Here Is How Apple Startled The Audience In WWDC 2020!
On 22nd June, in the 31st WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference), Apple announced a series of software updates across most of its products, like iOS 14, iPad OS 14, watch iOS 7, Mac OS 11, tv OS 14, Apple silicon, etc. The update consists of multiple remarkable features and has been in the talks since its release.
In fact, for the first time, WWDC was arranged virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let’s start with major updates in iOS 14:
iOS 14 — Biggest Announcements
Apple has just launched a new look of iOS 14. The most important updates in iOS 14 are widgets on the home screen & App Library.
Home Screen Widgets: Widgets Are Avoidable On The Home Screen Now!
Until now, iPhone users could use widgets only from the widget window, but now they can also add widgets on their home screen, just like Android phones. Apple has also introduced a beautifully designed new layout of the home screen with widgets. So, all you’ve got to do is drag out your favorite feature and drop it on your home screen.
App Library: Auto Collection Folder Of Applications With Similar Categories
In the previous versions of iOS, if we wanted to group the same kind of applications, we had to create a folder, and then drag-&-drop the application in that folder, to create a common group for the same kind of applications. Without creating a group, we have to scroll multiple pages to find the correct applications. Apple has resolved these difficulties by introducing a marvelous feature called the App library. App library creates auto-collections of folders filled with applications with the same categories, i.e social media apps, gaming apps, etc. From the App library, you can directly click on the required application, without the pagination of dozens of pages from the home screen. And this also provides folders, like Suggested Apps and Recently added apps — so you can fetch your recently added apps very quickly.
App Clips: Perform Important Operations Without Installing The Whole Application
App clips are one of the best new features of iOS 14. App clips are the ultra-lightweight applications that come in handy only when required. Using this feature, you can directly make payments without installing the application every time.
Let’s say you ordered delicious food from a restaurant close to you, but you don’t have the restaurant’s application to make a payment. But worry not!
All you have to do it download the app clip using the NFC pad and make your payment in a fraction of seconds. Apple provides default functionalities like, if you are entering the area for which App clip is available, then you will get an alert to download that app clip automatically.
Siri: Faster Than Before Without Taking Fullscreen
Finally, through this update, Apple is successful in making Siri faster. Now, while enabling Siri, it will not take the entire display screen, but an animated Siri icon will appear at the bottom of your screen. After getting suggestions from Siri, the application launch time has also decreased on the click of suggestion.
Picture-in-Picture: Swipe The Video To Resize & Access Full Screen With Running Video
If you swipe away while watching a full-screened video, the window will float on your home screen, allowing you to resize and move the video. This way, there is no need to close the video if you want to use the whole screen for a moment.
Apple Maps: Cycling Directions Incorporated In Some Cities
From now onwards, Apple Maps will be available in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. In fact, capitalizing on the love for cycling, the company has also included a feature that tracks cycling-tracks directions, but it is limited to a few big cities.
Messages: Create Inline Replies To Groups & Customize Notifications
In iOS 14, multiple useful new features have been added for messages. Now, we can create inline replies to group messages. Also, you can customize your notifications.
More often than not, multiple group notifications will vex you during the day when you’re working or doing something important. To avoid being distracted with these notifications, Apple has introduced a feature where, upon enabling, you will only receive a notification when someone mentions your name specifically. To tag people, we can use the ‘@’ symbol before their names.
Memoji: Added New Options With Face Mask & Other Accessories
Memoji is getting an improvement in the next big software update, including more age options, accessories for Memoji, like face masks, and emotions, like blushing. Also, emoji with a face mask is here!!
Phone Call Notification
From iOS 14, the call notification will not cover the full screen of the iPhone. When you get a call, an alert type view will display on the top of the screen, and then you can receive/decline it.
Default Apps: Ability To Change Default Mail App & Browser
For the first time, Apple is providing these features to change default apps. But this is only limited to Gmail & web browser. Now, you can change default apps for both of these.
