At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June,
1.) Ability To Hide Stock Apps
This is an example of how I hide my Apple apps in a separate folder / Screenshot Credit: Amit... [+]
Last month, AppAdvice discovered that there were two new keys labeled “isFirstParty” and “isFirstPartyHideableApp” within iTunes metadata. And those values started to appear on every app in the App Store several weeks before that. The metadata contains information about the file such as the release date, the app version, the App Store category, etc.
The “isFirstParty” and “isFirstPartyHideableApp” keys hints at Apple's plans to integrate the ability to hide stock iOS apps such as News, Tips, Stocks, Game Center, Calendar and Notes. In the current version of iOS, there are more than 30 apps that are pre-installed. Many iOS users prefer to hide those pre-installed apps on the last home screen page or the icons are put into separate folders with names like “Apple Apps,” “Junk” or “Bloatware.”
2.) iCloud Voicemail System
These are the current settings for Voicemail within iOS as of right now. In iOS 10, Apple will... [+]
In August, BusinessInsider reported that Apple employees are testing a voicemail service that would use Siri to answer calls and transcribe voicemail messages. And then, Apple iCloud Voicemail would be able to send you the text of transcribed voicemails. BusinessInsider’s source said that this means “you will never need to listen to your voicemails again.”
Through this new feature, Siri would also be able to answer your calls and tell the caller why you were not able to answer. Hypothetically, I'm imagining that Siri would be able to tell the caller your reason for not being able to pick up such as “I'm in a class right now” or “I'm in a meeting” rather than having the call go to a digital audio recording.
3.) Standalone HomeKit App
There is a rumor suggesting that Apple iOS 10 will have a standalone HomeKit app. And Apple hinted at the development of a standalone HomeKit app by trademarking the related app icon. HomeKit is an Internet of Things framework that connects to products in your home such as lights and appliances. The standalone HomeKit app will centralize third-party Internet of Things applications and Siri. Apple was reportedly planning to launch the standalone HomeKit app in iOS 9, but it likely was not fully debugged and polished in time.
So instead of using several different applications to control the smart products in your home, the HomeKit app would be able to manage everything. Currently HomeKit matches Internet of Things products with iPhones and iPads, but it still requires users to download separate external apps.
The leak about the standalone HomeKit app came from an Amazon reviewer that claims to work for the marketing department at Apple. “As I work in marketing for Apple, we test many Smart Home devices, especially for iOS HomeKit integration,” said the reviewer via MacRumors. “Some advice, there are many third party applications, most free, that offer more control and customization(s) with many Smart Home devices. ‘Yonomi’ is a free app that I often use, ‘Home’ is another which cost $14.99. Both offer support for many devices with more added daily (including Amazon ‘Echo’). The next version of iOS due this fall will have a standalone ‘HomeKit’ app as well.”
4.) Apple Music Redesign
Apple Music screenshot -- the background color theme seems to change based on the first song in the... [+]
Following the acquisition of Beats for $3 billion in May 2014, Apple built a music subscription streaming service and launched it in June 2015. Apple Music has over 13 million subscribers that are paying $4.99 per month for a student license, $9.99 per month for a single license or $14.99 for a family license. The Apple Music user interface is intuitive, but it has plenty of room for improvements.
Apple is expected to announce a newly designed version of Apple Music at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, according to 9to5Mac. The new version of Apple Music will have a redesigned user interface and several new features. For example, Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac said that the new user interface will do away with the “current colorful and translucent look in favor of a simpler design that emphasizes black and white backgrounds and text.”
If you use Apple Music, then you will notice that the playlist background color changes based on the album art of the first song. In iOS 10, the album art will be larger -- which should make the user interface look more modern. And the new Apple Music interface will utilize 3D Touch shortcut previews to emphasize on song sharing.
There has also been some speculation about what will happen to the “Connect” feature in Apple Music. Apple Connect is a central place for musicians to share content with their fans in the form of a social network. There are some rumors that suggests "Connect" will not be changed, but other sources said that the “Connect” feature will be demoted from one of the Apple Music tabs to becoming a smaller feature within the “For You” recommendations section.
The “For You” section of Apple Music will also be redesigned. Within the “For You” section, Apple curates recommended playlists, songs, artists and music videos to check out. The “New” tab is expected to be replaced with a section called “Browse” -- which will contain top charts, new music and curated playlists.
Apple's Music app will also be updated with the San Francisco font in different formats, including bolder text for the menus. In fact, Apple is expected to update most of its proprietary apps with the San Francisco font soon so that it will have a more consistent design across its product lines. This initiative is comparable to
Will Apple Music gain any new features? Rumor has it that song lyric support will be integrated into Apple Music. Currently, you have to use a third party app like MusixMatch to read the lyrics and sing along to songs you are listening to. Apple is reportedly working closely with the music labels to make this feature happen.
5.) Apple Pay Functionality Upgrade
Apple Pay, the mobile digital wallet service built into iOS, is also expected to be updated in iOS 10. The Apple Pay digital wallet reportedly will be able to support payment authorization on mobile websites using Touch ID or the passcode. The beta releases of the new Apple Pay feature should be released starting in the summer and roll out to publicly in the fall.
Apple Pay works within many native apps such as Airbnb,
6.) Additional Apple Photos Features
The current version of the Apple Photos app with the editing tools opened / Screenshot Credit: Amit... [+]
Apple is planning to make upgrades to the Photos app as well. The features that will be added to the Photos app for iOS are unknown, but rumor has it that it will gain functions that were previously in iPhoto. For example, you may be able to edit EXIF information within photos. And there will be touch-based brushes to control the brightness, contrast and color settings on specific portions of the photos, according to Macotakara via MacRumors.
Based on previous iOS launches, the iOS 10 developer preview should be available for developers on June 13th. That will be shortly followed by a public beta of iOS 10. And then the final public version of iOS 10 is expected to ship alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in September.
What are your thoughts the rumored iOS 10 features? Please leave a comment!
