Apple made a bunch of announcements at its annual WWDC 2020, as previously reported, there weren't any new hardware announced but they did showcase big software updates that are coming soon. This includes the new iOS 14 with a redesigned iPhone home screen and new widgets, alongside the iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, macOS Big Sur, and the new updates for tvOS. While the new features are a nice welcome, Android users already have some of them but anyway, let's take a look.
First, widgets are a common feature on Android phones but Apple's version is a bit different and tidier. The new widgets can be presented in different sizes on any Home Screen page and with the use of Smart Stack, users can use this to make the page look neat based on time, location, activities. To add on, users can further customize group apps for work, travel, sports, entertainment and others. This can be found at the new App Library, which is a new space that can also automatically organize all the apps in an easy-to-navigate view.
Oh look, widgets
(L-R), Picture-in-Picture, compact calling notification, and App Library
Similarly to the iPadOS 14, iOS 14 will also make incoming FaceTime, phone calls, and Siri interactions look better with an all-new compact design. You may be familiar with Picture-in-Picture which Android has, but yeah that's basically what it is and definitely convenient for users to multitask better with another app. To add on some more similarities, users can now pin conversations on top with new Memoji replies, a new Cycling direction option on Apple Maps, and enhanced privacy control.
There is one feature that Android doesn't really have though (correct me if I'm wrong) and that's Apple's new App Clips. App Clips was designed for users to discover and do a specific task that is associated with a particular product or business, like buying a coffee or renting something via NFC or QR codes on a website or message. There are another bunch of minor features mentioned during the conference, so just check them out below:
App Clips
New conversation format and Memojis
Additional iOS 14 Features
- Translate - Can translate foreign languages in real-time by voice and text among 11 different languages
- Siri - Now expanded with new knowledge, helps find answers from across the internet, and can now send audio messages
- Home app - Adaptive Lighting for compatible HomeKit-enabled lights automatically adjusts the colour temperature throughout the day, and with on-device Face Recognition (all encrypted), compatible video doorbells and cameras can identify friends and family
- AirPods - Now can seamlessly switch between Apple devices with automatic device switching. Also, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking brings a theatre-like experience to AirPods Pro
- Digital car keys - Allowing users a secure way to use iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock and start their car. Coming soon this year through NFC whereas the Ultra Wideband technology version will become available next year=
- Find My - Adding support for finding third-party products and accessories, user's privacy remains central with end-to-end encryption built-in
- Safari privacy - The Privacy Report on Safari allows users to see which cross-site trackers have been blocked, secure password monitoring, and detect saved passwords that may have been involved in a data breach, and built-in translation for entire webpages
- Health - Added manage sleep, new audio levels monitoring that may affect hearing health, and a new Health Checklist includes Emergency SOS, Medical ID, ECG, Fall Detection, and more
- Weather - App and widget keep users up to date on severe weather events and a new next-hour precipitation chart shows minute-by-minute precipitation when rain is in the forecast
- Accessibility - Now includes Headphone Accommodations that amplifies soft sounds and tunes audio to help music, movies, phone calls, and podcasts sound better
Apple Developer Program members are now testing out the new iOS 14 and the public beta version will be coming soon to iOS users in July 2020 at beta.apple.com. The iPhones that are eligible for this update are the iPhone 6s series, iPhone SE (1st and 2nd gen), iPhone 7 series, iPhone 8 series, iPhone X and Xr, iPhone Xs series, iPhone 11 series and the iPod touch (7th gen).
Some features are subject to change and may not be available in all regions or all languages. To learn more, you can visit the preview page here and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.
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