotive lovers and is s step towards a keyless era. The digital key will open and start a car with the NFC chip. It is going to be available next month for BMW vehicles. The virtual key from the Apple Wallet can be shared with family and friends via iMessage.
Overall, this year’s digital edition has it all:
- the keynote event;
- a video collection of Apple engineering sessions;
- developer forums where any topic can be discussed with Apple engineers;
- 1– on- 1 developer lab to get technical guidance;
- Apple Design Award on the 29th of July;
- the conversation between Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, and a former Attorney General around the racism in America and how technology can help with equal justice and opportunity.
All in one, Apple focused on customization, covering additional needs, and improving the previous user experience with a futuristic touch.
Do you love the new updates as much as we do? Let’s build your next iOS and watchOS apps using the latest Apple reveals and keep up with tech evolution. Share your project idea, and let’s get to coding with the team of mobile app developers at Wolfpack Digital! 🐺 📱