Sound Recognition: Notify Users For An Important Sound Like Fire Alarms, Doorbells, Etc
In WWDC, Apple announced this feature by saying that your iPhone device will continuously recognize particular sounds, and after recognition, it will send notifications on your device. The sounds include fire alarms, sirens, smoke detectors, cats, dogs, household appliances, car horns, doorbells, knocking, water running, a baby crying, and shouting.
The sound recognition feature is currently in the beta mode, so maybe you will not get the exact output sometimes.
You can enable this setting from the Settings → Accessibility. To use it most easily, you can enable it directly from the Control center by selecting the sound to be detected.
iPad OS 14 With Stunning New Features
As Apple has introduced a new OS named as iPad OS for iPad devices only, still new features are the same for iPhone & iPads also. But also some of the new features which are only applicable for iPad OS.
Apple is touting a new sidebar as its way of making it much easier to navigate apps. It showed it working on Apple Music and other apps. If you’re using your iPad as a laptop replacement, the sidebar should make it easier to do more without having to touch the screen.
Apple also redesigned search on iPad, and it looks almost exactly like Spotlight on macOS. It can help you find contacts, search on the web, or serve as a Launchpad-like function to launch apps.
Apple’s stylus, known as Pencil, is a terrific tool to use on iPads. With a new feature called Scribble, users may just end up holding onto Pencil at all times while using iPads. Scribble allows you to handwrite text into any text box on an iPad and have it convert directly into standard text.
AirPods
Regarding AirPods, Apple provides a feature to switch between iPhone and Mac, and as soon as the switch happens, the audio will play automatically. Earbuds and AirPods will switch automatically while getting the call on your iPhone & connected to your computer. Currently, the user has to do it manually from the settings.
AirPods Pro now will support spatial audio by tracking movements of head /mobile devices.
Apple Silicon: New Processors For MAC
Despite the status of “software company,” Apple keeps surprising the industry and its customers with hardware enhancements each time. Apple Silicon is one such unique announcement from the company that surprised the industry.
Apple has been using Intel processors for decades, and it allows apps, made for Intel-based software, to run on the new Macs, as well as apps from other environments, like Linux. Additionally, thanks to using custom hardware, it can even run iPhone and iPad apps, which is a huge deal, to say the least.
Watch OS 7: Sleep Tracking & Track Hand washing
From a newer version of the watch OS, Apple uses machine learning to track sleep. Apple watch sensors are used to track your motion. You can test this feature from watch OS 7.
An amazing feature is introduced for Apple Watch. In this COVID 19 pandemic situation, hand washing tracking is very useful. Apple Watch will detect the sound of splashing water and then confirm if you are actually washing your hands or not. After confirmation, it starts the countdown on the watch face while washing hands.
Mac OS Big Sur:
Apple has introduced a new OS version for MAC. In this newer version, UI has undergone a series of changes like rounded app icons.
A new control center and the graphic interface will be crucial, plus a new version of Safari that will, for the first time, accept third-party extensions.
The former is the framework allowing developers to build macOS apps from their pre-existing iPad apps with ease. But, it is simpler now than ever, but will certainly become much simpler in the future as Apple ventures into its in-house silicon.
The notification center has been changed with a group of notifications. You can clear all notifications for single apps easily at once.
Safari has also made some big changes in Big Sur, including drastic speed increases, with Apple saying web page loading is 50 percent faster than Google Chrome. The toolbar also has a new Privacy Report button to see how your data is being used by a website and what Safari trackers are blocking, as well as support for website translation from the toolbar.
Wrapping Up
I hope this article will help you to understand the things which Apple has announced in WWDC 2020. There are so many interesting things for the users, as well as developers.
WWDC 2020 continues for the developers, so let’s see what’s new is still on the way!! Apple has launched the beta version of iOS14, and you can install it using a developer account and enjoy the new experience with iOS 14. It is compatible with all of the same iPhones as iOS 13, including older devices like the original iPhone SE and iPhone 6s. iOS 14 compatible devices are listed below. We will keep you posted for the changes regarding iOS development with this new release from Apple. Stay tuned !!
Originally published at https://www.zealousweb.com.
