iOS 10 has just been unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, and executives say there are ten main new features in the new version of the mobile operating system. Craig Federighi called iOS 10 “the biggest iOS release ever for our users.”
iOS 10 features new lock screen
The first major feature is a new lock screen which now has rich notifications and enables users to more quickly interact with apps, reports The Verge. Apple’s 3D Touch feature also has expanded uses on the lock screen.
Next is the new “Raise to wake” feature, which causes the lock screen to wake up whenever the user picks up the device. Notifications also look quite a bit different, and 3D Touch enables users to respond and interact with apps right away, which means that iOS 10 brings Apple’s devices in line with those running Google’s Android. 3D Touch also includes new widgets for the home screen that enable users to interact with apps without opening them.
Siri opened to developers with iOS 10
As has been rumored for quite a while, Apple is also opening Siri to third-party app developers, which means that starting with iOS 10, they can add support for Siri to their apps. Although many more apps will add support for Siri at a later time, Slack, WeChat, WhatsApp, Uber, Skype, and other popular ones already offer support for Siri.
Apple also improved Siri’s contextual analysis capabilities so that it can make suggestions that are more intelligent, factoring in the user’s location, calendar, contact information, and other details when answering questions or making suggestions. According to Engadget, Siri will also power the keyboard in iOS 10 to make the QuickType suggestions more relevant and intelligent.
Other new additions to iOS 10
Apple is also improving its Photos and Maps app with iOS 10, as we expected. The new Photos app will offer both object and facial recognition, enabling users to tag and organize their photos automatically. Once again, this helps Apple catch up to Android as Google Photos already does this. A key difference though, according to Engadget, is that Apple’s feature works locally on the device while Google’s feature works on the cloud.
The Maps app has been entirely redesigned for iOS 10 as Apple continues to try to make it up to users for the fiasco that sent many running back to Google Maps a few years ago. Maps is getting more intelligent like Siri and Photos with improved predictions being added. Also the app will be able to suggest restaurants that are nearby and offer cleaner navigation with traffic information as well. Maps will also offer other routes if it discovers that the user is no longer on the fastest route, which again is similar to what Google has already be doing.
Apple Music and Apple News are also getting new, easier-to-use interfaces. Apple News will be able to send out notifications for breaking news and will offer in-app subscriptions. Additionally, iOS 10 will bring transcription to voicemail messages through the new Phone app, which will also be able to identify potential spam phone calls.
Messages will also get rich links in iOS 10, and Apple is also adding a new app called Home, which basically enables users to interact with any smart gadgets they may have at home, such as smart garage door openers or thermostats.
