iOS 11 vs. iOS 10: What Are The New Features Added By Apple

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UPDATE 09-19-2017: With iOS 11 officially releasing today, now is the ideal time to look at the new features in the Apple operating system. There are several improvements in iOS 11 vs. iOS 10 from last year, and users should overall have a significantly improved experience.

Emojis

A first key aspect of the iOS 11 vs. iOS 10 is emojis. One of the most notable additions to iOS 11 which received a fair bit of media coverage is the introduction of several new emojis. This follows on from the apparent importance that Apple is placing in this field, after the iPhone 8 and iPhone X launch revealed the emergence of animojis.

Among the new emojis resident in iOS 11 are “bearded person” and “breastfeeding”, and food items such as “sandwich” and “coconut”. Apple notes that “more animals and mythical creatures like T rex, zebra, zombie and elf are a fun way to describe situations and new Star-Struck and Exploding Head smiley faces make any message more fun,” an official statement commented.

Files

Although Apple has stated that a file system is superfluous within the iOS operating system, it has nonetheless quietly added one for usage with iOS 11. The application Files enables users to sort their data and files on mobile devices more easily. Apple’s proprietary iCloud Drive is naturally compatible with this new feature, but certain third-party apps such as Google Drive can also be used.

Siri translations and typing

Central to the iOS 11 vs. iOS 10 comparison is the Siri personal assistant. More information has now emerged on the translations that will be possible through the Siri personal assistant. The software can now assist users with several phrases in Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Simply saying “how do you say?” followed by the phrase in question, and then stating your particular choice of language, will result in a direct answer from Siri delivering translation details.

Furthermore, it is now possible to type directly to the personal assistant via the “Type to Siri” feature within accessibility settings. Although this is significantly slower than voice action, it does prevent users with another access option.

iPad dock

There are specific changes in the iOS 11 operating system related to the iPad, with a new multi-tasking system among them. But the most obvious new functionality is the inclusion of a dock, which is ever present and accessible by swiping upwards from the bottom of the screen. This then enables users to initiate the multi-tasking feature, with a choice of recently opened apps, or a permanent palette of favorites.

Keyboard swipe

Another interesting new feature that is also specific to the iPad tablet is the ability to swipe down on the virtual keyboard keys in order to access alternative characters. This makes it much easier and quicker to access such characters, particularly when engaging in one-handed typing.

Screenshots

Apple has also included the ability to capture screenshots more interestingly in iOS 11. It is now possible to record and narrate such screenshots via the iPhone or iPad, with this functionality being made available via the Control Center. Any new screenshots captured this way can also be easily shared via the Photos app. Apple is clearly hoping that this will become a viral feature in iOS 11, and it does provide an intriguing new way to deal with screenshots.

Smart Invert

Another new aspects of the iOS 11 operating system is the effective inclusion of a Dark Mode, which hasn’t been hugely publicized. This enables users to invert the colors on any iDevice running the new mobile operating system. Accessible via Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations > Invert Colors, Smart Invert. The older inverted option it is now labelled as Classic Invert.

Smart Invert result in the background for the Settings application immediately turning black, but the toggle switch background color remains a green, instead of turning purple as with the Classic Invert system.

32-bit apps

An obvious area of iOS 11 vs. iOS 10 is the software run by the two systems. One change in iOS 11 that has received considerable publicity, and which can be considered somewhat controversial, is Apple’s decision to kill off some of the older 32-bit applications. Users of this software will find that some of these apps will stop working permanently, generally impacting on those items of software that haven’t been used or updated over the last two years.

iOS 11 has been limited to running apps written in 64-bit code, dropping all 32-bit support. Although many apps written in the 32-bit code will still work, it does mean that some items of software are now no longer compatible with the iOS system.

Apple Pay

One trumpeted aspect of the iOS 11 operating system has been updated Apple Pay functionality. But in a blow to this mobile payment system, it has been reported that Apple will not make its Apple Pay Cash Card feature available until the fall.

The contactless payment service has proved to be rather successful since it was first instigated, with official figures indicating that it is now usable within 4 million separate locations. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, Apple has established Apple Pay as a major player in the valuable mobile payment marketplace.

But the ability to send and receive money through the iMessage software, a strongly mooted new feature of the Apple Pay Cash Card, will seemingly be delayed due to privacy and logistical concerns.

As expected, Apple has announced the iOS 11 upgrade to its desktop operating system at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California. And as was largely anticipated, the eleventh generation of this mobile operating system is one of the most significant in recent years. Many expect Apple to release a particularly revolutionary iPhone 8 in order to recognize the tenth anniversary of the iconic smartphone, and naturally iOS 11 is intrinsically tied in with this hardware release.

