Top 5 Announcements from Apple’s WWDC 2020

Apple’s keynote speech by CEO Tim Cook commenced their first ever digital Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2020). The address covered a whole lot of software updates including iOS 14, iPhone, iPad, WatchOS and Apple TV etc. WWDC 2020 was highly anticipated as Apple decided to go online due to the current COVID-19 scare. We know many of you didn’t have the time to watch the live stream but we’ve got you covered. Apple made many major announcements to iOS, macOS, WatchOS etc and also a break up with Intel. We have got the 5 best announcements from WWDC 2020 for you to look at:

Make way for iOS 14

iOS 14 is now available in preview mode to developers from today. Important to note, a public beta version is expected to roll out in July shortly. Lots of software updates are coming to iOS 14 and some of the best are covered by us. iOS 14 will feature an App Library or a new home screen page. This will help to classify your apps and will keep you informed about the apps that you use the most. Along with this, Widgets will now be available on home screen and not on Today screen like previous iOS versions. Moreover, iOS 14 will have a picture-in-picture feature on iPhone to switch between different apps while watching a video or during Facetime. This feature has been on the iPad since iOS 9 but now you can use it on the iPhone too.

Siri has been revamped in iOS 14 too. Now, Siri will no longer take the fullscreen and can do speech to text translation with privacy and speed. Also, you can now pin your most important conversations to the top of the list for ease of use and Memojis will now don a face mask. Because, why not?

MacOS Big Sur

The new version of macOS will be called the Big Sur. MacOS Big Sur will have some modifications to make it look and feel like iOS. Just like iOS, macOS will now feature a dropdown menu in the top right corner of the screen to control volume, display brightness, dark mode, WiFi controls etc. It will now be easier to use a revised Notification Center to clear more notifications in one go. Safari will now have a Privacy Report function which will show you what data has been captured by the site. Moreover, Apple Maps has been revamped in macOS Big Sur. It will now support functions like in-door maps, guides, favourite locations etc.

Changes for iPadOS

Though iPadOS will be able to use most of the features from iOS14 along with a few new features. Apple has revamped the iPad search — it will no longer be full screen. The iPadOS can now go into apps like Messages, Mail, Keynote and Files. Moreover, handwriting recognition is now enabled in any text field which allows you to scribble a quick note without putting the pencil down to type. It is very convenient to draw rough shapes like squares, arrows etc and convert them automatically into neatly designed shapes by holding your pencil for a few more seconds. iPadOS comes with the ability to understand different languages with ease too.

WatchOS 7

You can now set up your Apple Watch face according to your liking with the new WatchOS 7. Compared to earlier versions, you can also share your watch face set up with your friends via messages or email/safari. If the receiver doesn’t have proper set up, they will be guided how to access it easily. Sleep tracking is much better with WatchOS 7 and helps to keep a track of your sleep schedule periodically. The most relevant feature of WatchOS 7 is handwash detection. Your Apple Watch can now detect your hand motions through the accelerometer and sound of water to detect that you are washing your hands and it will start a 20 second timer to remind you.

Homekit

Homekit is now enabled to automatically change the brightness/temperature of your smart bulbs all throughout the day. Like user cooler lights during the day and warm lights during the latter part of the day to help you sleep. Homekit doorbell cams can now recognize your friends and relatives and notify you via Homepod/Apple TV. With Homekit, it is now possible to select activity zones for security cameras. With that, you can limit alerts to only a certain number of activities/ movements throughout the video and not every time when a car passes by your house.

Along with the above changes in multiple OS, there are other changes to improve security and enable a premium user experience. These changes will also change the landscape of mobile app development in 2020–21.