The annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) was recently held in San Francisco, California and there were several major surprising announcements ranging from OS updates to a new, improved music service to an upgrade of stock Apple apps.
The team at Apple made a lot of promises in this year’s WWDC that a lot of Apple users will hope will be delivered.
Here are the announcements that stood out.
OS Updates
All major Apple operating systems – OS X, iOS and Watch OS – are going to have an upgrade which for the most parts are minor improvements of their predecessors.
OS X El Capitan
The latest version of OS X which will be OS X 10.11 is codenamed El Capitan. There is no redesign on the new OS but it comes with some major improvements on the features of the previous.
The new Safari to come with the OS will feature a new version of pinned tabs that load automatically as the browser is launched. It also notifies users when a tab is playing audio, similar to a Chrome feature which was silently launched last year.
OS X El Capitan also has a much improved search engine via Spotlight. A user can search with a term like “where are all the emails from Francis I haven’t read within the last 3 months?” and get accurate results. One can also look up sporting event tickets, weather, and upcoming events using natural language.
Improved windows management will allow users to split the screen to use multiple apps simultaneously and store multiple desktop layouts in a navigation bar on top. El Capitan is expected to come with a huge performance boost, as well.
It comes with a lot other minor features that we will expand on
iOS 9
Just like the OS X update, iOS 9 comes with improvements as opposed to an overhaul. Two stock Apple apps have been replaced as Newsstand becomes News and Passbook becomes Wallet.
The Notes app has been greatly improved with the ability to add maps, photos or even make a drawing by hand. HealthKit now tracks more data, including UV exposure and menstrual cycles.
In addition to all this, iOS 9 promises to take up less space on the iPhone, and it offers a “low power mode” to squeeze three extra hours out of the battery.
The iPad, also has its own improvements, namely its version of the split screen feature that will be introduced to the OS X El Capitan. Videos will also be minimized and played as a floating frame while working on other apps such as Email.
watchOS 2
Apple has already released an update for the OS to the Apple Watch. The watchOS 2 comes with options for watch faces. “Time Travel,” gives an overview of upcoming events in addition to what’s going on at the moment. The OS comes with more interactivity giving users the ability to reply emails instead of just reading them. There’s full support for HealthKit and HomeKit, as well.
Major App Improvements
Apps got the most facelifts going by the announcements at the conference. Apple’s Siri and Maps got the major improvements.
Siri
Just like the recent Google Now on Tap revealed at Google’s I/O Conference, Siri will now have the ability to respond to requests based on the content of an application. Siri can now search within emails, photos, calendar schedules, etc. Siri now suggests individuals you may want to call, apps you may want to use at a certain time of day, and breaking news you may want to read.
Apple Maps
In iOS 9, Maps will support Transit routes via bus, ferry, subway, and train routes. Transit maps are being released for select cities: Baltimore, New York, San Francisco, Beijing, Shenzhen, among others. Transit view information brings information about public transit routes with traffic activity and so on. Searching for stores via Maps will show a user if the store supports Apple Pay.
Apple Pay
The much publicized Apple Pay will be launching in the UK this July. In addition to working with 8 major UK banking institutions, it will also work with the London Transport System..
For American users, Apple Pay is expanding its services thanks to partnerships with Trader Joe’s and JC Penney.
Apple Music
Apple introduced its new Apple music service at the end of the night sealing the announcement with a performance from The Weeknd.
Apple’s music service tends to create a central hub for music lovers. The Apple Music allows users to stream, purchase music and connect fans with their idols. It will cost $9.99 per month. There iss also a $14.99 family plan option that lets you share Apple Music with up to five other people.
Another huge announcement is that it will be coming to Android as well.