Conclusion

Overall, when making the iOS 11 vs. iOS 10 comparison, it is evident that there are quite significant differences between the two operating system, as our article and table demonstrates. This is one of the more feature-packed versions of iOS, and users should certainly benefit from some interesting and valuable inclusions.

iOS 11 vs. iOS 10 Comparison

Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, was on stage to deliver the new information on iOS 11, and the system certainly looks like a big improvement over iOS 10.

Messages

The first cab off the rank was Messages, which is effectively evolving into a cloud messaging service. Messages will now be stored primarily on the Apple servers, meaning that swapping between iPad, iPhone and Mac will be less problematical. Effectively, Messages will follow users without any syncing being required. This could be compared to the highly popular WhatsApp, but with new features bundled with it, alongside Mac support.

Apple Pay

Apple was also particularly keen to promote huge updates to its Apple Pay mobile payment system. Peer-to-peer transactions are now possible, meaning that friends can be sent payment automatically with the Touch ID system. When a transfer is made using this system, the money will appear in one’s Apple Cash account. This is then enables users to spend the money in a store, or transfer the balance into any bank account, along with the option of sending it directly to friends.

Siri

Other big changes came with Apple’s personal assistant Siri. This is becoming an increasing jewel in the Apple crown, and it was not surprising that the Californian corporation placed a particular emphasis on Siri at its Worldwide Developers Conference presentation. The international flavor of Siri, and indeed the contemporary consumer electronics marketplace, was underlined by Apple’s promotion of wider translation in languages such as English, Chinese, French and Spanish.

Cosmetically, the software now has a more natural voice, which will make using Siri seem more appealing. Apple has also included improved support for opening and utilizing new apps with the software, meaning that the personal assistant is no longer restricted to Apple software alone. This will be very much welcome, as Apple is often criticized for ensuring that its devices are effectively closed shops.

Apple will deliver additional third-party support in order to ensure that developers can integrate apps with the voice-control persistent more readily. It is not known whether the new version of Siri will launch alongside the iOS 11 operating system, but it is expected to roll out before the calendar year is complete.

Camera

A major focus of the iOS 11 vs. iOS 10 comparison will be photography. It seems that photography will also be a focus of the forthcoming iPhone 8 based on the information provided about iOS 11. New photo and video formats have been included in the iOS 11 operating system, with Apple shifting to HEVC and HIVC in order to provide more storage. These proprietary formats effectively dobule the efficiency of storage, meaning that users will be able to store more media on their devices.

Apple also promised compatibility for sharing, but there was some scepticism among observers whether this would actually come to fruition.

Control Center

The infamous Control Center will also receive a facelift in the iOS 11 generation, with the stability of the system also significantly improved. This guiding force for the iOS 11 system has been reduced to one pane from the typical three, with some nifty new animations making the overall system feel more fun to use. Apple was particularly keen to promote the brightness and volume settings, which created a strong impression on the observing audience.

Notifications

Apple also announced new improvements to Notifications and the lock screen, which should see the system somewhat streamlined. Notifications from the lock screen can now be mirrored in a far superior fashion once a device has been unlocked. And it is also possible now to swipe on the lock screen in order to access the entire backlog of notifications. This would certainly seem to make Notifications a more useful feature of the iOS 11 operating system.

Maps

When making the iOS 11 vs. iOS 10 comparison, the updating of Maps must be central to this process. Maps is arguably trailing behind Google’s similar system by some distance, but Apple has certainly not given up on this software just yet. Apple announced new updates to indoor mapping, beginning with malls and airports. Of course, it will be impossible to render every single mall and airport in the world immediately, but many will appear online as soon as iOS 11 goes live. Apple promises indoor floor plans and navigation tips, as well as information on where security is located.

Additionally, Maps also incorporates functionality aimed at the keen motorist. Turn-by-turn navigation benefits from speed limits being overlaid, with lane suggestions helping drivers get through complex intersections. Meanwhile, Do Not Disturb While Driving enables devices to intuitively understand if a car is being driven, and blocks out any messaging or contact during this period. The system even automatically responds to text messages with a response indicating that a user is in his or her car.

AirPlay 2 and Apple Music

Apple has really prioritized music recently, and this is also evident in looking at the iOS 11 vs. iOS 10 comparison. In the music department, Apple has delivered a new AirPlay 2 protocol, which will see new options provided for users. Big changes here are the “up next” option and support for multi-room playback. Apple also announced a new app to support Apple music. Again, Apple announced integration for third-party applications, making iOS 11 a more flexible performer.

There was no specific talk of augmented reality, but this does not necessarily mean this cannot be patched in at a later date. Nonetheless, there were enough updates to whet the appetite of Apple fans ahead of the release of the iPhone 8.

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