iOS 8: What Can We Expect?
With the recent release of iOS 7.1.1 we can finally and
inevitably admit the fact that Apple's seventh iteration of its mobile
platform is no longer in the center of attention. All of the bug and
crash fixes, UX tweaks, and other improvements of iOS 7 are now
overshadowed by rumors surrounding the upcoming iOS 8, which is expected
to be rolled out this fall, and possibly presented earlier at WWDC
2014.
It's not that iOS 8 will receive as much resonance and
debate as iOS 7 did. Most probably it will be the same iOS 7 with a
couple of apps and tweaks added, unless Apple has some surprises up
their sleeves. Meanwhile possible changes, improvements, and new
features have been gathering up in rumors for some time around, coming
from such Apple-related sources, the biggest being 9to5Mac. Here we
would like to make a rumor roundup.
Healthbook
A rumor at
its most unofficial, Healthbook even has a suggested icon (similar to
that of Passbook), and furthermore, is said to be a perfect link between
the smartphone and the possible iWatch. As almost all with Apple, it's
supposed to be a near-perfect personal health assistant: weight,
nutrition, calories, heart rate, hydration, bloodwork, blood sugar,
fitness tracking, and much more.
Along with the M7 motion
coprocessor incorporated in the latest Apple devices, it makes sense as
the logical next step. If we ever have to see the iWatch this year,
we'll see it and iOS 8 at the same time. The industry of health &
fitness apps is blooming, and their owners have to keep an eye on
Healthbook, whether it becomes a worthy default rival. On the other
hand, it may bring valuable integration with a new generation of health
apps.
Maps
Apple's native Maps, even though some time has
passed, still are perceived as a failure. Since then Apple has been
talking about making their Maps better and better all the time. In 2013
Apple has acquired several companies concerning mapping (e.g. BroadMap,
Embark, HopStop), and iOS 8 might present us the feature of public
transit directions / route options, which was one of the reasons people
shifted back to Google Maps after Apple's ones became the default.
Another
rumor is that the feature of indoor mapping will be also included.
Let's not forget about CarPlay which will definitely require Apple Maps
at their best (and which also may support WiFi instead of using the
cable). It's also quite possible that updates will concern showing info
about locations and venues, such as restaurants, bars, etc. This may
open the way for more detailed guides based on Apple Maps, indoor
navigation for shopping malls and large hospitals. As for the latter, it
can be useful for in-house staff. If integrated with Healthbook,
detailed navigation can be used by everyone. There can be a pool of
various ideas actually.
Game Center
This one is rumored to
stop its existence as a standalone app, with all the needed features
being actually within games. This may require some additional changes
and tweaks in existing games.
iTunes Radio
iTunes Radio has
received high adoption since its September release, and its growth rate
surpassed even Spotify's. Now it is expected to become a separate
default app, a rival to other streaming services. There is also a rumor
about cooperation between Apple and Shazam that may introduce the
feature of song recognition in iOS 8. This in turn can lead to the
iTunes store where the song can be purchased.
Touch ID
The
feature introduced in the iPhone 5S is expected to be used for mobile
payments. Once you use Touch ID, you quickly get used to it and unlock
your phone, as well as approve App Store downloads without noticing.
Incorporating it into mobile payments is an even more interesting idea,
especially providing this opportunity to third-party apps. If so, and if
purchases will concern non-digital goods as well, Apple simply has to
provide its best tool for online shopping - the iPad - with a
fingerprint scanner. This is what we actually expect from the next
generation of iPads.
Other rumors
There's also a rather
questionable 'screenshot' circulating around the Web with icons of such
apps as Healthbook, Preview, TextEdit, and Tips. However, Preview and
TextEdit don't even have the iOS 7-like design, and are skeuomorphic. It
has also been 'reported' that Preview and Text Edit for iOS might allow
to only view documents stored in iCloud (and its integration into
custom apps is also expected to be simplified). Siri is supposed to get
an improvement, although it's unclear of which nature it will be.
Possibly it will allow specific interactions between Siri and apps,
boosting convenience and functionality.
Here we can see that the
expected changes in hardware may be even more crucial for custom
development, than the OS itself. For example, the rumored bigger screen
of the iPhone, and the design/redesign issue to arise as a result. As
for the commonplace 'wants' of iOS users, they still remain unsolved:
such as changing and hiding default apps, extended customization, option
of a guest account (for example, for children). If your iOS app
concerns any of these issues, keep an eye on rumors until things get
definite. But we know you already do, don't you?
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